Master and Commander

MacGuffin · July 26, 2003, 12:35:40 AM

Click on poster for trailer:

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.

Pubrick · July 26, 2003, 12:52:57 AM

he's always good when he plays a fat man.

Ghostboy · July 26, 2003, 02:09:00 AM

zzzzzzzzzzz....

phil marlowe · July 26, 2003, 06:28:57 AM

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.

Alethia · July 27, 2003, 11:02:19 AM

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.....

NEON MERCURY · August 07, 2003, 12:30:52 AM

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???????

Alethia · August 07, 2003, 12:42:14 AM

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.

Redlum · August 07, 2003, 04:05:59 AM

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.

MacGuffin · September 05, 2003, 01:23:00 AM

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.

ShanghaiOrange · September 05, 2003, 11:12:15 AM

Master? Commander? I don't even know 'er!

metroshane · September 05, 2003, 02:28:53 PM

The preview looks sad.

Weak2ndAct · September 05, 2003, 10:21:58 PM

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.

ShanghaiOrange · September 06, 2003, 10:41:06 PM

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.

cine · September 07, 2003, 02:29:27 AM

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.

MrBurgerKing · September 07, 2003, 09:57:06 PM

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.