Click on poster for trailer:
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Cast: Russell Crowe (Jack Aubrey), Paul Bettany (Stephen Maturin), Billy Boyd (Barrett Bonden), James D'Arcy, Lee Ingleby, George Innes, Mark Lewis Jones, Chris Larkin, Richard McCabe, Robert Pugh, David Threlfall.
Director: Peter Weir
Premise: Set during the Napoleonic Wars in 1806, this is the seafaring adventuring tale of the British ship, HMS Surprise, captained by Jack Aubrey (Crowe), who travels around the world with his friend and secret agent, Stephen Maturin (Bettany), in an era where the open seas were the vast and wild setting for amazing adventures and high intrigue. Specifically, the premise of this movie is about the Surprise's chasing down of a French "super-frigate" called the Acheron, from the stormy waters of Cape Horn, up the South American coast to the Galapagos Islands, sparked by the Acheron's (perhaps ironic) suprise attack on the Surprise.
he's always good when he plays a fat man.
zzzzzzzzzzz....
that was pretty fucking funny, it made my breakfast.
'torn between doing his duty...and the lives of the men he commands.'
after not not liking russel crowe since the insider, i've made it to the point where i think he's damn funny. maybe this is a very well masked joke.
what the fuck is up with peter weir? he's gone in five yeatrs only to return with this? they really must be paying him.
now guys, dont judge till you see it........
i can see them ripping off alot of gladiator in this film...crowe ripping off alot of his own performance.....
that is my vote for worst/cheesiest film title ever....it reallysounds bad.
And thisis his follow-up from the ultra-cool truman show??????
or did i miss something???????
maybe russell will steer his boat into the same wall truman did.......then that would prove that it is indeed a small world after all.
Pretty spiffy poster, despite reliance on Russ Crowes head.
Wish it was coming out this summer, as originally planned. I think it could be pretty decent especially if Russ gets all mad and obsessive about hunting down the boat that attacked him.
I think some of the AICN test screen reviews have been alright.
Peter Weir Directing The War Magician
Source: Variety
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World helmer Peter Weir is in talks to direct The War Magician, a WWII epic for Paramount and producers Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner.
The Peter Buchman-scripted adaptation of the David Fisher book tells the story of a patriotic British stage magician who volunteered his illusionist abilities to help battle the Nazis. After proving his potential value to skeptical commanders, Maskelyne and a few cohorts were sent to North Africa, where British troops were being pounded by Gen. Rommel.
Maskelyne helped halt Rommel's charge through a campaign of deception. He camouflaged a key British-occupied harbor by creating a bogus one that bore the brunt of nightly bombing raids; shielded troops in the Suez Canal through a system of anti-aircraft searchlights and mirrors that blinded Nazi pilots; and camouflaged British weaponry and used props to give the appearance of a stronger fighting force.
The film was originally set up as a starring vehicle for Cruise, but he plans to limit himself to producer at this point.
Master? Commander? I don't even know 'er!
:(
The preview looks sad.
Despite the presence of Crowe (is it me, or didn't he make decent movies before Gladiator?) I'll end up checking this out b/c of Weir. How many of us rolled our eyes when we first heard about Carrey and The Truman Show? The man delivers.
This gay guy came to the theater I work at and saw the poster for this movie and said "Ooh. A new Russel Crowe movie? I wonder what it's about." And I said "It looks like he's a sailor on a boat of something." And then the gay guy said "Oh...okay." :(
TALK ABOUT IRONY.
That's funny shit.
I have to agree that Weir will deliver as always. However, if Crowe's character kills one of his enemies and shouts, "Are you not entertained? Are you not entertained?!" then I WILL WALK OUT OF THE THEATRE.
You scumbags are harsh.. This might be a great one, or it'll be the trash in the toilets of McDonalds. It might be cool though, most of the idiots out there are looking for another pirate movie. I didn't like that Pirates of the Carribean, I'm glad they have a more serious pirate flick coming out.
I'll be tough: There seems to be really nothing of weight to this movie. Nothing of intrigue into it. Weir can composite a dramatic shot as well anyone. I've disliked a lot of his films and loved the same number. I don't know what to expect, though. Crowe seems in this just because it allows him to build up his ego and being a child again in play acting every single career and adventure he ever wanted to do. Gladiator was the same deal. He did act, once, in The Insider.
~rougerum
I don't know whether I want to see this movie or not. I've always been a fan of Russell Crowe, but everytime I see this preview on TV, I don't feel an urge to see it. I guess if I had to choose between Master and Commander or Looney Toons: Back in Action.......I would have to choose Looney Toons. Just because I have a soft spot for Warner Brothers cartoons. Master and Commander looks a little boring. Then again, I am judging just by the trailer. I'll read some reviews and then think about it.
Quote from: GloriaI guess if I had to choose between Master and Commander or Looney Toons: Back in Action.......I would have to choose Looney Toons. Just because I have a soft spot for Warner Brothers cartoons.
Looney Toons died when Mel Blanc did. :yabbse-cry:
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Agreed on that, 100% -- thus, I'd choose Master & Commander. I still am not too enthused about it, though. But my mom recently told me that she's really excited about it because she's reasd all the books, so if she likes it, I'll probably have more of a drive to go see it.
Quote from: MacGuffinLooney Toons died when Mel Blanc did. :yabbse-cry:
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Very sad picture...... :(
I agree, Looney Tunes hasn't been the best since Mel Blanc passed away, but the old cartoons are hardly shown on regular cable and if they are, they are edited. Also, I like being able to watch the characters on the big screen.
I'm not saying I won't see Master and Commander, I just havent found a reason for me to rush out and see it.
I agree, Looney Tunes hasn't been the best since Mel Blanc passed away, but the old cartoons are hardly shown on regular cable and if they are, they are edited. Also, I like being able to watch the characters on the big screen.[/quote]
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QuoteI'm not saying I won't see Master and Commander, I just havent found a reason for me to rush out and see it.
I'll wait to see what kind of reviews it gets. Ebert and Roeper recently gave it two thumbs up.
The Harry Knowles review is up and has got me much more excited about seeing this.
"To me, this is the most "Kubrick" film I've seen since his passing."
http://www.aintitcoolnews.com/display.cgi?id=16492
I wasnt to hyped to see this, but after checking rottentomatoes it seems to have almost unanimous positive reviews...
guess i gotta go check it out 8)
The preview made it look like the biggest shit-sandwich of all time, but the fact that Bettany is in it, and the fact that Ebert seems to fucking love it makes me wonder if maybe it was just a bad trailer...
but no way will I pay $8+ to see this, so someone here needs to post a review.
I'm considering paying $5 to see it tomorrow afternoon. Might be a good double-feature with Mystic River. We'll see.
This is film is so bad it is beneath comment for me. This is the first time I've done this too. I'll rise to the challenge of anyone who likes it and thinks I am insane and wants to argue, but for now, it is beneath comment.
wow, that was your shortest post ever. you must have really hated it.
I've sorta started looking forward to it all of a sudden in the past two days, after reading the good reviews and thinking back about how much I've loved some of Peter Weir's movies. So I'll get back to you in the next couple of days, GT, to discuss it.
Well, I really enjoyed it. I must be stupid.
Quote from: The Gold TrumpetThis is film is so bad it is beneath comment for me. This is the first time I've done this too. I'll rise to the challenge of anyone who likes it and thinks I am insane and wants to argue, but for now, it is beneath comment.
I havent been able to see it yet. Probably will in the next few days. I have recieved similar comments as this one so far so its not encouraging... anyone elses opinion?
I think it was just okay. I had a lot of problems with the script and the pacing, but overall it was well-made and Crowe was good but not great.
Quote from: The Gold TrumpetThis is film is so bad it is beneath comment for me. This is the first time I've done this too. I'll rise to the challenge of anyone who likes it and thinks I am insane and wants to argue, but for now, it is beneath comment.
I enjoyed it.
Why is it SO BAD that it's beneath your comment?
do you hate movies?
I just saw this and it's alright. Nothing spectacular, I was quite bored in the beginning. I enjoy the doctor/captain relationship, and there are some good moments but besides that I wasn't much of a fan.
I really do not understand the oscar buzz.
oh captian , my captian...
Quote from: The Real PoserQuote from: The Gold TrumpetThis is film is so bad it is beneath comment for me. This is the first time I've done this too. I'll rise to the challenge of anyone who likes it and thinks I am insane and wants to argue, but for now, it is beneath comment.
I enjoyed it.
Why is it SO BAD that it's beneath your comment?
do you hate movies?
This movie was looking for a storyline to hook onto so it could find a flow of some sort. Was it a superficial action movie? Was it commentary on the differences of men of war and nature? Was it a tradegy of young men who die valiantly for reasons beyond their control? The movie touched on each one and still roamed and never was able to find a tone or an idea to search the entire movie through. I was bored during the movie and afterwards that writing thoughts on it would make me revisit that boredom so I just said, for then, it was "beneath comment". I'm back to health now to really comment.
I guess to keep my persona going, "Yes, I hate movies". :?
Boy, don't go see The Missing then, GT! It pretty much fits your description of M & C up there to a T.
I'm seeing Master And Commander tonight...I'm really hoping to like it, and am going in with a completely open mind. So until then...
Quote from: GhostboyBoy, don't go see The Missing then, GT! It pretty much fits your description of M & C up there to a T.
I'm seeing Master And Commander tonight...I'm really hoping to like it, and am going in with a completely open mind. So until then...
I was actually looking forward to The Missing. I'm going to try to see it anyways but I am seeing two very anticipated movies for me also this week, Mystic River and Love Actually, so it may be skipped because of that.
Well, I concur with anyone who thinks M&C is a very good movie. I enjoyed it, enjoyed its laxness and the very roaming qualities for which GT condemned it; I felt that they defined the movie and brought it to life around the throughline that was the cat and mouse game between the two ships. Very stately entertainment. It exceeded any expectations set by the boring trailer.
I think the moral questions about the captain were completely mishandled. I rolled my eyes when the movie started describing the captain's fairness with ridiculous detail. He became a cartoon (not without some help from Crowe). I also thought "the enemy" was a little too dehumanized (i.e. the predator prey thing).
And Crowe looks disturbingly like a highly caffeinated Eddie Vedder.
i was not expecting anything . the trailer and its title does not do justice to this movie. after seeing it though i was surprised, i thougt it was pretty good. it was well made, not sloppy and i thought had pretty good pacing (except maybe for the beginning).
to answer gt, in my opinion its basically a movie about the journey of a captain and his crew in pursuit of this ship (i think this is its idea) and in this journey it touches on the little things you mentioned. what is lacking from this movie is that it does not go deeper into these things, but i was really surprised at all that it actually touched on these points. basically i think it was the character of the doctor that was the saving grace of this movie. without him the storyline would be completely empty (not that im saying also that it had a solid storyline even with this) all in all it went far beyond my expectations. it was nothing great of course, but in fairness it was pretty good and peter weir did a well made job
maybe i just thought too low of this movie, but who didnt???
as for the oscar buzz, i dont think it deserves to win anything.
Quote from: Sanjurowhat is lacking from this movie is that it does not go deeper into these things, but i was really surprised at all that it actually touched on these points.
Quote from: The Gold TrumpetThe movie touched on each one and still roamed and never was able to find a tone or an idea to search the entire movie through.
We have similiar problems. Its just you expected so little to think the movie would not touch superficially on these ideas so you were happily surprised. I figured it would in some way so couldn't enjoy that surprisement.
Quote from: The Gold Trumpetsurprisement.
haha, classic.
see, GT gets the joke and he won't cry.
Quote from: GhostboyVery stately entertainment.
Bingo. I totally loved watching this movie. Sure it has faults, it didn't really have a through line and it had no real over-riding point to make. It just was - and I'm glad about that. It was actually really refreshing and reminded me of older films of the same genre (the kind that you watch on a sunday afternoon). I certainly don't see the fact that it only
touched on a variety of issues as a flaw, GT.
I was half-expecting the final battle to go into mud-splashed shaky-cam (Gladiator) but to its credit, it never went for that kind of manipulation. Neither did it tell me what to think about what was going on at any point. I felt good coming out of it, in the same way I did coming of Pirates of the Carribean, great entertainment and great realism.
I do understand any Oscar hype it may get....but what does that mean? I just think its a damn fine film that I'd gladly watch again.
After watching it I realized I didn't notice any CGI in this film.
Quote from: ®edlumThe Harry Knowles review is up and has got me much more excited about seeing this.
"To me, this is the most "Kubrick" film I've seen since his passing."
http://www.aintitcoolnews.com/display.cgi?id=16492
What an overzealous ass! Far from Kubrick (maybe a touch of Barry Lyndon, because these were both boring). Anyhow, I remember Russell Crowe say this movie is about the captain's relationship with the doctor, so having that in mind, I certainly didn't find it. I didn't think the cat and mouse angle was very original, Moby Dick's been done, but then they back away from that too. What I did like was the whole discovery of new animals, thought that was cool. But I hate how these movies never get involved with the characters.
Spoilers:
Like the guy who fell over board, did not even know his name, or know that anyone cared about him until it happened. I mostly enjoyed watching Billy Boyd mosey around the ship, and the duets between Crowe and Bettany, and the Bach Cello Suite they played throughout. Oscars? No way, maybe for effects, but nothing big should get a nomination. If it happens, oh well, look at how well Gladiator did.
Quote from: ®edlumcertainly don't see the fact that it only touched on a variety of issues as a flaw, GT.
I do - maybe we were expecting different - because I saw it as an art film. Russel Crowe promoted and by golly, an indepedent movie theater in Milwaukee, WI is showing this film. As an art film, I rather it would have delved into one or two ideas instead of skating around an entire ballpark of ideas that revealed absolutely nothing in the end.
Can a film cost $135m and be an art-film? At what point in production does a film become an art-film? I'm not really sure how relevant the classification of 'art-film' is to any film. Probably because I never really understood what it meant.
"Adam Sandler in a $25million art house film directed by Paul Thomas Anderson of Boogie Nights fame"?
Quote from: ®edlumCan a film cost $135m and be an art-film? At what point in production does a film become an art-film? I'm not really sure how relevant the classification of 'art-film' is to any film. Probably because I never really understood what it meant.
Art film just means a film with honest, artistic purposes.
Bordwell lists 3 characteristics of an art film...
Realism / Ambiguity / Authorship
I guess movies *are* subjective after all :)
The very reason you didnt care for the movie is the same reason i *loved* it. I would've been really dissapointed if the plot would've been more linear and those little touches that "strayed" from the "main plot" were just like delicious chocolate icing for me. That said, Crowe dissapointed me, I was just expecting more from him, not to say he was bad or even less than stellar, but damn, Bettany (sp?) was excellent on this.
Quote from: SHAFTRRealism
Not necessary.
Quote from: Jeremy BlackmanQuote from: SHAFTRRealism
Not necessary.
Realism:
External: on location shooting, etc.
Internal: Subjective realism.
i , like many others, think it was just good
I enjoyed this film as well. I found it to be a lot like the submarine classic "The Enemy Below" or rather more like "Das Boot". Like those films, "Master..." made you a part of the crew, their way of life on a ship and got in the thinking of the captain. Beautiful cinematography.
I was dragged to this film again and happy I was. I was able to see the great achievement this film had in its photography and recreation of life in that time period. The flaws in story still held up the same for me, but the production values in this movie were really astounding. Considering most of the nominations it got the Academy Awards are in its production, I definitely agree the film should have gotten them and I hope it wins. When I first saw the film, I really was going through some emotional problems and wasn't able to see the good in the film. I'm glad I did this time. To comment: I don't think Russel Crowe was good in this film. Not really his acting, but he did what he could with a screenplay that only extended him to the trivial small speeches and duties of an average sea captain. Nothing seemed there by way of creating a character.
Title: Master and Commander
Released: 20th April 2004
SRP: $29.99 (TBC)
Further Details
We've managed to get hold of an advertisement containing the official release date for the region one release of Master and Commander which stars Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany. I'm afraid that we've yet to receive the official announcement from Fox, so we can't reveal the full disc specs to you yet. We do however expect the disc to include a featurette on sound design, a HBO first look featurette, a In The Wake Of O'Brian featurette as well as twenty minutes of deleted scenes. Plenty more features should be included though - and hopefully a stonking DTS track! Naturally, we'll try and bring you the full list of specs in the coming days. For now though, we've attached the aforementioned advertisement below:
Quote from: The Gold TrumpetI don't think Russel Crowe was good in this film. Not really his acting, but he did what he could with a screenplay that only extended him to the trivial small speeches and duties of an average sea captain. Nothing seemed there by way of creating a character.
His performance was lacking regardless of what flaws existed in the screenplay. I am reminded namely of his "cheerful" persona [alternatively, his "drinking" persona] which was just awful to watch. A man playing the role of the drunk is one thing, the man simply pretending to be tipsy when he's not is another.
I'm glad you appreciated the film's production values though. That's what I love about the film myself.
http://www.davisdvd.com/news/announcements.html
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When a sudden attack by a French warship inflicts casualties and severe damage upon his vessel, Captain "Lucky" Jack Aubrey of the British Royal Navy is torn between duty and friendship as he embarks on a thrilling, high-stakes chase across two oceans to intercept and capture the enemy at any costs.
Fox, PG-13, 138 min, $39.98, 04.20.04
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen (2.40:1)
Audio: English (Dolby Digital 5.1); English (DTS 5.1); French (Dolby Digital 5.1); Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0)
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Supplements: The Hundred Days (69:34 min); In The Wake Of O'Brian (20:56 min), Cinematic Phasmids (29:59 min); Sound Design Featurette (20:13 min); Interactive Sound Recording Demo; Six Deleted Scenes (22:33 min); HBO First Look (25:49 min); Four Multi-Angle Studies; Split Screen Vignette; Four Art Galleries; Theatrical Teaser and Trailer; International Trailer (this is a two-disc set)
Wow. That is a classy release. Even the extras look good (apart from the HBO first look, of course). This would make a great Sunday afternoon DVD, I think.
they showed this on the plane the other day and i tried to watch it even though i swore to myself i'd never see it, and it was so terrible i couldnt even get through it. and i was ON A PLANE, i had nothing else to do BUT watch it and still it was unbearable.
Quote from: Ravi
Supplements: The Hundred Days (69:34 min); In The Wake Of O'Brian (20:56 min), Cinematic Phasmids (29:59 min); Sound Design Featurette (20:13 min); Interactive Sound Recording Demo; Six Deleted Scenes (22:33 min); HBO First Look (25:49 min); Four Multi-Angle Studies; Split Screen Vignette; Four Art Galleries; Theatrical Teaser and Trailer; International Trailer (this is a two-disc set)
.i was looking through the current best buy ad.and noticed that they have the two disk on "sale" for phucking $30 ..WTF???...........thats a little high .those extended LOTR sets were cheaper than that......the panic room se was $30 but its 3 discs also.......so thats cool.....what (if there is) a one disck set of master&commander.. and what features are on it..?
According to Amazon, the 1 disc version is barebones.
after another viewing of this film...at the budget theatres, I have to admit that I enjoyed it much more the 2nd time around. The film really hits enormous peaks when the relationship between the Captain and Doctor is emphasized. The detail in this film is incredible, and cinematically it's near perfect. My only real beef with the story is that I feel it drags and it's pacing suffers when the the film concentrates on the other crew members. Mainly the mutiny/curse storyline with one of the crewmembers. I think that the expectation of the film the first time around spoiled it for me. Sitting back and watching it again revealed a better film than I had initially thought.
I finally caught this on dvd, and I must say it exceeded all of expectations, and then some. Weir delivered a great classical-style movie (and I say that in the best way, it made me think of Errol Flynn swashbuckling) about war, honor, and friendship.
I'll admit, I playa-hate when it comes to Crowe, I pretty much loathe him and his current works, but man, is he great here. Early on, there's a look that he tries to hide from the amputee kid that was just heartbreaking. A small moment, but really terrific. Bettany was great as well (no Oscar nom for him... helllooooooo?), and the relationship between the captain and doctor was a solid backbone for the story.
There's no sense praising the technical aspects, they all rock and are extremely well made. ESPECIALLY the battle scenes. I thought Weir was gonna have to puss-out with that PG-13 rating, but it all worked.
As for the curse/suicide business, I enjoyed that stuff. It was interesting the drama that happens w/in the crew, and how these young boys who are put into positions of respect/power must grow up pretty fast or it will swallow them whole.
SPOILERS
I don't know about anyone else, but when we got the ending 'reveal,' I was mad the movie was over. Where's the sequel????? I guess I'll have to read the books.
spoilerrrrrrrs are in dis bitch.
..i read W2Act's review and everything he said i agree....i feel stupid that i missed it during its theatrical run....but i am pleased that i spent the $30 on the overpriced dvd set...(best buy has a 3 disc one)...it was just a well made piece of art......and i usually don't see that many boat/swashbuckler films..but this one felt fresh and unique and held my interest during its 2 hr. plus runtime.........the kids "growing up" was cool.and the cannon suicide scene was done well....crowe, who i hear is a hard person to deal with, is flat out a brilliant actor...hes good in everything i have seen him in....i agree that bettany deserved an oscar nod...........theres so much more that i could say to give it props ..but i feel obligated to say the nature/gathering specimens/island scenes were a welcome plot element.......i hope people give this a chance..its worth a rental at least.....just for the technical merits........but if you like it the 3 disc is loaded.......it even comes w/ a collectable map charting the exact route that crowe's posse went on....so that way in case you and your friends feel like doing some mastering and commandering ..you'll have the exact route and can following in "lucky's" wake........but no cheating bitches...you can't go through the panamal canal........gotta go around the whole contiment baby..........
I was unaware of the hate this film received around here a few years back. I think everyone should watch it again, I would bet most will be pleasantly surprised.
I watched it in the theatre alone, because no one wanted to see it mainly for all the reasons everyone exposed around here (the Russell Crowe hate, the "boring" tag, the gladiator deja vu feel of the trailer, the title even), and thought it was perfect. I mean fucking perfect all around. Of course it was gonna be hated. It is way too subtle for today, and the detail is incredible. Knowing back then that I would regret not seeing it again on the big screen, I dragged my parents with me to see it, and they both enjoyed it quite a bit. I just reinforced my high opinion on the film.
I checked it again last year on dvd and really, it holds up wonderfully. The relationship between the doctor and the captain, the moral questioning, the "what you must do vs. what you wish you could actually do" stuff...
Just wanted to add my view around here, cause the xixax hate seemed excessive.
yes ! i saw it a year ago and we loved it. it's a personal favorite among my family. they're into 'hornblower' as well, but i haven't seen nor read any of that stuff. my grandfather was an admiral and my dad is a captain, and there's always been films like this in my house and at my grandparents' and uncles'. we need more films like this, not the pirates bullshit. my dream is to see a blockbuster kick ass film about the battle of trafalgar. give cillian murphy a few more years and he'll be a great nelson. hell, i'll direct the movie. in my mind