Rating: 
Summary: Good movie, with a few dull spots
Review: When I say dull, I don't necessarily mean boring, but rather confusing or unnecessary. Not to spoil anything, but one fight in the movie is incredibly disorienting. I wasn't sure who was winning or, for the most part, what I was looking at. If not for this chaotic, sub-par fight sequence, the movie would have received five stars from me. True, a fight in a dark and dank ship would not be as clear and clear to watch as two knights on horses, but the way it was filmed took me out of the world of the film while I tried to make sense of what my eyes were telling me.The rest of the movie, however, is of the highest calibre. Russell Crowe turns in another wonderful performance as the captain, and the rest of the cast gives a wonderful feeling of being on a real ocean-going sea vessel. Watch out for the first character you see on film: don't let his size fool you, nobody in this movie is the size of a hobbit!
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant Historical Accuracy
Review: This has to be the single most historically accurate film made about any high seas adventure that I have ever seen. Now, that is not to say the PLOT is historically accurate, b/c it is completely fictional. However, the representation of life at sea is absolute perfection. The battle scenes are extraordinarily realistic, fast and furious. Many boats contained young men or children, as this movie portrays. Battles on the high seas were either excessively protracted, or brutally short, depending entirely on the range of the fighting. Everything this movie shows is historical perfection. Some may find it a little slow, but for anyone with even an iota of patience, Master and Commander is very much worth the price of admission.
Rating: 
Summary: Almost Perfect.
Review: I'm a former Naval Officer, and I've read the complete series of books through multiple times. This film manages to capture the flavor of the books while adding a few twists of it's own. The movie itself is a course in naval history. Similar period works like the "Bounty" opted to almost ignore the complexities involved in operating a ship. M&C hits you with a lot of them at the same time, but credits you with enough intelligence to follow it. No matter what you're looking at; the uniforms, the duties people performed, the tactics, the language, the ship and its fittings, or any other item on the screen, it is both historically accurate and in keeping with the spirit of the book series. I've heard people complain about the film's depiction of the young midshipmen who acted as junior officers on the ship. This is how it was, and again the film pulls no punches as to how demanding and brutally unfair this type of life could be. Others have complained about the "cheeziness" of some of the spontaneous singing and instrument work in the movie. But again I give the film credit for daring to highlight what was actually done for entertainment in those days, long before CD's & TV made music a passive, solitary, spectator event. The only "groaner" point in the movie for me involved a bad pun referring to some unwanted vermin in the food. In the books, Jack is relentlessly unquick when it comes to a play on words. Yet he'll proudly refer back to the rare incidents years earlier when he actually "got in a good one". In the book series, this adds another tone to the character; but in the movie it came off as a little forced. IMost people are completely unaware of the state of food supplies on a Napoleonic warship, and the movie could have provided an earlier reference to the presence of mold, maggots, weevils, and rats on the ship; and how these extra passengers were accepted matter-of-factly by the crew. I was a little worried about Russel Crowe when I heard he was cast. The Aubrey character from the books is a hulking, borderline fat, scarred up giant, and I had always pictured the man who played the British officer in "Last of the Mohicans" whenever I read the books. But Crowe delivers again. Bettany is perfect as Dr. Maturin (significant portions of this character are not revealed in the movie and remain a treat for those who read the books). The only casting choice I had a problem with was Bonden (played by one of the Hobbit guys). If I remember correctly from the books, Bonden was a prizefighter, not at all a match for the physicalality of this actor. (If I've gotten this wrong please forgive me). One final note is that this movie should have been nominated for, and should have won, an Oscar for best adapted screenplay. To comb through 20 books looking for which bits and pieices could be brought together to make a viable, watchable movie, while still remaining true to the source material is an incredible task (the movie differs significantly from the novel of the same name). This movie pulled it off beautifully. Even minor characters are given enough screen time to establish them firmly. From Killick worrying about the silver and muttering under his breath, to "Awkward" Davies, a man more useful in a fight than for anything involved with sailing a ship. If you want historically accurate, informative, exciting, complex action, involving some of the most popular, relevant, and influential characters in historical fiction, than this movie is for you. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant, Beautiful, Not to be Missed !!!
Review: Is there a more varied actor than Russell Crowe? From Gladiator to The Insider to Master and Commander, his range never ceases to amaze. In M&C, Crowe is in perfect pitch as the British ship captain on the hunt for a more powerful French ship o' the line. The scenery in this film as well as the battle sequences are vivid and beautiful. The score is impeccable. If you missed it in the theater - even if you didn't - you will want to own this DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: A relative dissapointment
Review: 3 Stars and a dissapointment in my eyes. I really don't see what got the critics so excited about this movie. The plot is rather thin and there just isn't anything that really stands out. The acting is only slightly above average and simply isn't Crowe's best performance. The only intriguing thing was the scientist's fascination with nature, and how it clashed with the captain's desire to move forward. However, I don't think they touched on this as much as they could have. So much more could have expanded on this issue, and it would have made this movie a lot more interestin . Don't get me wrong, I thought the movie was pretty decent, I'm glad there wasn't a battle every 10 minutes and it managed to display a fair portrayal of sea life. I don't see much strategy going on here though. Here is an opportunity to truly dazzle the screen with some creative things the crews decide to do, instead, it boils down to firing at each other relentlessly and seeing who has the best aim with the cannons. It made the movie rather shallow and Crowe's character seem somewhat generic. A lot more could have been done with this movie.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful film -- overpriced DVD
Review: Master and Commander was a wonderful film, one of the best of the year. It captured many of the things that make Patrick's O'Brian's books stand head and shoulder above others of the type -- the music, the natural world, the real feel of the ship. It skimps a bit on the character of Dr. Maturin, but does a very good job with Aubrey. But ... why, when the two-disc version of most movies -- complete with deleted scenes, making of specials, etc. -- are the standard, are they charging a premium for the two-disc version of Master and Commander (with a cheaper addition for those who just want the movie). It's not like the Lord of the Rings films: the special edition is not a four-disk extended edition. It's the same sort of two-disk set that we've come to expect for under $20 for most films. I really hope they drop the price of this sometime soon.
Rating:
Summary: The Return Of A Master
Review: If ever there are prizes for the best directorial comebacks, then surely Peter Weir should have one. The Aussie director of classics such as Picnic at Hanging Rock, Gallipoli,Year of Living Dangerously,Dead Poet's Society and the underrated Truman Show returns with force after five years absence (Truman being his last in '98) with a powerful film that will engage you in its clever dialog and dazzle you with its well edited action, Master and Commander: the Far Side of The World.
Based on a novel by Patrick O'Brien and a screenplay by Weir himself, it is the cat and mouse chase in the Pacific ocean during Napoleonic times, between a British ship commanded by Captain Jack Aubrey and a much stronger French vessel.
The success of the film in my opinion lies firmly with the screenplay, and the well written characters that perfectly reflect their time and environment. In a short time, the viewer will find him/herself totally immersed in their individual stories, and will sympathize with their condition, be saddened by their losses and cheer their successes..
I found myself transfixed at the anecdotes at the captain's dinner table about Lord Nelson, touched by the heroism of the little boy, amused by the grumpiness of the steward Killick, and bemused by the sailors superstitions.
And this is not easily achieved but shows that Weir indeed possesses a great talent for writing that equals his visual sensitivities.
The action scenes, safe to say are very well directed and (equally important edited as well). I liked the fact the French vessel remains up until the end of the film, elusive and 'ghost like', as the whole film is seen exclusively through the 'eyes' and point of view of the British ship.
The scenery is quite impressive, especially the ones filmed in the Galapagos islands.
Now the acting,
I don't if anyone could have played Aubrey's part better than Russell Crowe! He simply plays the part to perfection, and you can clearly tell that he was very much at ease in this role, while all the other actors (mainly British) give brilliant performances that complement Crowe's lead role and Weir's masterful direction, especially Paul Bettany, James D'Arcy and David Threlfall.
The world of cinema is full of good directors as well as mediocre and bad ones, but only a handful can be considered artists in the truest sense of this word, (especially these days) and Peter Weir is certainly one. You have to see Master and Commander..to know what I mean and to applaud one helluva comeback!
Rating:
Summary: worth the watch, not the buy...
Review: nice movie, well shot, well acted. some parts were cheesy, many scenes involving crowe and his dialogue made you chuckle. and when he whipped out his violin and started playing classical, a bit over the top to portray him as a gentleman. overall, it is worth it to watch, but not to buy. even if this dvd is jammed packed with extras, commentaries, deleted scenes, and alternative endings i would save your $20 and buy something else.
Rating:
Summary: rousing good yarn
Review: i went into the theater expecting a very good movie and i was not disappointed. a nice mix of adventure, character development and action.
i have not seen "a beautiful mind" or "gladiator", so i had no
opinion of russell crowe. he did an excellent portrayal of a tough and compassionate leader.
i have read a few sea accounts and life on board ship seems accurately portrayed. as do the leisure moments and battle scenes.
the director, peter weir, squeezed a lot into this movie, and did it well. i hope they do another one.
my dvd is on order.
Rating:
Summary: Much more than I expected
Review: This film was so much more than I expected. I would have settled for a good swashbuckler and I got a lot more. This is a film where the characters are alive, they are real, complex people, with often contradictory feelings. The action advances the story, it impacts what the characters feel and do. I particularly loved the friendship between the captain and the ship's surgeon: one is an action man, the other an intellectual. Often they differ in their views, but the affection they have for each other is palpable. And they play the cello and the violin together, which results in some memorable moments. My favourite scene in the movie: the arrival to the Galapagos Islands and the doctor's awe at the new species. The DVD is perfect in its quality and the many extras are all super-interesting.
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