Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

2 out of 5 snowstones>Peter Weir's reputation made me go see this movie, but I was sorely disappointed by the lack of story. Yes, life on a 19th-century war ship is probably shown very realistically, the blood and gore is very lifelike, and there's even something of a conflict in the ship's doctor's desperate attempts to turn a bloodbath into a proto-Darwinian quest for scientific enlightenment. But it can still all be summarized in four words: "swashbuckler Crowe fights French" (French getting their asses kicked plays well to US audiences, I guess). From the man who made "The Truman Show", I had higher expectations.
Posted by cronopio at 06:25 PM, December 21, 2003