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Review

With a storytelling style so visceral you'll need to towel off after the storm sequences, director Weir attempts his most ambitious undertaking -- that of translating two of Patrick O'Brian's "Jack Aubrey" novels for one big-screen epic adventure. Its unexpected success can be measured not so much by the rousing action scenes or sumptuous cinematography or even the bracing tale of men at sea, but ultimately by the dedication of craft exhibited by director, writer, star and crew. Crowe is well within his element as Aubrey, the heroic captain of HMS Surprise, a British warship assigned the daunting task of stopping the superior and deadly French ship Acheron during the Napoleonic wars. A crafty game of cat and mouse ensues as Aubrey uses the wiles of each and every crew member to outwit an enemy clearly holding the advantage. On the heels of Pirates of the Caribbean, with which it shares nothing more than ships and swordplay, Master and Commander both embraces and expands the conventions of the genre, thus creating a singular achievement whose attention to action and spectacle is as every bit as developed as a character's thought and deed. The ensemble is uniformly good, though Bettany is especially memorable as the ship's doctor and Aubrey's friend/moral compass. Far Side of the World presents a smart, thrilling ride into history that explodes with excitement and vigor.

 -- David Bleiler