Running an informal poll about what members though about the movie, Master and Commander.

I liked it. He (Russel Crowes character) kind of reminded me of a "Captain Kirk", but of the old sailing days. A good Captain is one who does not know the meaning of the word - failure. It just proves that good tactics can overcome might. It was great to see an old sailing vessel like the "Rose" on the big screen. That crew must have had a ball helping to make that film. It must have been like going back in time.
PS; Don't like Russel Crowe personally, but he is a good actor, and that's all that really counts.

Ditto

Liked it. Reminded me of the old Errol Flynn swashbuckling films. It seems stories and films about the sailing days are becoming popular again. No matter what the venue, I think people love the sense of romance and adventure of the days of sail. I'm not so sure that those days were so romantic for the crew, but we always like to fantasize about history.

entertainment.
 

:thumbup: definately great entertainment and that what we went for. The two young grandsons were entranced with the film. The sound effects were "ace" made me think that "smell effects" would add to a film. The Viking Museum in York has a section with the smells relevant to a Viking settlement. I not give the details, but the smell of fish was the least offensive.

But think of the smells on board, at sea, in battle and in the aftermath.
Aw ell, just a thought.
rgds.
John

Loved the movie! I bought the DVD and watch it every now and then and pick up on more detail missed before. I esp like the special features disk that shows the making of the whole movie. VERY fascinating!

Dave

Re: entertainment.
 

I greatly enjoyed the film, especially the sound effects, with sound suround I found myself ducking during the battle scenes wanting to dive for the floor!

Now I want to investigate the A and E series " Horatio Hornblower "

Bill

Re: Members opinions about Master and Commander...
 

Hi Bill, You should check out these Hornblower DVDs, from the A and E TV Series.
John

Re: Members opinions about Master and Commander...
 

Interesting analysis about the Jack Aubrey character reminding you or James Kirk of Star Treck. James Kirk was based on the actual historical figure of James Cook...an English Naval officer of the same period as Jack Aubrey. The entire story is based on the English Navy's search to destroy the USS Essex. An enemy in the Pacific, atacking British whalers during the war of 1812. The author changed the facts around so that Aubrey was going after the French to make it more appealing to Americans.

Re: Members opinions about Master and Commander...
 

After the huge success of the Master and Commander, I'd expected they made something like "Trafalgar!" as a 2005 commemoration. Just a thought. Such epic movie simply costs too much I guess: small vessels like Surprise and Acheron are already difficult to model, let alone tens of 3-deckers, Victory, Temeraire, Trinidad, etc. It will be a model ship galore!

Re: Members opinions about Master and Commander...
 

Hi all,
Amen to making more of them!!! Love that film, so much history there, and a very realistic approach. How about a movie during the war of 1812 with some American v/ British ships?
Peace
Boxcar

Re: Members opinions about Master and Commander...
 

Is it "Outboard and aft to Port" or to starboard? I can't remember anymore!


Oh, liked the movie for meself...

Re: Members opinions about Master and Commander...
 

I liked the movie, I thought it was very well done. I had already read all of the Patrick O'Brian series about Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin before I saw the film. I think this made the movie even more interesting to me. If you haven't cranked through these books, you really should, they are very, very good.

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I liked the movie so I bought the dvd. I am facinated by all the ships from that era. I like how in most of these movies the smaller and lesser armed ship ends up on top.

Re: Members opinions about Master and Commander...
 

Liked the movie. Love the books.

The Complete Aubrey/Maturin Novels:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...=glance&s=books

Re: Members opinions about Master and Commander...
 

Whether books or movies, the old sea stories are great and Masters and Commander definitely falls in this niche. Since a kid reading Rafael Sabatini and watching Errol Flynn (Captain Blood, Sea Hawk), or the Hornblower books, etc. have been a passion. Fortunately, I still have most of them either on tape or now, DVD and get to watch them over and over. We do need more of them ...

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Great film,being ex Navy I could really appreciate it,got it on DVD have seen it several times

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Loved it. Bought the DVD.

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Really enjoyed the movie. I don't know which was more interesting, the ship construction details or the character development.

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I purchased the DVD without seeing the movie to add in my collection. Viewing the DVD was the second best thing that I had done, personally I thought it was great and I place it right along the Hornblower DVDs. I sit quietly and watch the reruns with as much pleasure as seeing them for the first time.

Charlie

Re: Members opinions about Master and Commander...
 

Master and Commander disappointed me. Some of the scenes were good but the plot of the story (was there one?) and portrayal of characters couldn't hold a candle to the books W.T. Hausheer

Re: Members opinions about Master and Commander...
 

Fabulous movie! I need to buy it. I understand they used the "Lady Washington" for the movie. Good story and good acting, but even if they weren't Hollywood still threw great vats of money into the wooden boat world and kept a whole lot of modellers and shipwrights employed. I really enjoy a movie with some historical and literary meat to chew on. I fear the intensity of the American experience is being taken for granted today and movies like this remind us that whether you were taken to your death in an airplane flown into a building or had your arms amputated without anesthetic, Americans have paid for our freedom from tyranny in blood and agony for every one of our 232 years.

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Never mind that Jack Aubrey wasn't American. I got my blood up. :-#

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Hey Gang

I went and saw this movie at the theatre with a few other former shipmates. We have all served on a variety naval vessels and have read the novels. I served on a Brigantine in the '84 Tall Ship Rendevous and have been trying to get back aboard one ever since.

I remember seeing the opening scene of the movie and had to laugh at myself: I found myself perched on the front edge of my seat holding my breath trying to take in all of the action, characters, and most importantly the actual ship, at once. If you get the chance, do see this one on the big screen.

The movie does not do the books justice but all in all it is an amazing film to watch. I bought the DVD when it came out and watch it about once every other month or so.

Cheers Mates!

Re: Members opinions about Master and Commander...
 

I liked the movie, but I've read abou 2/3rds of Patrick O'Brians books and the books are much better than the movie. I just had a hard time believing Russel Crowe as Jack Aubrey.

Re: Members opinions about Master and Commander...
 

The movie was great! Russel Crowe was a pretty good Capt. Aubrey though I don't think he's anywhere 13 stone! Steven Maturin wasn't what I expected. He wasn't small enough, looked too good to be Steven. After having read the Aubrey, Maturin series over six times (there comes a time when you loose count) I've come to know Steven and Jack as friends. I kind of hoped the movie would have followed the books a little closer but again the movie was great!!

Re: Members opinions about Master and Commander
 

Excellent movie . well acted and for the most part a good script . Supporting actors (ie. the crew) were in a word, "outstanding" . The below decks secnes were also well done . Also ,interesting to note the scene of the young crewman using the "heads"-- nice touch of realism - LOL -- Just my 2 cents worth .

Re: Members opinions about Master and Commander
 

Great movie entertainment-wise. In fact my boys gave me the DVD this last Fathers Day :banna: . But I can't think of a movie that lives up to a great book and this is the same.
I suppose we have our own imaginations from the book transplanted with the directors imagination.
Still... it is a must get for your DVD collection..

Craig

Re: Members opinions about Master and Commander
 

I liked the movie very much and am still hoping for a sequel. I do like Russell Crowe but he is not my image of Jack Aubrey. Paul Bettany was better as Stephen Maturin. What I really objected to was Bill Boyd (the hobbit) as Barrett Bonden. Ridiculous. Russell Crowe would make a good Bonden.

Re: Members opinions about Master and Commander
 

I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, however did not find Russell Crowe to be a believable captain of a ship. He seemed to be too quiet of a person, too laid back, not authoritative. Just my opinion of Crowe in this movie. It was great to see a "real" sailing ship in action as I have never seen one in person.

Does anyone have plans to see the upcoming movie: Elizabeth: The Golden Age? The previews of the ships doing battle look really good although you would probably have to sit through an hour or two of boy/girl relationship drama and dialogue just to see that part of the movie.

Are there any other movies out there on DVD that have good film of sailing ships in action? Would like to get some more. I am land locked in Colorado and cannot go visit sailing ships on the coast so movies are the only way that I will get to see one.

Richard

Re: Members opinions about Master and Commander
 

Never mind. I found the forum for sailing ship DVD's on this website! #-o

Richard

Re: Members opinions about Master and Commander
 

Re: Master & Commander:
I enjoyed the movie except for the ending which seems to require
a sequel.
HOWEVER:
1) In one shot the ship was moving along at a fair clip, but
obviously under power as the sails were taken aback. Careless.
2) In the early part of the movie when Surprise was being chased
by the French ship, and losing ground, she used an elaborate ruse
involving a raft with a light on it to escape. She then looped around
and chased the Frenchman. She was now able to keep up, due
(as I understood the dialogue) to the fact she was upwind from the
Frenchman and thereby had an advantage, namely the "weather gauge".
Of course this is nonsense, but maybe I misunderstood. Well, I'm
78 and somewhat deaf........

Denis J

Re: Members opinions about Master and Commander
 

I agree with you on all these points. I thought Crowe was OK as Jack, and better cast than the other two that you mention. A couple of other casting choices mentioned on POB interest boards include:

- Nick Nolte (in his younger and more sober days) as Jack Aubrey. He's got the rugged looks and big mane of blond hair for it.

- John Malkovich as Stephen. I particularly like this, as he could match Stephens "reptilian gaze" and "croaking laugh."

- A number of better choices for Bonden. Billy Boyd doesn't exactly look like he'd be the "boxing champion of the fleet," does he?

Too bad also that there wasn't time enough for scenes on land so we could see how they would cast Sophie and Diana.

Re: Members opinions about Master and Commander
 

Great movie, and the only recent Hollywood effort I'm aware of that seems to do a good job of being period accurate as far as the ships go.
From the purely physical descriptions in the books, I tend to agree. OTOH, and Peter Weir mentions this in one of the extras, on film that combination could come dangeriously close to having a ludicrous "Laural and Hardy" effect, which definitely would've ruined the tone of the movie.
I thought the movie did a great job of paying homage to the series; it seems I'm in the minority though in thinking it did justice to the books. I measure that not by the fact of trying to compare them directly, which seems difficult with such separate medium, but instead by the fact that the movie enriched my subsequent readings on the books rather than detracting from the experience. I felt they did a great job bringing the "feel" of the A/M world to life, without slavishly trying to duplicate any of the books directly.

The weather-gauge would give the windward ship the advantage of having the ability to choose their best point of sailing when approaching the leeward chase, thus potentially shifting the balance as to which ship would be faster. I don't remember off the top of my head if Surpise is depicted as sailing on a different line on the second day (when they have the weather gauge) from that of the first (when being chased). If not, this may just be one of the finer points of sailing missed by the movie-makers.

Re: Members opinions about Master and Commander
 

I liked the movie, but as the cliche goes, "the books were better." I'd have to say that the fantastic descriptions of 18th century warships were the inspiration for my modeling bug. I've only read the first four, so don't spoil it for me if you know the whole story.

Dregs -

Re: Members opinions about Master and Commander
 

Excellent movie . well acted and for the most part a good script . Supporting actors (ie. the crew) were in a word, "outstanding" . The below decks secnes were also well done . Also ,interesting to note the scene of the young crewman using the "heads"-- nice touch of realism - LOL --

Re: Members opinions about Master and Commander
 

The sound, photography, acting were all very good, but having read the books - they tried to jam 2 of O'Brians novels into 1 movie and did neither justice.

Re: entertainment
 

ooh, the smell of sea spray and black powder :banna:

if you like sailing ships, you have to love it....since their is so little else left to watch :(

Re: Members opinions about Master and Commander
 

I liked the movie very much. Found that the more times I watched it, the more I picked-up about the construction of the ship.

Re: Members opinions about Master and Commander
 

I count the movie among my 3 or 4 favorite movies.
I also believe that it was a good entry for many viewers into the books by Patrick O'Brian.
It was also able to bring across the atmosphere, although some of the details were wrong.
To sum up: It is an excellent movie due to the atmosphere it portrayed (helped out extremly by the actors of the lower decks) and it brought Patrick O'Brians world to all those who havnt read the books.

JD