Pajiba

I liked Master & Commander.
But then, I'm an older white dude, so...

I, too, liked Master & Commander. At the time it came out I was still just an under 30 white dude.

It had a lot of good things going for it. The whole side track mission to the Galapogas Islands was a bit odd, but over all a very solid movie. I really liked that little kid who lost his arm who ended up playing Octavian (in the earlier years) in HBO's Rome.

"I’ve tried to watch it a few times, but for the life of me, I can’t get through it..."

That right there is why you and this site will forever be relegated to 10th tier status.

Apart from Rowles' automatic "/fail" lemme tell you the deal with Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.

1. Possibly *THE* best Star Trek movie ever made, (being on water does nothing to negate that fact)

2. It is movie making perfection, it's got rich characters, drama, tension, action and a PLOT.

I preferred "Master and Commander: The Pharcyde of the World." Russell Crowe is no Fat Lip.

...Samuel Panda, a Catholic priest born from an illicit liaison.

Forgive me Father, for I shall sin.

As an older white woman, and a big fan of those Patrick O'Brian novels, (and anything else I can devour set in the Napoleonic era) I must also confess to having thoroughly enjoyed "Master and Commander". I love that whole "run out the top gallant" (whatever that may mean. I'm fuzzy about the detail, admittedly!) sailing genre. Titanic and films about modern metal ships with engines... not so much!

I don't think I've ever seen Master and Commander all the way through, despite the presence of Paul Bettany who I always appreciate and the wealth of homoerotic undertones. (Don't pretend y'all don't know what's going on belowdecks, if you know what I'm saying and I think you definitely do.)

Although as of lately I'd rather not think about Russell Crowe's belowdecks, since he's carrying around a rather substantial deck. I'd prefer to think that anything after Gladiator didn't happen.

i'm a woman and yet young and i liked this movie!

I thought that “Master and Commander” was a good film. As an African American male I prefer older white women, especially the ones that are twenty to thirty pounds overweight. If anyone is interested I had my first white woman when I was in high school. She was a friend of the family, I was eighteen and she was in her thirties.

My Dad's an older white dude and he thought this movie was the tits. He saw it multiple times in the cinema (which he attends maybe twice a year, so it was a big thing for him). He's also a sailor and manages a marina, so he was always going to obsess over anything with boats.

forbiddendonut, did you see that Mark Addy was cast as Robert Baratheon? Personally I don't think he's massive and intimidating enough for the part, but he is a fat guy that can grow a good beard, so I guess that's what they went with. I don't care what other great stuff he's been in, though, he'll still be the guy from Still Standing to me.

I saw Master and Commander and liked it enough to read the first book in the actual series, and fell so deep in love that I read the other nineteen and a half books in the series. It is some of the best writing I've ever read with two of the greatest characters to grace the pages of Western literature, in my opinion. And I'm a 24-year old girl who was exposed to these things in late high school and college.

That said, the only way they will be able to make this alleged sequel better is to let Maturin be the spy he is on camera, and I think Bettany would be fit for the fullness of the role. Maybe have the ship's mission follow Maturin's activities and leads, as occurs in several of the books. I would queue up at midnight to see that movie.

Tammy, not only are they interested they also want the details.

Oh, AWESOME. Master and Commander is simply a fantastic fucking movie, and I've been waiting for a sequel for years. Will Paul Bettany be back? Please let him be back.

I love movies on boats.

...Samuel Panda, a Catholic priest born from an illicit liaison.

Forgive me Father, for I shall sin.

Hee. I love you, jM.

I think the mistake they made with M&C was not picking a single book's plot-line to follow. The story was such a mish-mash that trying to tell ANY of the other books individually will feel slightly redundant.

As for the first movie's quality, it's the only sailing movie that I've ever seen that dealt with the reality of sailing-vessels, didn't shy away from nautical terms, and really made me feel like I was there.

I read all 20.5 books, and when I was done with those I picked up Hornblower and tore through those. Now I'm half way through The Terror and will probably move on to O'Brian's Golden Ocean. I can't get enough of this stuff!

So bring on more Aubrey/Maturin! Tell more of his on-land troubles, have him lose his rank, fight with a letter of marque, and eventually hoist his blue flag. I'll watch all 20 movies gleefully.

M&C needs reviewed for the site but anyone that failed to get through it shouldn't be the one to do it. The movie is outstanding. I have to agree with B Slim: It is a HELL of a good Star Trek movie.

So, I've been sitting here not doing any work on Saint-Saens, and I think I have an idea as to why Dustin isn't terribly attracted to these seafaring stories. Obviously, I'm presuming, but maybe it's in line with what I started thinking.

Sailing Vessel=Epic. I don't anything about film budgets, but it seems as if these films cost a monkey's ransom to make. Going back to the Errol Flynn days, we want to see swashbuckling of the highest order. If someone made a film about Aunt Bernice's inherited dinghy that is mostly millipede-free? High drama, high action, high seas. We don't want some kiddie pool, I want tidal waves, or something.

You can conquer nations and peoples, but not the sea. Reminds us what peons we are. Deep, dark, unknowable--just like the soul of man (har!) But, you know, this isn't punting on the Thames. You're almost more than likely to witness scenes of hapless souls working feverishly against the inevitable...blah, mortal coil, yadda-yadda, Elizabeth Fraser.

Teamwork, brute force, the brotherhood...'n' stuff. What is bravery and cowardice...anyway.

You've got to give people real impetus to see some planks of wood on water. You need spectacle, and what invites spectacle? Period pieces. And historically a lot crazy shit has happened on the sea, or has involved it. There's a mythology around it, and the story has to bear the weight of it. You and Nancy talking about the new savings account that you answered is good for fiscal solvency, but a real non-started for the fevered ocean. Who is going to pace with his arms behind his back is we're talking about GICs?

So you end up with these big, unwieldy yawners that are either too self-serious, or too campy with the rum-soaked stereotypes. All of those special effects left little budget for a script. We have expectations. I remember seeing Wagner performed a few years ago: the whole cast was in linen pjs, the sets were non-existent and it's a good thing that I didn't have to pay for my ticket.

I say this not as an indictment of these films--most of which I haven't seen--it's just and idea.

I second all of the well-deserved praise for both O'Brian's whole series and MaC. I love the movie, and I am neither old nor male, though I must admit I am very white, even at this point in the summer. For those who didn't originally like it, I would reccomend trying it again. I found all the terminology I was completely unfamiliar with to be overwhelming the first time I saw it, and didn't like it very much. But it's become one of my favourite movies with repeated viewings. It really is just a well made, intelligent film; a pleasure to watch and very Pajiba-worthy.
I would welcome a sequel, but probably only if both Crowe and Bettany returned. I can't imagine anyone else being cast in their roles and being as good. They were each perfect for their parts, worked fantastically together, and made a great 'bromance' partnership. I think most people who read the series would agree that even more important than the historical or nautical setting and terminology is the friendship between Aubrey and Maturin. It's O'Brian's characters that really make the series a classic.

Loved the first movie, got halfway through the first book before I realized I wasn't going to get it until I was older or more male.

If Paul Bettany's back for the sequel, I'll watch it.

Also, say what you will about the quality of the movie, but it has a damn fine soundtrack.

Master And Commander is simply one of the greatest movies ever made. I am a young semi -white guy who was so impressed with this movie that i read all 20.5 books. I was than so enamored in Patrick O'brian's writing style that I read all his other books, including the biographies of Joseph Banks, and Pablo Picasso.
He was by far the finest writer in the English language.
The movie, allthough not not a direct translation from any of the books, did an admirable job of paying homage to two of the most complex and realistic charachters to be found in all fiction Literature.

jane austen meets darwin meets james joyce-- obrien's books are astonishingly brilliant and fun!! the movie is a classic- it will be watched 50 years from now the way we watch gunga din- with a knowing smile and a blinkin' tear in me eye!!

Yet another white woman who doesn't like sailing movies and loved this one. Also prompted me to read the book.

I think the biggest problem it has for a general audience is the finite attention paid to historical accuracy (or the attempt)--yes, it ends up getting bogged down in the details, which only a small subset will enjoy. I certainly like my period pieces that way, but I can understand how it would drive most people crazy.