HMS Surprise

Academy Award winner Russell Crowe (Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind) stars as Captain "Lucky" Jack Aubrey, renowned as a fighting captain in the British Navy. The charismatic Captain rouses the patriotism of the crew while wrestling with issues of honour, pride, duty, sacrifice and loyalty. With the true passion he holds for his vocation, he consistently employs ingenious tactics to engage his prey - a much larger and better-equipped French ship.

After the French ship almost sinks them in an early battle, the ship's surgeon and Aubrey's closest friend Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany - The Heart of Me, A Knight's Tale) cautions him about letting revenge cloud his judgement. With the HMS Surprise badly damaged and much of his crew injured, Aubrey is torn between duty and friendship as he pursues a high-stakes chase across two oceans to intercept and capture his foe, refusing to accept defeat at the hands of the French at any cost. It's a mission that can make his reputation - or destroy Lucky Jack and his crew.

In the course of the Surprise's epic journey, the crew travel the world - from the coast of Brazil to the storm-tossed waters of Cape Horn, south through ice and snow to the far side of the world and across to the remote shores of The Galapagos Islands. A true camaraderie develops between the men with the help of rum, music and the regaling of tall tales!

Despite Peter Weir, it looked like it was gonna be just another big swashbuckler -- Stirring Grandeur made to studio order. Yes, it's a movie that rouses us with big epic shots of the great outdoors, and crowds of soldiers, and reverberating noises of swishing sea and clunks against the sides of the boat. But the characters are deeply involving: Russell Crowe plays Capt. Jack Aubrey, a British seaman determined and strong in his mission to track down a particular French battleship. The movie picks apart his obsessiveness, and while it admires the way he leads his men, it questions his growing ego and what the quest means to him the longer it goes on. In contrast, there's the Paul Bettany character, a scientist who in one extraordinary sequence collects nature samples on the Galapagos Islands, but has to decide what to leave behind as the ship is called once more into searching for battle. The arguments between him and Crowe don't seem like typical leader-and-subordinate confrontations, but have real philosophical edge, and are beautifully played.

Napoleon is winning his way across Europe and the British are trying desperately to fend off his advances. On the high seas, one British ship is following a French ship through the south Atlantic and fighting for survival in Peter Weir's epic Master and Commander: The Fire Side of the World.

Russell Crowe stars as Captain Jack Aubrey, commander of an erstwhile vessel filled with men whose devotion to country is inspirational. He is surrounded by an apt crew including his long-time friend Dr. Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany). Together, they follow orders from the empire to seek out a ship named Acheron, thought to be trolling the Atlantic off the Brazilian coast. What the sailors find is a lesson in craft and seamanship.

There is a wide array of characters to be found. Crowe does adequately as the Queeg-like captain. Bettany is a welcome treat, giving the best performance in the film. Aside from Midshipman Blakeney played surprisingly well by Max Pirkis, only a couple of other characters develop beyond their stereotypical requirements. Lord of the Rings hobbit Billy Boyd is an interesting addition to the cast, as one of the more prominent crewmen; Jonah-cursed Midshipman Hollom is aptly embodied by Lee Ingleby; and Ian Mercer does a fine job bringing down the overadventurous natures of the ship's captain and doctor as the able boatswain.

Director Peter Weir, whose previous forays behind the camera include the lyrical Dead Poets Society and brilliant The Truman Show , is truly the master and commander of this bit of cinematic art. The film flows from scene to scene with little effort and his screenplay with co-writer John Collee is filled with highly technical and painstakingly researched material. Bringing his knowledge and directorial talent together has made Master and Commander an amazing, spirited journey into passion, honor and self-discovery.

The sets and costumes are of the same caliber as the ones in this year's other high seas adventure Pirates of the Caribbean. Likewise, the cinematography, sound and visual effects are spectacular. Weir has collected a wonderful cadre of artisans to create a world that leaves you feeling like you were a part of it.

The plot avoids being too cliché, clinging not to the formulae of the past but forging a new mold for the future. There is a sufficient amount of homage but it takes a back seat to the realistic and emotional breadth of the whole. We find these two men who have a devotion to one another and to country but each has a unique ambition. The doctor's impetus for adventure is to discover strange new lands and interesting scientific phenomena while the captain tries to follow command, risking the safety of his crew and his friendship with the doctor to pursue his white whale. Their tempers flare and a rift develops between and it takes a grave injury to break their opposition.

Master and Commander paints a vivid portrait of life at sea during the Napoleonic conquest of Europe. It also shows you that the war wasn't isolated to Europe but was present even on The Far Side of the World where the war had, up to that point, little effect.

Moviegoers will find themselves drawn into the story without effort. They will leave the theater feeling empowered by the crew's victories and failures. Master and Commander leaves its audience excited and impressed while simultaneously providing their bombastic and humanistic entertainment.

Russell Crowe ... Capt. Jack Aubrey
Paul Bettany ... Dr. Stephen Maturin, Surgeon
James D'Arcy ... 1st Lt. Tom Pullings
Edward Woodall ... 2nd Lt. William Mowett
Chris Larkin ... Capt. Howard, Royal Marines
Max Pirkis ... Blakeney, Midshipman
Jack Randall ... Boyle, Midshipman
Max Benitz ... Calamy, Midshipman
Lee Ingleby ... Hollom, Midshipman
Richard Pates ... Williamson, Midshipman
Robert Pugh ... Mr. Allen, Master
Richard McCabe ... Mr. Higgins, Surgeon's Mate
Ian Mercer ... Mr. Hollar, Boatswain
Tony Dolan ... Mr. Lamb, Carpenter
David Threlfall ... Preserved Killick, Captain's Steward