Rating: 
Summary: Masterful and Commanding
Review: Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is the latest attempt by the Hollywood establishment to revive the nautical adventure genre that enjoyed great popularity during Hollywood's "golden age." Based on Patrick O'Brian's phenomenally successful novels about British heroism during the Napoleonic Wars, the film traces the efforts of Captain Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe) and his loyal crew to intercept and destroy an errant French warship in the Pacific waters near the Galapagos Islands. Although this movie will disappoint any audience member who is expecting a great deal of background information about the historical intricacies and personalities of the Napoleonic Age, it will thrill and entertain all filmgoers who love the kinetic energy and old-fashioned showmanship of a well directed swashbuckler.
Veteran director Peter Weir is entitled to an Oscar nomination simply for staging some of the most dazzling and exhilarating naval battle sequences of all-time. The violent encounters between Aubrey's HMS Surprise and its French counterpart the Acheron were so gripping and realistic that several audience members at the showing I attended were literally gasping for breath as they left the theater (the sound of cannon fire and rushing water no doubt reverberating in their ears). However, Weir deserves the most credit for his detailed and provocative portrayal of every aspect of life aboard a British warship, circa 1805. Audiences get to see the chief lieutenants create strategies and chart courses, the midshipman cope with the responsibilities holding authority over much of the crew while still conforming to the expectations of their superiors, and the common sailors, mates and boatswain confront unbearable weather and inedible food as they prepare to risk their lives for the country they love. Several characters leave an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of viewers, particularly Max Pirkis as a prepubescent crew member who faces the amputation of an arm with unwavering courage and Lee Ingleby as an indecisive midshipman who becomes convinced that his presence is cursing the ship. The battle scenes owe much of their punch and power to Weir's realization that it is far more engaging to watch complex, multifaceted figures battle it out for God and country than it is to watch caricatured personalities scramble through combat without purpose or motivation.
At the center of the fray is Russell Crowe, who thoroughly captures Captain Aubrey's intensity and charisma. It isn't easy to play a character that orders the vicious beating of an unruly sailor in one scene and makes charming toasts to wives and sweethearts ("may they never meet!") in another, but Crowe succeeds brilliantly by imagining Aubrey as an impulsive individualist who stands by his instincts and emotions in any context. When the Captain engages in heated philosophical discussions about loyalty and leadership with his friend Dr. Steven Maturin (Paul Bettany), it is riveting to watch the star's fascinating portrait of a man obsessed with his own righteousness. Crowe will almost certainly reap some significant awards from this impressive performance, and at the very least he has found a profitable new franchise to sail through the rest of the decade with.
Rating:
Summary: 4.5stars
Review: Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" is like a sea journey, sailing on for 138 minutes without any particular destination in mind. You see plenty of lovely sights, and get a few snatches of swashbuckling and derring-do, but you get all that without benefit of plot or character development. This is a film that is literally all about the journey, not the destination. It is, though, a rather entertaining journey at times, and never a dull one. YES you read right, despite the length, this film is good. Not as good as Lord of the Rings mind you, but better than The Last Samaria. Plot is following Capt. Jack Aubrey, played by Russell Crowe, who must be a great actor because he's so likable in his movies even though he's a jerk in real life. The year is 1805, and Aubrey is piloting the HMS Surprise, out chasing down one of Napoleon's boats, which is said to be intent on spreading the Napoleonic Wars to South America. The Surprise is damaged in an early skirmish with the French vessel, but Aubrey does not turn back. He insists on repairing the ship at sea even as it continues its pursuit. This is folly, says the ship's surgeon, Stephen Maturin ), who is also Aubrey's best friend. Stephen suggests it's Aubrey's personal pride that's getting in the way of making a more rational decision, and that his crew's lives are at stake. Aubrey says no, that's not it, and the matter is dropped. Did you blink? Because if you did, you missed all you're going to get in the way of character arcs or personal struggles. Unlike most protagonists, Aubrey does not learn, grow or change over the course of the film. He's presented as a larger-than-life leader who doesn't make mistakes, and even his apparent mistakes turn out for the best. Sad thing is, I know people like that! The direction by Peter Weir ("The Truman Show," "Dead Poets Society") is praiseworthy indeed, as nearly the entire film takes place on the open sea, and the guy actually had a real ship built for that reason. It is far more exhilarating to see actual people on an actual boat on the actual ocean than it is to see them computer-generated, or to have scenes shot in water tanks on studio lots. Where trickery has been used, it's been integrated seamlessly with the real thing. As a viewer, it's a little thrilling to be part of a seafaring adventure, even if we're not really going anywhere. All in all I say that this is time at the cinema well spent and you should definately go and see it.
Rating: 
Summary: Never read the book, and won't now that I've seen the movie.
Review: I've never read any of the Weir novels which this movie is purportedly written around. My wife was actually the one who wanted to see this, she says largely because of the its great reviews. I think it had more to do with the birds (Crowes in particular). That said, she agreed to leaving about an hour and a half into the film because it just wasn't working for us. The film begins, and I assume ends, on a boat. I'm not sure anyone ever steps foot on dry land. Sure, there is action, suspense, the guy everyone is rooting for but whom you're sure will get killed somewhere along the way, but somewhere along the line they forget to "insert plot here." The problem with the movie is that the lulls between action scenes are terribly long. And the "Master and Commander" as played by Russell Crowe is supposed to be some hotshot military tactician, but even I raised an eyebrow when, in the middle of a fogbank while looking for the enemy ship, he's ringing bells on his boat. I mean seriously. The last thing you do on open water is make noise if you're trying to hide. There were several scenes like this. Another is where the "phantom" enemy ship sneaks up on Crowe's crew yet again and Crowe is incredulous. My thoughts, "Well Russell my boy, every time you and your crew are below deck getting drunk, the phantom captain hits you out of the blue." So either the books are poorly written, or I'm way more knowledgeable about military tactics than I think I am, or sea captains were just stupid. Either way, the film was a terrible bore with no discernible plot other than chasing down another boat. That's it. Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: history is great
Review: I felt like I was part of the moive, and yes Russel Crow is great, but the best part was the music that made you feel as though you were part of history in fact you were, b/c you watched the movie in a theatre who knows in 70 years where you will be with technology.....
Rating:
Summary: ON THE GOOD SHIP LOLLIPOP
Review: About as much fun as playing with your toy boats in the bathtub. These 19th Century British military seamen seem better suited for Never-Never Land and a bottle of rum, given their ridiculous offensive war strategies of disguising the ship and building dummy ships to fool the enemy. I've had better ideas in 'Stratego'. There's a flogging, a tormented officer, an amputation, sentimental characters getting killed, and a good-hearted commander who will stop at nothing to destroy his Napoleonic archenemy. The only thing missing is a great white whale to smash the whole thing to smithereens. Given the current state of seafaring movies, if this were a ride at Disneyland, it would be the safe, innocuous Dumbo elephant ride.
Rating:
Summary: Crowe takes Command
Review: Every ten years or so, Hollywood studio points its cameras out to sea. This time, it seems the navigators got it right. MASTER AND COMMANDER follows some of the heroic exploits of Capt. "Lucky" Jack Aubrey, (played by some fellah named Russell Crowe.) He is a veteran sailor who got his sea legs as a child. Now, he is an extremely respected leader who will do anything to fulfill his naval duties. His latest assignment requires he find and destroy a French vessel that has been wreaking havoc. Aubrey quickly discovers that his nemesis is more than prepared to deny the King his prize. And what follows is a clever game of chess between 2 strategic masterminds. The only way to beat this enemy is to confront one of his core beliefs. Master and Commander is an excellent film from many angles. The film seems to be a taut adventure story but at its heart are Aubrey's trying differences with his friend, the ships doctor. The film often plays like JAWS... You are always aware of the shark, but half the fun is watching the three men on the journey. Director Peter Weir (Witness, The Mosquito Coast, and Dead Poets Society) doesn't bother showing you life on board a military vessel during Napoleonic times; he brings you on board as part of the crew. The film's detail is a marvel and through modern computer imaging, we are able to see things that would have emptied many a coffer. While not overly bloody, the film may be too graphic for some as shipboard surgery often was performed with eating utensils. This film may be somewhat of a 'guy film'. It probably does not have the crossover potential of that other boat film, Titanic. After all, that story was told around a love relationship between a doomed man and the woman he loves. In Master and Commander, other than a group of island natives rushing out to meet an anchored boat, not one woman appears on film. And much of the fun comes in battle. MASTER AND COMMANDER is rated PG-13 for some intense action and results. It comes in a little over 2 hours. If you catch it in the multiplex, it'll come in at 2 and a half as there are now 5 minutes of commercials and 15 to 20 minutes of 'trailers' for upcoming features.
Rating:
Summary: Master and Commander:The Far Side of the World
Review: This movie was excellent; especially the typhoon scene. The movie was historically accurate as well as entertaining. And so many men to look at! Don't miss it! It is definately an Academy Award contender.
Rating: 
Summary: Crap!
Review: This movie is just so utterly boring it's not even funny. Why go further?
Rating:
Summary: Get ready for your popcorn to fall out of you lap!!
Review: It was like a movie that I have been waiting to see for a while! It made you feel like you were there. I even thought the gross parts were interesting. And some parts didn't make sence, but thats just me probaly. After all, it WAS rated PG-13.
Rating:
Summary: First Rate!
Review: Peter Weir, a director whose work I have often admired, has done a wonderful job with this material, delivering the best evocation of life aboard a 19th century war ship ever put on film. The quality of the production and the seemless blending of real sailing vessels, models and CGI work cannot be over-praised. It is marvelous work in set, cinematography and sound. Couple all that with a fine cast, led with the conviction and commanding (pun intended) screen presence of Russell Crowe,and tell the crackling good tale of a deadly game of cat-and-mouse played on the high seas, and you have a wonderful adventure filled with humor, action and suspense. They got it right in all departments. A straight-ahead action/adventure drama, Weir and company have produced a first rate film that stays within its period and material, lightly touching on the themes of honor and duty, without the heavy-handed, oblique references to our own times found in The Last Sumarai. Makes us believe we are witnessing life in another time, with very different living conditions, and different notions of purpose and duty. No extraneous material was tossed in (a romance for instance) and they play it straight. Well worthwhile.
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