Master and Commander

Finn · November 16, 2003, 09:58:28 AM

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.

Pozer · November 21, 2003, 08:34:40 PM

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?

SHAFTR · November 25, 2003, 12:30:33 AM

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.

NEON MERCURY · November 25, 2003, 12:37:58 AM

oh captian , my captian...

Gold Trumpet · November 25, 2003, 08:13:11 AM

Quote from: The Real Poser
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?

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".

Ghostboy · November 25, 2003, 09:31:30 AM

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...

Gold Trumpet · November 25, 2003, 10:15:19 AM

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.

Ghostboy · November 25, 2003, 11:09:03 PM

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.

Jeremy Blackman · November 25, 2003, 11:17:19 PM

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.

Sanjuro · November 26, 2003, 08:07:30 AM

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.

Gold Trumpet · November 26, 2003, 09:54:45 AM

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.

Pubrick · November 26, 2003, 11:03:27 AM

Quote from: The Gold Trumpetsurprisement.

haha, classic.

see, GT gets the joke and he won't cry.

Redlum · November 27, 2003, 05:16:24 PM

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.

Ravi · November 27, 2003, 09:55:37 PM

After watching it I realized I didn't notice any CGI in this film.

Gamblour. · November 29, 2003, 12:18:48 AM

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.