Rating: 
Summary: WONDERFUL MOVIE
Review: From the characters to the special effects to the atmosphere it created, this movie is wonderful!! The actors are superb and fun to watch as they help to spin this tail on the high seas! I hope they make another movie!!!
Rating: 
Summary: A Big Adventure but 10 Oscar Nominations?
Review: This is definately one of the best films of 2003, however, did it deserve all of those nominations. They deserved a lot, but Best Picture it did not deserve the nomination. Movies like Cold Mountain were definately better than this, no matter how good this was. Russel Crowe did a great job. The effects were spectacular, and the art direction really was well. They kept to the look of the period, especially in the costumes and props. The movie was good but lead up to be better.
Rating:
Summary: The finest Movie I have Ever seen
Review: I'm well on halfway through the "3 score and 10" years that a human being is allowed; an honest to goodness boomer. Therefore, I can honestly say that I have viewed thousands of movies throughout this time. Some, flip-flopping black and white versions, tinted with the greenish cast of my family's, "never say die" American Made Zenith. Hundreds more on the wonderful early color sets that seemed to favor enhancing the RED spectrum over the other two. Of course, I can not forget the handful I got to watch through the steamy car windows while parked at a local Drive-In, and those I saw through the smoke filled air while seated beside my older brother and younger sister stuck to the candy covered seats of graceful old theaters. Then, in the late '70's, I can remember talk of this WONDERFUL new invention, soon to be in every American's Living-room: The BETA VCR! "WOW! What an amazing idea." I thought. But then snidely snapped, "How stupid can these guys get?! Only a moron would sit and watch the SAME movie over and over! Shish." Well, the 'rest of the story' is, though I NEVER did buy a BETA VCR, I do own more than one DVD player, as well as multiple 4 head VHS machines. I sure do love the taste of crow. Which is, perhaps another irony, for the taste of Russell Crowe's performance (and equally that of Paul Bettany & Max Pirkis who played Midshipmen, Lord Blakeney) in "Master and Commander" is a dish worth consuming many times over.
Like I said, I've watched a myriad of films. Most were 'okay'. A Bunch of them were: "P.U." Still, after just a few, In wonderment I'd say: "Where the heck did my breath go?!" The latter are the ones I yearn, and wait around for. Films that really ROCK my soul. Well written, Well adapted, Well crafted, Well acted & performed- e.g.: The Master Works of the film industry. Few films, as far as I am concerned, are worthy of this status- at least in my heart. Now in light of all this magnificent qualification, I list my top ten films, reverse order: 10th: "Rob Roy" w/ Mel Gibson 9th: Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window", 8th: "Schindler's List", 7th: Hayao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away", 6th: "Leon, The Professional" w/Jean Reno-UNCUT version, 5th: "Casablanca" w/H. Bogart, 4th: "A Knight's Tale" w/Paul Bettany & Heath Ledger, 3rd: Star Wars ORIGINAL Trilogy, 2nd: "The Lord of the Rings"- (2nd at least till the extended version of Return of the King is released), 1st: All of the "Harry Potter" films currently released. But, WAIT! I don't see A SINGLE THING about "Master and Commander"! you may be thinking. Please, calm yourselves. I shall explain all. There IS no place for Master and Commander on this list. MASTER AND COMMANDER stands alone. This film, without a doubt, and without the slightest hesitation on my part, is THE finest film I have EVER seen. What I thought I'd brought home was just another gory, splattery, intense action adventure flick- purchased mainly to entertain the tastes of my husband (No offense, dear). It leapt beyond my expectations in the first 15 minutes, revealing itself to be was a rich, amazing view of a long ago world. A world where little boys shouldered the weight of manhood with courage and fortitude. Where friendships held through horrendous test. Where the wit, heart, love, and passion of all characters involved were intricately, and heart wrenchingly revealed. To all players involved: I stand amazed, my head reeling. To all those thinking of buying this version I say, "Just Do It." One has to see this film to fully understand it's greatness... for there are not enough adjectives in any language to full describe it. BRAVO! to ALL involved in the making of this film; and please, may we have more?
Rating:
Summary: an excellent historical adventure
Review: If you like historically accurate adventure movies, this one is for you. Be prepared, though, for favorite characters to die and for an unusual twist at the end. Russel Crowe portrays Capt. "Lucky" Jack Aubrey, who's been given orders to take down a larger and more powerful French warship, and by gosh, he's gonna do it, even with a disabled ship and inexperienced crew. One warning to parents: there are some bloody scenes probably not totally appropriate to young children. Again, this is historically accurate; this is how it was in those days!
Rating:
Summary: Amazing Film
Review: This movie is like being transported back in time and watching a live documentary about warships, only great acting and storyline are added. This film has great action, superb dialogue, and stunning visuals. I missed a lot by not seeing this movie when it was in theaters, especially since I do not have surround-sound speakers in my home. From realistic battles scenes to graphic operations on the wounded, this movie is a roller-coaster ride of greatness. One could almost become seasick watching Russell Crowe and the rest of the cast in this accurate example of how battles were fought on the open sea in 1805. This movie is one of the years best, boasting a very believable screenplay and enough beautiful shots to fill up a few National Geographic magazines; the shots of Galapagos Islands were amazing. This is a great addition to anyone's DVD collection; one that is just as good the second and third time you watch it. Buy it today. Enjoy it for years to come. See ya next review.
www.therunninggirl.com
Rating:
Summary: "ALL ART ASPIRES TO THE CONDITION OF MUSIC"
Review: -
The film, Master and Commander, based on the novels of Patrick O'Brian, speaks to the pinnacle achievements of European culture. What a great pity that the world is now suffocated by a poisoned atmosphere of jealousy and hate directed against Caucasian Europeans, such that many proud inheritors of their singular Western Culture are afraid to speak its name, or to herald its praises directly and without apology or explanation. The creators of this film have pushed at the envelope of containment that surrounds every possible celebratory depiction applauding Europeans, or the achievements of Western Culture and Christian-based societies. However, despite the courage of the director, co-screen writer, and co-producer: Peter Weir, and despite the fact that this work is bolder and more honest than other products coming from the entertainment industry, not everything here is boldly spoken. There is a great deal to be absorbed by analyzing the symbolism and the metaphoric content of this film-a great deal of the message is delivered in metaphor, and with the music. The overall musical presentations of this film are very impressive, and the CD of the musical score is far from a disappointment. The skillfully repetitious use of percussion instruments throughout the film successfully recreates the sound of a thumping on the ship's hull: a sound that chills the heart of every sailor and alerts him to danger. The blood, the bravery, the glories of battle, as well as the continued yearning to acquire knowledge and explore the unknown, are punctuated by the music of Mozart, Corelli, Bach, and Boccherini, each of whom is the product of a refined, highly developed European culture, represented here by one French and one British warship on the untamed, empty sea. Russell Crowe, as Captain "Lucky" Jack Aubrey of H.M.S. Surprise, and Paul Bettany, as the ship's surgeon Dr. Stephen Maturin-reunited after their fine performances in A Beautiful Mind-symbolize the intricate structure, the delicate balance, the intellectual and artistic achievements, and even the fragility of European civilization, as their characters perform in the great-cabin of a 19th Century warship, some of the most beautiful and sophisticated classical music ever written. Also a product of European culture is the clever, unseen captain of the French frigate Acheron, who hounds and bedevils Aubrey-on the far side of the world- as this remarkable film reveals the story of a conflict between two European empires played out on the bloody decks of two warships, in the era of Napoleon I. The action, for the most part, takes place aboard H.M.S. Surprise, amid a plethora of subtle contrasts skillfully woven into the structure of the story. These contrasts define the men, their race, and their culture: science vs. superstition, boldness vs. complacency order vs. disruption, leadership vs. permissiveness, intelligent adaptation vs. extinction.
The choices made by the ships company and how they act and react, in the face of these contrasts, makes a statement about who they are and what they represent.
Captain Aubrey reminds his crew to always stand tall and uphold their beliefs and their people, for wherever their small ship sails it represents England. Again and again, the cameras show a small ship in a vast expanse of ocean, floating into an uncertain future under a darkening sky. An excellent metaphor pointing to the uncertain future of White Europeans and Western Culture, which are already under relentless attack from the socialist remnants of collapsed Communism, and from "politically correct" historical revisionism striving to diminish or remove any reference to heroic Caucasian males, like Captain Jack Aubrey. The original score's musical reverberations suggest a beating against the hull, rather than the sound of cannons shooting-there is no sharp "crack" as might be expected with the sound of gunfire. This simplicity of deep aboriginal-like drumming is a counterpoint to the sweet complexity of the classical compositions punctuating the story, which at first appears to address only the interactions of two ships. It is only upon closer analysis that the racial and cultural aspects become apparent. The real threat to England and H.M.S. Surprise is not from France, a fellow European nation, or from France's warship Acheron; the threat is from that percussive thumping on the hulls of both ships, as if something on the outside wanted to get inside-inside the warships and inside the ships-of-state represented by Surprise and Acheron. The several all too brief glimpses into the great-cabin of Surprise, where Captain Aubrey and Dr. Maturin play on violin and cello respectively-while outside the endless, untamed sea stretches to infinity-are among the most moving I have seen. The most compelling is when Surprise is sailing slowly ahead, and the camera angle is from outside the great-cabin looking in through the wide-open stern windows, as though the viewer were seeing through the eyes of a skulking enemy, or the sea itself. The ship, and the heroes, and the music are warm and candle-lit inside, but the wild sea, the unknown future, and unknown dangers are watching from close behind-a powerful suggestion of man's Darwinian struggle for survival, for procreation, for adventure, and sometimes for fun.
The classical music is used as a skillful surgeon uses a scalpel, to separate the light from the dark, to define the good and the glory, to contrast hope from hopelessness, and to inspire today's sons and daughters of men like "Lucky" Jack Aubrey and his disciplined, faithful crew to look around them and prepare to fight off, yet again, threats to their future, their culture and their people. As the sweet music fills the cabin and drifts away, the small ship sails alone on an endless sea-above all, there is the music. If, indeed, all art aspires to the condition of music, then the miraculous melodies in this film represents the culmination of two thousand, and more, years of unequaled European cultural achievements. Listen to it! Experience it!
Rating: 
Summary: 3 stars
Review: a boring movie. It is over 2 hours and 15 minutes and the action scenes are bland and confusing. I don't mind a long movie but this movie wasn't very interesting, so I don't like the length. The extras are good.
Rating:
Summary: Adventure and battle on the high seas
Review: I approached this movie assuming I would enjoy simply because Russell Crowe is the title star of the film, but the film is much better than I anticipated. As Captain Jack Aubrey, Crowe plays the Commanding officer of the British vessel the HMS Surprise. Severely damaged by a new and more militarily advanced French warship, Aubrey must choose whether to abandon his mission and repair his ship, or do the best he can and seek revenge. As expected, Crowe's performance was excellent. He plays the role of an early 19th century naval Captain extremely well. A second standout performance was delivered by Paul Bettany who played the ship's doctor; He was definitely the character I sympathized with the most and Bettany should be lauded for his performace. The strength of this movie resides in it's intense realism. From the setting, to the manner in which life onboard a 19th century vessel is portrayed, to the carnage and gruesomeness of the battles, this film did a remarkable job of recreating an authentic atmosphere to make the viewer believe he or she is actually watching 19th century naval history. There is one scene near the beginning of the film which shows a young child having his arm amputated after an encounter with the French. One can only imagine that what is depicted on the screen was as bad if not worse in real life. This film is truly an enjoyable viewing experience and one any history enthusiast or fan of dramatic adventure films should see.
Rating:
Summary: A realistic Tale of Naval Adventure
Review: Director Peter Weir delved deeply into the relationship between Captain Jack Aubrey and his crew as they embark on a cat and mouse game to capture or destroy the highly advanced French enemy frigate, Acheron. Russell Crowe's portrayal of Capt Jack Aubrey was finely tuned to create a brilliant tactician with wit, humor and intense leadership qualities with much humanity. He was able to laugh with his men yet instill the highest standards of discipline and expected protocol to be followed to the tee. The ship's doctor, a naturist and healer, does not understand the military mindset and understands even less the fine line between friendship and duty. It's through their banter we come to understand the leadership-style and character of Capt Jack Aubrey. The great plus of this movie resides in the extensive detail that is put into recreating a late 17th century era from both a Naval and Darwinian viewpoint. Orders, protocol, uniforms, salutes, meals, canons and even choice language is very well depicted in this movie. The actors make it seem as if their whole lives had been on that ship. You really felt like you were part of that crew. Equally realistic is the doctor's fascination with the creatures of the Galapagos Islands, calling the animals by their scientific name and keeping a detailed diary of drawings. The director definitely wanted to highlight the emerging presence of modern science and how it could be challenging to centuries of tradition and values. This is clearly paralleled in the doctor's and Capt Aubrey's distinct philosophies. But Weir is clever enough to resolve this by showing the two can co-exist and prove quite a powerful, if not necessary, combination. If you're expecting a movie with a lot of barking orders, swashbuckling and canon-fire in scene after scene, just all out action, then you could be mistaking this for Pirates of the Carribean or even Gladiator. This is very much a serious drama with engaging action sequences built into it, not the other way around. So it can be slightly off-putting, if not a bit boring. Nonetheless a worthwhile and insightful film. I highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Enlightening
Review: I never really understood what life was like aboard a naval vessel until I saw this movie. Peter Weir has outdone himself recreating the environment of a Captain and his crew and how his leadership and relationship influenced them all. What I liked best about this movie was that the general tone throughout was pretty subdued yet with enough eye catching action to keep the audience engaged. There were no cliched lines like "That's an order!" or "Come on, Mates! Put your backs into it!". The dialogue and the emotions were perfectly balanced and realistic which made it so believable. Best of all, we actually get to see them in action when they find their enemy warship with the Captain leading the attack on board, not just standing around and barking orders all day like a Hollywood cliche. I would give this five stars, but I was a bit disappointed this DVD had no extras. I guess that's where the two-disc version comes in handy. A movie well done. Had Return of the king not claimed best picture, although highly deserving, then Master and Commander would have been a sure winner.
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