Master and Commander - The Far
Side of the World (Widescreen
Edition) starring Russell Crowe, Paul
Bettany, Billy Boyd, James DArcy,
Edward Woodall
My Hero--Crowe
In the capable hands of director Peter Weir, Master and Commander: The
Far Side of the World is a seafaring adventure like no other, impeccably
authentic, dynamically cast, and thrilling enough to give any classic
swashbuckler a run for its money. In adapting two of Patrick OBrians
enormously popular novels about British naval hero Capt. Jack Aubrey,
Weir and cowriter John Collee have changed the timeframe from the
British/American war of 1812 to the British/French opposition of 1805,
where the HMS Surprise, under Aubreys confident command, is patrolling
the South Atlantic in pursuit of the Acheron, a French warship with the
strategic advantage of greater size, speed, and artillery. Russell Cr owe is
outstanding as Aubrey, firm and fiercely loyal, focused on his prey even if it
means locking horns with his friend and ships surgeon, played by Crowes
A Beautiful Mind costar Paul Bettany. Employing a seamless combination
of carefully matched ocean footage, detailed models, full-scale ships, and
CGI enhancements, Weir pays exacting attention to every nautical detail,
while maintaining a very human story of honor, warfare, and survival under
wretched conditions. Raging storms and hull-shattering battles provide
pulse-pounding action, and a visit to the Galapagos Islands lends a note of
otherworldly wonder, adding yet another layer of historical perspective to
this splendidly epic adventure. --Jeff Shannon
Master and Commander is bloody superb. This is a historically authentic
picture (not to be mistaken for actual events and people but bits and
pieces of real history sown together) takes us aboard Captain Lucky Jack
Aubreys (Russell Crowes) British war ship the HMS Surprise. You can
almost feel the sting of the frigid air and smell the salt water in this truly
immersive exploit into the Napoleonic war between France and Britain.
The Surprise and her crew are set in 1805 and have direct orders to hunt
the French warship Acheron on the South American coast. This is one of
those rare epic movies with literally no flaws despite its grand nature. Peter
Weir directs this saga of British life on the high seas and holds his cast to
nothing short of impeccable acting. The battles scenes are gripping full of
cannon ball explosions sending shards of wood into there victims along
with fierce sword fighting. This movie is triumphant at demonstrating how
difficult it was to be aboard a sea fairing ship whether an British officer or
deck-hand. It conveyed well the highs and lows of moral and how
punishment was swift and firm. Best of all Crowe demonstrates how a
captians judgment is a tight rope leading to victory or defeat. Although only
winning two Oscars this movie was nominated for ten including best
picture and director only losing the other eight categories to Lord of the
Rings the Return of the King (Hobbit Billy Boyd is among the cast of M&C).
Acting (Impeccable): Some of the cast members are quite young but even
they deliver strong believable performances. Max Pirkis (who also gives a
strong performance as the young Gaius Octavian in the hit HBO show
Rome) character is young Midshipman William Blakeney which he plays
with depth beyond his years. Dr. Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany, who is
also terrific) role demonstrates effectively how crude medical attention was
but how without it many more souls would die. Bettany and Crowe
relationship as captain and doctor plus friends adds many more layers to
this already deep story. This leviathan of a movie has scene after a scene
of deep heartfelt acting that never missed a beat or felt out of place.
Score (Brilliant): The music is a variety of selected baroque and classical
pieces some of which are played by the highly noted Yo-Yo Ma. This score
hits the nail on the head throughout the whole sea faring adventure. The
music does an eloquent job of setting the tone of each scene enhancing
the overall mode whether hopeful or depressed. Its one of my all time
favorite scores.
Wardrobe/effects (Realistic): The outfits are varied and printed out to the
exact detail from the British officers, able shipman, Royal Marines to the
French navel outfits of the time. The ship looks spectacular whether in
calm or rough seas. The cannon exchange from ship to ship is exhilarating
due to the high quality effects maintained in this picture. Be warned there
will be blood (no pun intended) in the battle scenes not a movie for
younger viewers.
Last take (solid purchase): This is a must see for all lovers of Patrick
OBrian books (this story was taken from several of his books), Horatio
Hornblower, Russel Crowe, or lovers of an epic British driven Navel
adventure. No female cast or campy love story thrown into this movie but
there also wasnt any need for one when keeping to historical accuracy. Did
I mention must see?
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