Rating: 
Summary: A study in leadership
Review: The Air Force's leadership tutorial from Hollywood is "Twelve O'Clock High." I believe "Master and Commander" will become the Navy counterpart. As a retired military officer I found the film facinating; however, I can see how those seeking pure entertainment could become impatient with the movie.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the best films of 2003
Review: If you're prepared for a long, involved drama of Napoleonic sea farers as opposed to the high adventure antics of Pirates of the Caribbean, you really should love this film.Unfortunately, the studios marketed this film as a big action film ("Gladiator on water"), and most of the complaints I've heard about this film are people not getting what they expected and/or wanted. It's also possible that people who would really love this film won't see it because of this. Master and Commander runs close to being a character study. Not of Capt. Jack Aubrey, but the entire crew as an entity. The entire film (for the most part) takes place on the H.M.S. Surprise (Aubrey's ship), and the story is about this crew trying to hunt down an enemy ship of the French which is bigger, faster, has more guns with longer range, and more heavily armored. The story focuses on the lives of the characters aboard this ship during this mission, and time can often go for weeks on end without ever seeing the enemy. Just like a real ship in these times, the adventure is slow paced. However, those who appreciate strong dramas will find much to love about this picture. Both Crowe and Bettany give strong performances (as does everyone in this pic). Just like in Gladiator, Crowe gives a performance that really makes you believe these men would follow him. Bettany plays a civilian doctor and the only person Crowe doesn't have authority over allowing him to be the voice of reason as Jack Aubrey's desire to get this French ship verges on dangerous obsession. The fact that they don't make movies like this hardly ever is reason alone to catch this film on the big screen. In the next few years we're gonna have our fill of ancient greek/roman films, but it may be a very long time before we see a film like this again which is quite possibly the best of this type ever filmed. My one real complaint about the film was the ending. A twist is thrown in that caught me by surprise, but I really didn't like it because it not only invalidates most of the story up to that point but completely changes the tone of the film. Where up to that point the entire film is strong, realistic drama in the vein of Saving Private Ryan, the ending is something that would fit the light hearted antics of Pirates of the Caribbean. It didn't ruin the film but it did leave an unwanted after taste.
Rating:
Summary: A riveting journey on a tall ship.
Review: Having never read Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin novels, I can't address how faithful Peter Weir's "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" is to the source material. (I have gleaned that the fans of O'Brian's novels probably wouldn't be satisfied with ANY film version.) I can definitely say, however, that Weir rivets our attention from the very first seconds of this movie, taking us into the far corners of the tall ship in the early morning fog, and never lets go of it until the final credits. Aided immeasurably by the magnficent camera work of Russell Boyd, Weir takes us into realms of thought, feeling and experience where the cinema seldom goes. He gives us a vivid picture of life aboard a British man-of-war during the Napoleonic wars, and draws us so deeply into the teamwork and camaraderie of the crew that we feel as if we're climbing the riggings ourselves. In a way, the actors are just as much a crew as the sailors they portray; none of them stands out, but all of them put their shoulders together and work as a perfect team, each man (there are, of course, no women on board) holding up his end to perfection. Even the starring performance of Russell Crowe as Jack Aubrey, courageous and consummately skilled ship's captain, is a masterpiece of understated team playing; different in degree but not in kind from his mates, he commands the movie but never overwhelms or bullies it. Likewise, Paul Bettany--standing a little apart from the rest of the crew as ship's surgeon Stephen Maturin--is a marvel of quiet, unobtrusive authority. There are some great debates between Aubrey, man of action, and Maturin, man of intellect, on the conduct of war and the nature of command; yet in the end they work together as a team, their essential harmony symbolized by their duets on the violin and cello. (Of the other actors in the film, special mention must be made of 13-year-old Max Pirkis as midshipman Lord Blakeney, who--after suffering a series of extreme traumas--lives up to his promise as a budding commander of men.) "Master and Commander" is such a consistently compelling action film that it catches you by surprise with its frequent moments of tragic emotion (hint: don't get too attached to any of the characters). But at the end you will leave the theater shouting a few huzzahs for Captain Aubrey and his men.
Rating:
Summary: Totally spellbinding!!!
Review: From the minute this movie began to the very minute it ended, I never once diverted my attention from the (big) screen. I was entirely caught up in the fast-paced and historically believable action. Not having heard previously about the series of books upon which this movie is based, I first saw the trailer and decided I would like it, then almost changed my mind when I read many peer reviews that said "women wouldn't like it." Oh, how wrong they were! For the last 30 years, I have breathed, eaten, and slept history, and I continue to do so. My thirst for even more knowledge knows no bounds. Movies like this one, that even make a good attempt to portray a historical period, almost always catch my interest. Russell Crowe plays Captain Jack perfectly; I could not even begin to consider any other popular actor for the role. He happened to also be the only member of the cast whose name I knew, but it mattered not. The entire cast and crew put together a superb production and I have no criticisms for the few liberties they took. When the movie ended, it was only then I came back to "reality" and physically drew a breath. I think I'd been favorably hypnotized during the nearly 3 hour movie. I felt like I'd been on the ship too, hidden back inside some safe nook but inexorably drawn in. I had the same reaction to Crowe's "A Beautiful Mind" when I saw it. Crowe seems to have the inate ability to actually BECOME the character, not just portray a character; he truly has proven himself to be a master of his craft, his personal shenanigans notwithstanding. I will definitely buy this movie when it becomes available!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Doesn't quite excite enough
Review: Previews often give false impressions of movies and in this case I was expecting more of a war related story. I wasn't disappointed that in this case I was wrong, however, if you're expecting a total action, adventure war movie, this isn't it. The story it self is strong and most of the movie has well acted scenes and good cinematography, however I was a little bit let down with the fighting sequences. I think the fact that the set is so small, being the deck of a boat at sea, that it made it difficult to make the battles seem more real and exciting to watch.
There is a lot going on between the two main characters, the captain and the ships doctor, one wants to advance science and the other wants to accomplish a goal, to beat his own demons by not letting go of his quest to capture an enemy vessel.
I wish I could say this is a great movie and one to own for sure, but having just watched The Pirates of the Caribbean movie, with non stop action and adventure, it's hard to say I'd want to watch this one again in the near future. However, it isn't boring by any means, and I do give it a mild recommendation.
Rating:
Summary: Patience needed for Master and Commander
Review: Jeff Shannon has done a good job briefly describing Master and Commander in his editorial review for Amazon. Jeff did not mention that this is a film that will lose much when it is transferred to DVD, even on the largest TVs. The sights and sounds of the theater experience are necessary to draw us in to the leisurely paced story that some might find boring on the small TV screen. Viewers who don't mind lots of detail about life on a British man-of-war in pursuit of a French enemy ship of the line will most likely enjoy this movie. We are taken aboard his majesty's ship Surprise with the excellent Russell Crowe playing Jack Aubrey, the captain of the ship. Crowe is a fine actor and his performance is detailed and in depth. Those viewers who are able to take a genuine interest in the problems of command as Captain Aubrey must use all of his wit and intelligence to outsmart and outgun a formidable french opponent will love this film. Those viewers expecting nonstop action are well advised to stay home. Yes, there are some great action sequences, but they are few and far between. Mostly we watch daily life on board the Surprise. Director Peter Weir has done a fine job recreating the look and feel of a fighting vessel and the discipline and training of the sailors on board. Much time and attention is given to the relationship between Captain Aubrey and the ship's surgeon, Dr. Stephen Maturin. The good doctor is more interested in biology and natural history than war and pleads with his Captain to allow him to collect flora and fauna on the Galapagos Islands. Captain Aubrey gives in and we follow the doctor as he collects his samples from the island. This excursion takes us far afield of what some viewers want from this film. It is not the Voyage of the Beagle with Charles Darwin that we expect when we enter the theater, but that is, at least in some small part, what we get. Without this sub-plot the film may have lasted an hour and a half instead of well over two hours. Bottom line: viewers who don't mind a long film with much detail and some diversion from the main story line of first the pursuit and then the battle between the Surprise and Acheron will most likely enjoy this film. Those viewers looking for fast paced action and adventure with little digression from the main theme will be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Boredom and terror - an accurate depiction
Review: Bottom line up front: Great film - well executed and very accurate. Life in the Navy is far different now than it was 200 years ago, but one thing hasn't changed - 23 hours and 59 minutes of boredom are punctuated by one minute of sheer terror. This film captures that very well. The battle scenes were great, but just as spellbinding was the attention to detail on the deck of Suprise - from the ship's sounds to the ground tackle, this was well-researched and well-executed. Some reviewers have said it was slow paced and boring, exhibiting no plot. This I can't understand. Perhaps movies like The MATRIX have stunted their attention span? I give this one 5 stars, and will definitely add it to my DVD collection when available.
Rating:
Summary: It was a great movie
Review: The movie was so exciting, and so, well, disgusting, but thats what made it interesting. I want to buy the moie. And it wasn't a '*Yawn*'.
Rating:
Summary: Only if you're a Patrick O'Brian fan!
Review: Firstly let me say that I enjoyed the movie. It depicted as near as possible the conditions on board a British man of war in the early 19th century. However, even though it was adapted from a couple of Patrick O'Brian's books, it was almost plotless. Apart from the opening and closing battles, almost nothing happened. Personally, I felt that Crowe, even though he made a good attempt at the role of Aubrey, was miscast. I saw Gerard Depardieu as being the closest to the physical Aubrey, Stephen Rea as a perfect Maturin, and Peter Postlethwaite as an ideal Killick. To those people who had no interest in the Napoleonic era, the movie would have seemed deadly dull and would only appeal to die hard O'Brian fans who would have seen the O'Brian characters come to life. Very little was explained and at the close of the movie, most of the characters remained anonymous. American audiences, raised on a steady diet of wham bang action and special effects would be bored silly. Still it was streets ahead of the 'Hornblower' series which was full of historical inaccuracies and very much misrepresented the fictional Hornblower character. All in all a good attempt at a difficult genre.
Rating:
Summary: Avast !!!! a perfect movie !
Review: ...[This movie] is a wonderful balance of action, detail in the lives of the sailors and officers and amazingly breathtaking cinematography. I found the movie flowed flawlessly between action and interaction among the characters. I've seen it twice at the theater (big screen a must) and will definitely add this to my DVD collection when it's available.
| 
