Plot: What’s it about?
The early part of the 21st century was a good time to be Russell Crowe. He’d had a Best Picture film with Gladiator and this merited him a Best Actor Academy Award as well. His next outing, A Beautiful Mind, would find him the star of yet another Best Picture winner. Suffice it to say that things were good for this Aussie. Crowe then collaborated with another Australian director, Peter Weir, for 2003’s Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. Granted, the early 2000’s weren’t exactly the best time to launch a swashbuckling adventure set on the seas, then again that same year saw Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl dominate the box office. So, what do I know? As history has shown, this wasn’t quite the success the studio thought it might be, but it was highly-rated, was nominated for 10 Oscars (winning two with Best Cinematography and Sound Design) and managed to recoup its budget.
Captain Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe) runs the HMS Surprise, a ship in the Royal Navy assigned to find and eliminate a French vessel known as Acheron. The rival ship has all of the advantages it would seem, with better speed and power, so the mission isn’t an optimistic one. But Aubrey isn’t shaken in his resolve and he pushes his crew forward, venturing into dangerous waters in pursuit of the French vessel. When the Acheron is able to ambush the Surprise on a fog filled morning, the cause seems lost, but Aubrey’s quick thinking enables his ship to survive and retreat. As time passes, Aubrey has to not only prepare to continue his search for the Acheron, but also deal with day to day issues on the Surprise. Even against incredible odds, can Aubrey lead his crew to complete their mission or is he simply too outclassed?
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is not adventure on the high seas, but it is a well crafted drama that never fails to entertain. The movie has two big set pieces on each end, but the bulk of the film is straight drama. Even at over two hours however, the film is able to keep the audience’s attention, thanks to great performances and superb direction. This is as close as you can get to a life on the sea without boarding a ship, as the filmmakers have built such a realistic, immersive atmosphere. The visuals put you there, the audio puts you there, the attention to detail puts you there, so the realism is there for sure. Russell Crowe gives a fine effort in the lead, but the cast as a whole is quite good to boot. This is like a throwback to intelligent, bid budget Hollywood movies, so Master and Commander is well-recommended.
Video: How does it look?
There are some reviews out there that seem to nitpick each and every scene and tell us exactly what was used for this new transfer, etc. I’m not wired that way. I just look at something (and, when available, look to its counterpart) and give the bottom line. So, that said, I have to say that this is far and away the best this film has ever looked. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is an epic that’s simply made for the big screen (any big screen). The 2.39:1 HEVC 4K image blew me away with its depth, dimension, clarity and colors. I remember seeing this film in theaters and though that was over two decades ago, I’m quite certain that this 4K excels in what I saw on the movie screen back in 2003. In a word, it’s excellent and it shouldn’t let viewers down in the least.
Audio: How does it sound?
A new Dolby Atmos mix is flat out tremendous and really showcases the film’s impressive sound design. From the first minute to the last, all of the speakers have to work overtime. The atmosphere of being on the open sea is so immersive here, you might think you’re in the crow’s nest yourself. The surrounds are active almost constantly, with environmental touches that pull you into the movie’s world and when the big set pieces arrive, the surrounds really go into overdrive. The power is booming, with deep bass from the cannons, so this mix is very, very memorable. The thunderous surround use never overpowers the dialogue however, while the music sounds excellent as well.
Supplements: What are the extras?
All of the supplements are located on the Blu-ray disc as the 4K disc is the film only.
- Deleted Scenes – Nearly 30 minutes’ worth of deleted scenes are included, though given the film’s running time (138 minutes), I can see why these were cut.
- Historical and Geographical Trivia Track – Pretty much that – we’re inundated with some “facts” about the production and history throughout.
- Pop-Up Map – This is in the “I think they thought this might be more than it turned out to be” department, but it is quite cool, as you can bring up a map at any point to see the geographical location of the current scene.
The Bottom Line
Fans of Russell Crowe in his prime will no doubt already have this as part of their collection. It’s a bit disappointing that no new supplements were included, but given that the film now looks and sounds better than it ever has should easily offset any frustrations.
