Rating: 
Summary: Not nearly as good as everyone says it is
Review: Since nearly every critic has lauded this film as being exceptional, it's probably surprising to see a review that slams it. But the fact is, I was not overly impressed with 'Master and Commander'.This film is a character study, regarding the crew of the HMS Surprise and their experiences during the Napoleonic War, especially as they are involved in a cat-and-mouse game with the French privateer Acheron. Not that the engagements with the Acheron dominate the screen; more they frame the real story, which is simply an examination of life on the high seas and how this particular crew deals with the hardships they face. The problems with this film for me are two-fold. First, the film is simply too short. It's two hours and 20 minutes long, but there is so much story crammed into that time frame that each plot element is never really done justice. For example, in a scene early in the film with Capt. 'Lucky Jack' Aubrey (Russell Crowe) must make a hard decision between leaving one popular sailor behind in a raging storm or risk the entire ship and crew, the audience has never really had the opportunity to get to know this sailor to best appreciate why the decision was so tough for the captain. That, and following a short moment of mourning and a quick memorial service, this 'beloved' crewmember is quickly forgotten. Contrast that to Crowe's performance in Gladiator'; when Maximus loses his family, the impact resonates throughout the entire film, and the audience feels the loss right long with Maximus. And while just one event of this magnitude would be enough to make a movie of 'Master and Commander''s length for other filmmakers, giving the creative team ample time to allow the audience to fall in love with the doomed sailor and mourn along with the crew, and then explore the repercussions of the loss, 'Master and Commander' instead has many, many events of this intensity throughout the film. As such, the film ended up feeling, to me, like highlights from a 20-part Masterpiece Theatre series. The other problem was the balance between the captain and the crew. The film can't seem to make up it's mind whether it wants to be about how Capt. Aubrey deals with the struggles and responsibilities of his command, or if it's about the crew and how they deal with the tough life of being on the high seas, with the exploration of Capt. Aubrey's life taking no more screen time than Able Seaman Johnson's. In a way, it's almost two films in one; one about Capt. Aubrey, and one about the crew. As a result, the film ends up feeling as if the intention was to make a movie about the crew at large, but the producers simply couldn't ignore a powerhouse actor like Russell Crowe, and so his screen time wound up disproportionate as a result. Admittedly, I've not read the books this movie is based on. But I'm sure it didn't help that the producers of this film felt the need to make a movie based on two of the books in Patrick O'Brien's acclaimed 20-novel 'Master and Commander' series. Most of the time, movies made based in literary works require the creative team to make painful cuts that often end up upsetting fans of the original works, simply because to faithfully tell the original story on film would require not a movie but a television mini-series. However, for some reason, the writing team of this movie didn't seem to think one book was enough from the series, so they used two. And as a result, there's a lot of story crammed into a very short time-frame. That said, this film does deserve the majority of praise and awards that it is receiving. Russell Crowe is as strong an actor as ever, although Maximus from 'Gladiator' was a much better realized character to begin with, a character with much more depth. The battle scenes are breathtakingly filmed, and keeping the crew of the Acheron as a distant, almost invisible, entity throughout the majority of the film was a master stroke. And what we do see of the different characters, they are quite fascinating, which is perhaps why I ended up feeling cheated by how little I really got to know them. Perhaps the biggest problem with this movie is the competition it's up against this year. Certainly the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy has re-defined the standard for epic filmmaking and for a filmed work based on a literary source. But there's also the equally epic and surprisingly good 'Pirates of the Carribean: The Curse of the Black Pearl', another swashbuckler about life on the high seas, and although much lighter in tone, that film does a much better job of understanding it's intent and following through with a good story as a result.
Rating: 
Summary: Really good movie!
Review: 4-stars overall, but it is easily one of the best directed movies of the year. It really did gather the tight spaced feel of a warship during the 1800's. The dialogue was annoying, so don't watch for the screenplay. But the set designs, the sound, the editing, and the acting are pretty good. I had some problems with the middle of the film which went a little slow (but so did Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and that was IMO the best picture of 2000). But it picks up at the end with a great battle scene. This isn't a fast paced movie. It takes time to enjoy but its well worth it. 4-stars for the movie. 5-stars for director Peter Weir.
Rating: 
Summary: The Greatest sea-going movie I have EVER seen
Review: This movie is the Greatest sea-going movie I have EVER seen. For those of you who have seen pirates of the carribean and just want to stay with that, DO NOT. You don't know what your missing. This movie takes you into the life of a 1800's frigate (the HMS Suprise) and puts you in the center of the action, from the ornate poop deck and captais galley to the smelly disease ridden bilges. It is able to capture the boredom the crew would expirience between engagement, but the movie is far from boring. The action sequences are amazing, this movie does not need hollywood to spruce ot up, to put wild twist on it, or use overpowering graphics, unlike pirates of the carribean. It also sticks close to historicl fact too. WHat more cou ld you want in a movie? Awsome fight seens, great actors, good story, it has all of theese. THis movie is worth your money.
Rating:
Summary: Great BIG SCREEN Movie
Review: .
4+ stars - Great Big Screen Movie
4- stars - when it hits DVD Summary:
A screen adaptation of Patrick O'Brian's fictional chronicles of the early 19th century British-French naval wars. This film focuses on the friendship between Captain Jack Aubrey and surgeon Stephen Maturin and the evolution of their relationship as they face a superior foe. Review: A good naval yarn, and excellent big screen film. Maybe not a movie you will see 3-4 times, but, certainly a movie you will see twice..... once at the theatre (highly recommended) and once (1 time) again when the DVD comes out (for the Directors' Commentary - my plan anyhow). Good script writing, great cinematography, great acting, great sets, great props and costumes, wonderful music. The realism of the sets including the ships, the ocean cinematography, and the cat & mouse naval conflict makes this a big screen must see. The ship is a real replica 1800s-era British tall ship (Rose - from Rhode Island). The big screen viewer is truly transported to another time. Unfortunately, the action and dialog doesn't make you crave watching and dissecting the film a half dozen times like other big screen action films. It is accurate fictional history. But, it lacks the expected excitement, quick and brilliant dialogue or deeper spiritual essence that initiates deep thought and repeated viewing.
Regardless, "Master & Commander: Far Side of the World" is a must see for the big screen!
Rating:
Summary: One of the BEST movies ever!
Review: In addition to the treat of seeing Russell Crowe in any role, this movie's story of valiant fighting men in an earlier era was done superbly by Weir. One felt as if transported to the early 19th century, and marveled at the conditions our forebearers endured with such gusto. It's a rousing tale told by a "master" story-teller (Patrick O'Brian), whose books are fascinating. Anyone who loves adventure, the sea, historical tales and Russell Crowe will love this one.
Rating:
Summary: A Truly Entertaining Movie
Review: First of all --- don't listen to the naysayers who have trashed this film with their silly 1, 2, and 3-star reviews. Most of those reviews are either totally unobjective or so nitpicky that you wonder if the reviewer has ever enjoyed ANY movie!! Also, for the reviewers who have criticized the movie because "it's not like the book" --- when have you ever seen a film that captured the entire essence of the book(s) it was drawn from? There is simply not enough time to do that on screen!! This movie kept me on the edge of my seat for most of the time. The action scenes were probably the best ever for a seafaring flick. Of course, there were stretches that went a lot slower, but these were for character development (for those of you who complained about the "lack" of such). I won't go into the storyline here, as numerous other reviewers have already covered that. I love movies with sailing vessels, and this is probably the best I've ever seen. Highly recommended!!!
Rating:
Summary: Pretty good on most counts, but has a crucial problem
Review: First things first - as movies go, this is pretty good. It has an engaging storyline (Capt. Jack Aubrey of the HMS Surprise having to hunt down the French privateer Acheron during the Napoleonic wars), stunning visuals (the entire movie is shot on board the Surprise except for a few shots of the Galapagos), accurate recreation of the setting it portrays (the overcrowding, squalor, hierarchy & occasional savagery of naval life at the time is starkly visible) and contains enough human drama to provide emotional appeal (the characters of the captain and his best friend, who also happens to be the ship's doctor, are well fleshed out, as are a couple more). Fans of Patrick O'Brien's novels seem reasonably happy with the translation of his works onto the big screen, and newcomers are given enough background to be able to understand things from the get-go. However, the movie suffers from a strange condition that is impossible to remedy. Ironically for a movie that can claim descent from high-seas swashbucklers of yesteryear, it moves at an excrutiatingly slow pace. This is a natural consequence of the remarkably high level of detail provided by the accuracy & scale of the sets and the scenes of everyday life on board the vessel, and those who really get into the mood of the movie may appreciate the slowness, but a casual watcher can get quite easily turned off by it. In contrast, the battle scenes are furiously paced, with astounding CGI work that can have you ducking in your seat. This gives the movie a very choppy feel, almost like an orator who rattles off his sentences really fast, but pauses inordinately often and for too much time between sentences. The acting is engaging - Russel Crowe is good, Paul Bettany is excellent, and some of the younger members of the cast have delivered memorable, if short, performances. The dialogue is pithy - rather melodramatic at times, but quite effective as a reflection of that day and age. The director gives you thoughtful glimpses into some of the everyday joys, fears, hopes & superstitions of the crew of the ship - the way they react to the presence of a so-called "Jonah" on board, their unquestioning loyalty to their captain, their ultimate dedication to the ship & the admiration of Lord Nelson that characterised almost every sailor of the day. O'Brian fans will undoubtedly enjoy this movie to the hilt - my suggestion is that you get the special extended edition DVD for your viewing pleasure. Casual watchers... if you're expecting a breakneck speed chase story on water, you'll be disappointed. This is a movie that has one purpose - to accurately show you life on board a naval vessel in the early 1800s, adding some action and drama along the way. Cruel as it may be to say this, the fact that it succeeds is something that most people won't appreciate too much - by the time they ACCEPT this purpose, most of the movie would have passed by with them fidgeting in their seats.
Rating:
Summary: seaworthy
Review: In a world of look-a-like movies, "Master and Commander" stands strongly apart from the rest. While the temptation would be for the filmmakers to take this to the nautical lows of "A Perfect Storm" in an action-ocean-war flick, they made it into a true character movie with remarkable moments of drama, tension, and yes, action. The true stars of "Master and Commander" are Russell Crowe (Captain Aubrey) and Paul Bettany (Dr. Maturin). I've loved Bettany in everything he's done - he adds this comfortable tenor to all his films, and in this case he really balances out Crowe's stern Aubrey. We are in 1805, and the film takes place almost entirely at sea, yet never gets boring due to the great character development with Aubrey and Maturin in a classic protagonist/antagonist setup. Aubrey is obsessed with his ship and his mission, to hunt down the French ship Archeron. Its captain, however, is an even match for Aubrey and consistently outwits him. This game of cat and mouse ensues for most of the film, but is nicely counterbalanced by Dr. Maturin, a naturalist, who discovers several new species on the Galapagos Islands using only a telescope as they flank the archipelago. This leads to his insistence that they land there so he can explore further, causing great scenes of tension between the two men. This movie has pretty much everything, though I could see some people feeling it's a little drawn out during the parts of island exploration by Maturin. What you initially think is going to be just a little dip in the storyline quickly turns into one of the major subplots in the film. The historical aspects are excellent, including the unusual addition of all the young boys onboard the ship - a common practice in that time but rarely included in films. In fact, the performance by the lead child - I didn't catch his name - was one of the most memorable aspects of the film. Rent if you must, but this seems like one you should own.
Rating:
Summary: On deck
Review: I've never read a book by Patrick O'Brien featuring captain Lucky Jack Aubrey, so everything on "Master and Commander" was new to me. First of all, Peter Weir proved to be a very intelligent director, making the viewers totally at ease and making me feel I was part of Aubrey's crew. Sometimes it seemed I was on the deck of HMS Surprise. Second, though the story is not original and really showed no surprises (no pun intended), the screenplay is very good. At first sight, a 130-minute movie that goes on pratically only aboard a ship seems dull and boring. But the scenes are always significant to the context of the film, and the screenplay provides interesting insights on the characters' personalities, not only the two main characters (Jack Aubrey and the Doctor Maturin) but minor ones as well. I think the children's and teenagers' acting was great. The battle scenes are impressive, and the quiet and sometimes funny scenes on Galapagos Islands proved to be a nice interlude. Surprisingly, Russel Crowe is not in his acclaimed usual macho-style as in "Gladatior" and "Proof of life". He plays Jack Aubrey as a commanding but sensitive man (his musical scenes with the doctor are great - in fact the music in the movie is very good and appropriate). But the one who steals every scene he's in is the real-life Lucky (his wife is Jennifer Connelly) Paul Bettany as Dr. Stephen Maturin. "Master and commander" is not only a nicely-executed film, but also great entertainment as well. Grade 9.0/10
Rating:
Summary: True and Accurate Sea Adventure
Review: As an educator and naval historian, I found "Master and Commander"to be honest and thrilling history. It showed that there was nothing romantic about life at sea. The world of the average seaman was hard, dirty and dangerous. The movie also did a good job of showing the society and values of the era. Another aspect of the movie, that I felt was important to show, was the medical "tools" and their use. The weevils in the food also added realism to the story. Overall, I found the movie did a great job showing the various aspects of life at sea----battle, living in close quarters, religion and superstition, class society, discipline, etc. Lastly, I thought that showing the cultured side of a warrior such as Aubrey was also important. Japanese admiral Yamamoto, for example, liked to photograph flowers! We all have our many sides and facets. As far as I could tell, this movie had it all! A must see.
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