| . |
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
(Reviewed October 25, 2003)
-
Better than I expected, and definitely worth a look if you are a fan of Russell Crowe, sailing ships, and 19th century naval relations between England and France. (And who isn't?)
Even though the entirety of the plot consists of one ship chasing and occasionally fighting another for over two hours, "M&C:TFSOTW" never gets boring, and often is genuinely exciting. (The
trip "around the horn" puts you right in the middle of the next best thing to a hurricane at sea, and the cannonballs-a-flyin' scenes are, shall we say, explosive.) Sure, things do get corny now and then, such
as when everyone around Crowe's captain's table breaks into a mealtime sea shanty. A few members of the crew seem to have spent their last stint at sea serving under Long John Silver. And there's some
plot foreshadowing that is about as subtle as a smack in the back of the head with a yardarm. But for the most part everything here is played straight...or at least straight enough.
Russell Crowe (looking remarkably like Stephen Stills of Crosby, Stills and Nash) is Captain Jack Aubrey of the HMS Surprise. The ship's doctor, played by Paul Bettany, has a generally
easygoing friendship with Aubrey that is roughly akin to that between "Bones" McCoy and Captain Kirk. (Nerd alert!) The doctor is sensitive, compassionate and more interested in cataloging new plant and
animal species than in pursuing an enemy, while the Captain is a forceful man's man who regards his primary duty in life to be kicking ass for His Majesty. (Any intimation of a "more-than-friends"
relationship between the two is dispelled by a brief shot of Aubrey writing a letter home to his female sweetheart. The world's women breathe a sigh of relief.)
It's a popcorn movie without any high-and-mighty pretensions, but it's a good one that is undeniably entertaining.
Back Row Grade: B
(Return to index by closing this window)
|
. |