Chasing the Thunder (Mark Benjamin, Marc Levin, 2018): USA

Reviewed by Thomas J Miller.  Viewed at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, 2018.

Hold on to your oilskin hat and steady those land legs, this journey is headed for rough waters.

Chasing the Thunder is a true story about the pursuit of the notorious, illegal fishing vessel, The Thunder, which has eluded authorities for years.  The story and directors take us on an unbelievable journey that spans more than 10,000 miles of pursuit with a finale that amazes all involved.   The Bob Barker and San Simon vessels travel under the authority of Sea Shepard, an organization founded by Captain Paul Watson a former board member of Greenpeace.  The captains in this story have committed their lives to help eradicate illegal fishing, which is a thriving worldwide business run by criminals. They are joined by volunteers, from around the world, who believe their roles in the crew have great purpose and will make a significant difference in helping bring the criminals to justice.

Once they determine the Thunder is fishing illegally, they inform the Thunder’s captain he must cease all activities and forfeit the vessel and crew under the rules of international law. The Bob Barker is the acting pursuit vessel and the sister ship, the San Simon assists in collecting forensic evidence to prove The Thunder is fishing illegally.  All information is transmitted to Interpol, who is the international authority responsible for prosecution of the crimes.

The Thunder makes every effort to elude the Bob Barker including leading the vessel through a sea of ice that is near unmanageable.  With no place left to escape, the Thunder signals a distress call that they are taking on water and headed to the bottom of the sea.  The Bob Barker captain must follow protocol and launch a full scale rescue.

The film crew lives completely in the background of this open sea setting to capture amazing footage of the pursuit and all the support activities that happen on board both ships.  Chasing the Thunder is a must-see film.