Review of Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) by Jay L — 01 Sep 2010

Master And Commander: the Far Side Of The World is a historical epic naval war film that takes place during the Napoleonic Wars of the 1800's. Peter Weir (The Truman Show) directs this audacious film with a firm and keen eye to detail. It shows in everything from the set designs to the costume designs. It features some astounding battle sequences that truly look historical. The special effects are also top notch all the way until the end. Master And Commander is visually impressive and a feast for the eyes, but it can also be quite slow at times.

The movie follows a British war ship that is in pursuit of French war vessel. The British ship is at the helms of Captain Jack Aubrey-Russel Crow with yet another brilliant performance-who is at times quite bold in his commanding. His decision to relentlessly pursue the French ship takes everything out of crew physically, which in turn causes some tension between the different ranks of the crew. A very well written story, slow in parts, but it will keep you watching until the end.

It also features performances from Paul Bettany and James D'Arcy. The acting is excellent, and like I said before the story is solid. It is a historical epic, and historically accurate as well. Definately a film to add to my collection.