Some movies make you think. They raise questions that you want, but often can not answer. “Master and Commander” is one of such movies. The question that it posed is simple and to the point “What is the movie about?” I truly do not know the answer. My daughter when I asked her how did she like the movie answered that she... well... she liked the animals on the islands.
Plot.
Truth to tell, I would not dignify the whole thing with the fancy name plot. It all rumbles something like this. British ship fights the French ship. Then they chase each other. Then English ship wins (when it can not).

Characters.
Seamen on the British ship. Captain, ship doctor (Captains friend), a couple of officers and midshipmen plus assorted sailors. The movie pretends to dive deep into the soul of the main characters, but it’s like a dive in the puddle. You can try, but there is nowhere to go. Truth to tell, the whole setting to me feels artificial. Granted, my understanding of the life in British Navy of Napoleonian times are mired in C.S. Forester’s Hornblower and in Mutiny on Bounty. The relationships on the ship somehow did not feel authentic. More like actors playing at being the Captain, or the Doctor, or the carpenter mate...

Culmination
Well, the French ship was beating the British one all the time. In the end the British captain had the bright “idea” to pretend to be whaler and lure the French into a trap. That’s where the happening turn from improbable into the unbelievable. It is hard, but I can accept that the French captain and his officers were so incompetent (no indication of that before) that they failed to recognize the Ship of the War by it’s rigging. It is even harder, by I can swallow that they still though it’s a whaler when they gave chase even through the only disguise was the smoke from the deck, couple of lines of paint and shutters on Captains cabin. However, I refuse to believe that they are so blind that they would not see gun ports when the came within the hailing distance. Well, if they are so dumb they deserve to lose.

Conclusion.
I’m a very relaxed person when it comes down to the movies. I do not want much and I’m easily entertained. Alas, “Master and Commander” was a disaster. I was bored, annoyed and upset over the time I lost. Even through the waves looked cool and the animals on the islands were nice.

P.S. One redeeming thing I noticed – you can treat Master and Commander as an anti war movie. The fight is pointless – if there is an explanation why British Captain is so obsessed with fighting the French I must have missed it. People die, often hard and gruesome what for, exactly? In the final battle when they go hand-to-hand there is really no difference between the French and the British sailors. It looks confusing, you can not determine who’s who, they all look the same, and die the same. There is something profound in that. As for “men tested by the sea”, give me a break. You jump in front of the truck, you also will be tested by it’s bumper. That does not mean we should watch a movie about you... (Well, people do watch “Jackass”, so, possibly I’m wrong here).


Recommended:
No

Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 9 - 12