Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

Isn't just a fabulous seagoing spectacle. It's one for the ages.

As magnificent as a high-masted 19th-century British warship, as explosive as a Napoleonic-era ocean battle seen above the cannon's mouth... probably the best movie of its kind ever made.

Few actors can be as convincing as leaders of men, and to see Crowe as Capt. Jack Aubrey in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is to see a consummate performer doing what he does best.

An intimate epic of infinite grace.

What makes Master and Commander so bracing and transporting -- what makes the movie feel unlike any adventure film you've seen before -- is the precise detail and care with which Weir places us aboard the HMS Surprise.

Though there is plenty of action, particularly at the start and at the end with two blasting sea battles, much of the film is not sufficiently interesting.

It seems as if every possible cliche and story twist from any seafaring picture of the past 80 years made its way into this flick.

"Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" Far and away one of the best timepiece movies made in the past few decades. All the characters, whether significant to the story or peripheral, feel authentically portrayed. It doesn't assign favor

The film is two hours and 18 minutes long and most of that is spent on cinematography. We see the ship, the sails, the ocean, the spray. We see cannon fire and belching flames and the air full of smoke. In between battles with the sea, and the other ship our "heroes" are dueling, we are treated to lengthy scenes in the captain's quarters of the officers having dinner, singing bawdy sailor songs, and the like. One might ask what any of this has to do with the story and the answer is that this film does not have enough story to justify a running time of 90 minutes, much less two hours and 18 minutes. One prime example is our ship's doctor. He's an amateur naturalist. He gets into a great big argument with our captain because he wants to take a stroll across a Galapagos island to take notes on the local flora and fauna. Never mind that our captain is in hot pursuit of an enemy vessel. I mean, no captain in any navy in history would entertain this discussion for longer than it might take to thrown the doctor into the ocean. It's absurd and a waste of screen time. Ultimately, I would not recommend this film. I would recommend the "Hornblower" series of British films which were clearly produced by people who understand something about dramatic structure, not to mention characterization.

There is a lot to explore in O'Brain's novel, but Weir's procedure is probably not the way to command this ship. Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World Weir has an apologetic letter to post. His somber world turns shade a bit darker every time this troop tries to celebrate small wins. Hanging by the cliff, these character and the director, Peter Weir is surviving this trip on low fuel. But, first of all, I think I should apologize before he does. "It is not him, it is me". The pirate-isc world was never my forte. Even in The Pirates Of The Caribbean series, Johnny Depp had to invent one of the most iconic character to lure me in. I am usually under the "tough audience" section in these shows. And since there is no Johnny Depp (although, half way through I genuinely was hoping for him to appear and just.. escape) or mythology involved in this drama- more than adventure, for sure- there is very little in their kit to entertain me. Nevertheless, there is a lot to devour in here. Of course, the brotherly romance between Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany is the top contender, where I'd be honest, I didn't see it coming how deep and honest this equation would go; them sharing few tunes alone in a room- not a euphemism- is possible the only calm and stable scene that clears your mind. Another textbook issue that emerges is for our hero Crowe to realize and respect the value of the post he is on, and with few mistakes and losses and wins, he finally gets there, although I'd say he was about an hour late. The production design is stunning along with the cinematography, Miramax is definitely showing off and why not, the Oscars season is coming up, they'd definitely need some higher authority to swoop in couple of those golden tickets, and this time they chose, Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World.

This movie was boring, slow and only half of the actors were any good. I expected Gladiator on a ship, and got utter crap. the doctor was an interesting character, however as a whole the acting was mediocre. The movie was slow until the very end where it picked up for a minute... and died, ending on a bloody cliffhanger. Read the Book.

Most. Boring. Movie. Ever. Not one single memorable acting performance. I'd rather read the index of an economics textbook for 2 hours and 18 minutes.