Patrick Stewart makes his entrance late into this telefilm, stringy hair hanging from under his three-cornered hat, his peg leg tapping out his arrival on deck. This Captain Ahab is a hard, driven man--you can see it in his burning eyes--and there"s no question he has the resolve and the mad devotion to complete his quest at all costs: kill the white whale that took his leg. Franc Roddam"s mini-series adaptation of Herman Melville"s classic novel (filmed previously by John Huston in 1956) manages its budget wisely: a judicious use of digital effects creates a terrifying vision of the great white whale, and Roddam"s eye captures a near-epic quality. Henry Thomas"s earnest performance as the young seaman Ishmael can"t compete with Stewart"s intensity, and Gregory Peck"s cameo as Father Mapple is a hollow echo of his passionate Ahab from Huston"s masterpiece. But the rest of the cast excels, and Roddam"s haunting imagery and horrific climax make this a compelling dramatic adventure. --Sean Axmaker