UnowPriceless hyped garbage

FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Brenda The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Fulke Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

pnestepny I really like the historical aspects of the movie. Well done, one of the best historical-fiction movie I have ever seen!

liverocknroll Some films are great because they uses the things they excel at to their advantage. Their greatness comes from the fact that they know exactly where their strength lies. By contrast, other films are great because they master every single aspect of filmmaking. It is proof of a vision come to life on the screen through cooperation of several talents. Peter Weir's adaptation of Patrick O'Brian's naval novel is a perfect example of the latter. Weir places the viewer in the middle of the roaring seas. It's a perfect depiction of the unpredictable nature of the ocean; delicately serene at times and ferociously violent at others. Russell Crowe displays an impressive portrayal of Captain Jack Aubrey, the dedicated and determined commander of his ship, but the rest of the cast should not go unnoted. The mission is to capture a French vessel Acheron. There is a mix of joviality and dire consequence in the air, which perfectly communicates the general atmosphere on the boat; carefree despite the inevitability of it all. This is helped, in part, by the score, which has a blend of thunderous cinematic compositions and beautiful classical pieces. It sets the adventure at full speed, sufficiently prepared for a journey at sea, topped off by an exciting finale. Watching Captain Jack go through much character development is quite the experience, and it manages to create much suspense in the film. There's something to be said about this movie's depiction of fear's influence on people. In the end, though, it's a movie about a captain and his ship that doesn't deserve to be as well-made as it is. Peter Weir is a fantastic director who never fails to impress.

Filipe Neto Inspired by a novel, this film tells of the adventure of the frigate "HMS Surprise" and its captain, Jack Aubrey, in the South Seas, in pursuit of a powerful French warship during the Napoleonic Wars. To understand the film, however, its necessary to forget the book, set in a different conflict between British and Americans. The creative freedom of cinema has these things. The best of the film, however, is not the action or war scenes, but the way it accurately portrays the "modus vivendi" of a navy crew during this time. The historical portrait made is absolutely strict and this is something that a historian, like me, knows how to value and thank. Superstitions, war tactics, uniforms, hygiene and eating habits, relationship between military hierarchies, scientific research... all have been portrayed in a trustworthy way.Russel Crowe is the main actor and manages to perfectly embody the spirit of stubbornness and determination of an old sea lion. Beside him, the detailed and meticulous spirit of the naval surgeon Dr. Maturin is personified by Paul Bettany in a grandiose way, especially when both are together on the scene. There are other good actors, I especially liked a young man who plays a boy who, at the beginning of the film, loses an arm in combat (I didn't memorize actor's name but he did a great job). Another detail that delighted me was the soundtrack and the use of music during the film. Cinematography is excellent, particularly in combat and storm scenes. The biggest problem of the movie is it's nearly three-hour length. That will discourage some people, although this has not happened to me.

FilmBuff1994 Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is a good movie with a reasonably well developed storyline and a stellar cast. The high octane action sequences and set pieces are enjoyable, but the movies highlight is without a doubt the performances, Russell Crowe shines in the lead role as a charismatic pirate, Paul Bettany is also stellar as the crew's doctor, the scene in which he performs an operation on himself is the best part for me. As far as the story goes, it's lackluster, their really is not anything about this screenplay that showed that this was made for any reason other than making money, there's no big surprises or genuinely thrilling moments, it all, quite literally, just floats along for two hours. The film clearly relied too much on the fact that it was the beginning of a series, because it is holding back, clearly wanting to save some great moments for sequels, which never ended up happening, and not giving enough here, they really should have just focused on this movie, taking more advantage of the potential it had. While it may not have been as good as it could have, Master and Commander boasts great action and stellar acting, worth the watch if you ever see it on television or Netflix. A British captain must chase down a rival French ship. Best Performance: Russell Crowe