Based upon the famous naval novels by Patrick O’Brian, Master and Commander takes you on an epic journey across the high seas that is not soon forgettable.
O’Brian’s novels focus on Captain Jack Aubrey (Crowe), or “Lucky” Jack as he is referred to by his crew, and his faithful companion and ship doctor Stephen Maturin (Bettany), and on this adventure they are out to intercept the French Privateer, Acheron in their efforts to help England against Napoleon.
Immense battle sequences throughout combined with powerful and emotional situations bring the viewer so close to the action that you begin to get to know the crew as if you were on board the decks of the HMS Surprise yourself.
From the beginning we are thrown into the arms of battle as the Surprise is, quite literally, “surprised” with a sneak attack by the very ship they are seeking. Once repairs are tended to we follow the crew from the coast of Brazil to the storm-tossed waters of Cape Horn, south through ice and snow, to the far side of the world, to the remote shores of The Galapagos Islands (becoming the first feature film ever to film there) all in search of the elusive “phantom” ship.
Russell Crowe may have a bad attitude in real life but on screen he manages to inspire not only his crew members but the audience as well. Filled with speeches and the battles that won Crowe an Oscar in Gladiator you too will be moved by the presence he brings to the production and the passion he brings to his craft.
His naturalist friend, Stephen, played by Paul Bettany is the polar opposite of the Captain, and the man we met in A Knight’s Tale as he walked around in the buff as a young Geoffrey Chaucer has moved up in life and finds himself in an all-important supporting role that is as necessary as the Captain himself.
As with past movies we have seen Bettany in (A Knight’s Tale, A Beautiful Mind) things seem to come to him naturally and it almost seems as if the role were written specifically for him.
It is also fun to see one of our trusted Hobbits, Billy Boyd, make it into a feature film, other than Lord of the Rings, as Barrett Bonden, Coxswain for the HMS Surprise.
Along with the brilliant acting the picture is immersed in action scenes that must be seen and heard to believe. Director Peter Weir has put together a team that made it possible to believe that this really is 1805 and we have to dodge cannonballs as they thunder towards the starboard bow.
If you have a choice, see this one in a theater with an excellent sound system as you are able to feel the crash of the waves and the pounding of thunder as the cannonballs role across the deck.
Master and Commander is an epic of sprawling proportions that will leave you breathless by the end and is a must see on the big screen. So don’t dally and make sure to see Master and Commander: The Far Side of the Earth and enjoy a voyage that just may be the best of its kind.
