Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World – Review

April 1805: Napoleon is the master of Europe, and only the British fleet stands before him. Captain Jack Aubrey (Crowe) leads 196 crewmen on the HMS Surprise. Their mission? Intercept the French ship Acheron and stop it by any means from reaching the Pacific.

The Surprise has been sailing a while and the morning watch brings odd sightings. A thick fog inhibits views of another ship possibly, a sail maybe, or a fisherman’s boat? Enough uncertainty makes the men rush to quarters, readying canons for combat. The heavy fog is not making things easy. The Captain is roused and looks out for sails or signs of life.

Still, the water looks clear. Maybe there is nothing to worry about. Routine begins to set in again for the ship’s crew. At this point however, it is too late and disaster strikes. While it may only seem like chaos at first, there is massive strategy for these behemoth ships manned by hundreds. This movie is only just beginning to explore the world of the crews and life in war times.

As the script is based on a book, in a series of books, the characters and plot beats are well realized, however the movie is a lengthy affair. This is not an issue for me, and I find the film quite interesting even in its slower and more introspective moments. The strategic moves on the ocean battlefront remain interesting throughout the film.

Master and Commander offers plenty of excitement and a few really good moments to go along with an examination of 1800s wartime life. It is very well done and it will always be a bummer that it did not spawn any additional sequels.

The film is a smartly written and scripted tale of battleship strategy on the high seas. The ships, sets and costumes are exquisite, setting a realistic stage for the story of turmoil and oceanic warfare. The cast is well rounded from front to back, and give great performances throughout. The longer runtime gives the story a chance to realize its characters, which allows for higher tensions when the action kicks back in.

Sparing no expense gave Master and Commander a huge sweeping scale to match its longer script. Money was thrown at the cast, the sets, and a worthy director composed a great picture. Unfortunately, I don’t think enough people saw it at the box office, so it got somewhat lost in the shuffle. The film remains a smart and well-done feature, and is worth a look.

This is the second time he has done this to me; there will not be a third.