I know many here don't like the movie, but I STILL say that

[ET Awful]

Master & Commander has some of the best surround sound effects and some of the best sea battle scenes I've ever seen in a movie :).

[caty]

1. I'm not a big Russel Crowe

fan, but I liked the movie. I've watched it several times.

[Mojambo]

4. I got the distinct impression I was watching Braveheart at sea

It felt authentic, but the story was really ordinary.

[Nay]

2. Agreed. One of my favorites of all time. It is a subtle, deep, well-

acted depiction of Britain at sea, but some people simply cannot sit still for a movie unless things are blowing up every 5 seconds.

[ET Awful]

6. If you have good surround sound or have a chance to watch it

with good surround (better at home than at a theater, fewer people yapping and such), just listen to the sounds below decks with your eyes closed. . . . sounds so damned real it's eerie.

[Mojambo]

3. Great atmosphere, average movie. n/t

[ET Awful]

9. Well put :)

I would probably say slightly above average, but not fantastic. BUT, that's because it was faithful to the original book/story (or so I've been told, I haven't had a chance to read the book yet). If it had gone beyond that scope, it could have been a more involving movie, but I don't know that it would have been the right thing to do (if that makes sense).

[mcscajun]

17. It's actually from two different books

the characters are from Master and Commander, the first book in Patrick O'Brien's Aubrey/Maturin series, and the plot is "Far Side of the World", a much later volume. I started reading the books after seeing the movie the first time, and have found certain other lines from the movie were simply "lifted" intact from other books in the series. :)

[ET Awful]

18. So are the books a good long read, or are they those thin little

pansy books that make you feel like you paid $8 for a few paragraphs?

[mcscajun]

25. They're a good read, with a few caveats

First off, you have to comfortable with the "period language" and constant use of 18th-19th century British naval jargon. There's also the occasional foreign word or phrase, usually French or Spanish to deal with. The first time I read Master and Commander, I had no problem with the period language (I'm good with that) but anytime I hit a really dense bit of naval terminology I'd just skim over it with the thought "Okay, they did something nautical and the ship went That Way." My high school French and college Spanish got me through quite a bit, but not everything. Context helps in some cases, but not all.

They're all very well written and engaging, but the period language and naval jargon makes it a book you read for, say, maybe a chapter or two each night (unless of course, you have unlimited time to read).

By the time I got through the third book, I'd decided to read the whole series, but not the way I had been. I was going to go back to the first book and re-read all three, this time making notes on nautical terms I didn't understand, and looking them up on the 'Net the next day or so.

Understanding makes the successive books far more enjoyable, and now I'm not skimming anymore. I still hit the occasional term, but most everything makes sense to me now. :) I've become a 'ship person', as a friend puts it. I even know how to tie some nautical knots. :)

Yes, I can be obsessive, but you don't need to be to read the books. You can skim the jargon and still have a good time.

[ET Awful]

27. LMAO . . . "they did something nautical and the ship went that way"

:rofl: :spray:

I like your way of thinking :)

[Radio_Lady]

33. Here's my review of "Master and Commander" from 2003 --

Let me say at the outset that I’m a BIG Russell Crowe fan. I think his previous performances, particularly in “L.A. Confidential,” “Gladiator,” and “A Beautiful Mind” were superb. I guess that sooner or later he would appear in a movie unworthy of his talents. From the advanced information, I didn’t think it would be “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.” Admittedly, the tall ships and the angry sea are big players in this movie, but it’s not enough for me. The poorly fashioned screenplay about an 1805 sailing adventure is nothing to c-r-o-w about – that is, crow. Russell Crowe turns in a very strong performance as the British Navy Captain Jack Aubrey, but that doesn’t compensate for the character’s inconsistent behavior. Just as we’re beginning to believe that Captain Jack is somewhere between an insensitive Bligh and a driven Ahab, we find that he’s really OK. But then he is – and then he isn’t.

Add to that a barrage of hard-to-understand naval terminology, as well as Cockney and midland English accents or maybe they were Australian – and you have authenticity carried to a fault. The plot has too many holes to stay afloat and there is too much that doesn’t really work. The ending is incomprehensible and most of the people I spoke with at the theater couldn’t understand it, either. I know that I was supposed to feel somehow on the side of the Brits in this Napoleonic period war with the French but I never felt that much connected or cared enough about the characters. In many cases, I couldn’t even tell the supporting actors apart.

An exception is Dr. Stephen Maturin, the ship’s surgeon and friend of Captain Jack, very ably played by Paul Bettany, who was also formerly cast with Russell Crowe in “A Beautiful Mind.”

“Master and Commander” was taken from the series of books of the same name by Patrick O’Brian. The author died in 2000 before the film was made, and more’s the pity, because his input might have helped. Maybe this movie is intended for those who already know the story and can fill in the many blanks. Personally, I’ve always believe that a film should stand on its own. Peter Weir directed and co-wrote the screenplay. Sorry, Peter. Sorry, Russell. I have to rate the flick a “C” on my Entertainment Report Card. As far as I’m concerned, this outing is still at sea – s-e-a.

####

[mcscajun]

5. I loved Master & Commander.

You'll get no complaints from me -- I even have it on DVD. I've watched it in the theater, on cable, and on DVD...probably a dozen times all told.

It's terribly faithful to the Patrick O'Brien books, well-researched and developed, and whatever you may think of Russell Crowe as a person (yes, he's a jerk of the first order) he's still one of the finest actors alive today (and a major hunk -- very easy on the eyes.)

And yes, the battle scenes are awesome.

[ET Awful]

7. It was actually the first DVD I bought to put my surround sound set up

through it's paces, and those effects blow me away every time :).

Especially (like I said above) the below decks scenes, you can hear every little creak and groan of the wood, the water splashing against the hull, footsteps coming from various other parts of the ship, etc. . . the surround effects are extremely well done, gives you a very good "I am there" feel :)

[mcscajun]

10. Sounds familiar -- the first DVD I bought to test my Subwoofer

on the PC (which had the first DVD player I ever owned -- and the only one for a couple of years) -- was "The Fifth Element", another great sound experience.

Oh, and run it with subtitles on sometime -- you'll see they included every background line as well, all the commands around the ship. Great atmosphere there.

[ET Awful]

13. Yup :) "Jurassic Park" was the defacto standard for surround sound

for a long time (and deservedly so even if the movie was a bit lame, the sound was incredible). But others have surpassed it (Fifth Element, Master & Commander, The Matrix, etc.).

[Kraklen]

8. Yeah, they did a real good job with historical recreation on that.

Kind of reminded me of "The Last of the Mohicans."

[ET Awful]

11. Yeah, but (and it may be because it's at sea), this kept my attention

in a way that Last of the Mohicans couldn't. I had to watch Mohicans in two sittings, this I didn't want to hit pause on I just wanted to see it all :).

[Kraklen]

16. Really?

I thought Mohicans was really exiting.

[ET Awful]

20. Don't get me wrong, it was, I just have a thing for the ocean :) n/t

[Kraklen]

22. Ah, I see.

I myself have a thing for Jodhi May.



I'd Chingachgook her Uncas.

[Darth_Kitten]

12. off topic: think your kitties should be in movies

;) hehehe. :evilgrin:

I've never seen Master & Commander. :)

[ET Awful]

14. I wish . . . then they could buy their own damned kibble

:evilgrin:

[Darth_Kitten]

15. Quinn has a dangerous kind of sexy thang going on....

and Althea could be his leading lady. ;)

sorry, I just think they have star power. :)

[ET Awful]

19. They're just waiting to be discovered. Do you know any talent scouts?

:)

[Darth_Kitten]

21. maybe

I've done some acting. ;)

[Deja Q]

23. I'd rather watch a good movie that's in mono...

than crap with great effects.

Hollywuss thinks that f/x-only shows are what the ticket is. Well, if you've got the brain of cauliflower, then maybe...

[ET Awful]

24. But your idea of what constitutes a "good movie" is drastically different

than that of most people.

Of course mine is too (especially when it comes to comedies, for instance I think Ron Burgundy is the biggest pile of crap to be labeled a "comedy" in a very long time).

[Kraklen]

26. Did Master and Commander have many effects?

Maybe they used effects to clean some of the shots up. Obviously the stuff with sailors getting hit with grapeshot, etc. But I mean it didn't involve a giant scottish firebreathing dragon or anything.

Good action, beautiful cinematography, sympathetic characters, high drama...

[ET Awful]

28. I didn't really think so. The only effects were really during the naval

battles which happened only a few times in the entire film. I guess if you want to count the entire sound of the film as an effect you can do so in which case, yeah it had a lot of effects, but they were atmospheric effects that lent realism to the scenes.

[mcscajun]

29. Effects? Hell, yeah.

There were nine people on the Special Effects team, and over one hundred and fifty people on the Visual Effects team, including many on digital effects.

The film was nominated for Visual Effects.

[KoKo]

30. One of the most interesting movies I've seen in years....But then I didn't

like the latest Batman...thought it was trash. :D Give me Tim Burton's direction, anytime.

[Mojambo]

34. I have Burton fatigue

Yeah his stuff was different, but after a while it feels very played.

The previews of his Wonka remake just make me sad.

[PassingFair]

31. LOVE Russell Crowe...liked the movie...

the little boys dying thang was very hard to take...
That said, I thought the editing SUCKED! It seemed that a whole 'lotta scenes were left on the cutting room floor.
When the camera honed in on Jack's ear, I thought WTF?
I leaned over to my husband and whispered that Meg Ryan (the whore!) had done that to him....Ha Ha Ha.

I understand that a lot of information was just alluded to, for the sake of the purists who read the series....but IMO they should have dropped the obscure references to things we knew nothing about.

[Carni]

32. I just couldn't get into it

I have no idea why... but it wasn't my bag!