Ships ahoy! 'Master' proves seaworthy

The year is 1805 and Napoleon's tyrannical hand is grabbing up the world piece by piece, reaching even to "the far side of the world." His frigate ship, the Archeon is somewhere off the coast of Brazil, and the queen's orders are for Aubrey and his ship, the H.M.S. Surprise, to hunt her down.

The Archeon is bigger, stronger, faster and better armed. The movie starts fast with a battle between the two ships, in which the Acheron nearly defeats Aubrey and crew in a surprise attack. Who is the hunter and who is the hunted?

Undaunted by his damaged ship and frightened crew, the heroic (and obsessed) Captain Aubrey pushes on, leading his men through peril and harm to fulfill his duty by capturing the French boat. It's a simple set-up and nothing special: just your typical good versus evil, us versus them, Freedom versus French.

Several subplots attempt to add texture and color to the main storyline, offering tidy, Hollywood-style lessons on leadership, duty, friendship and even natural science. Which is fine, as this movie's intentions are not to offer lofty messages and themes.

Crowe does an acceptable job of playing Aubrey. He runs the ship like a true military man, always promoting the importance of providing leadership to the crew and abiding to a staunch organizational hierarchy for his men.

This isn't Oscar-worthy stuff for Crowe, but there isn't much in the script for him to showcase his usual scene chewing. One thing is for certain: he is having a raucous good time playing the role.

Bettany, who played Crowe's imaginary companion in "A Beautiful Mind," plays Aubrey's best friend and the ship's surgeon, Dr. Maturin. Bettany is deft in the role, playing perfectly the yin to Crowe's yang.

Theirs is quite the nuanced relationship; several times they deal with the complexities of being close friends within the ship's leader/subordinate hierarchy. The conflicts between duty and friendship are also pivotal between the two.

Under the direction of Peter Weir ("Gallipoli," "Mosquito Coast"), Aubrey and Maturin's interpersonal relationship is the most effective thematic motif. In fact, some of the film's best scenes are quiet moments when the two play music together - Aubrey a violin, and Maturin a cello.

These and the other deliberately paced parts of the film in between the cacophony of storms and battles are refreshing to experience in a Hollywood blockbuster. This is Weir at his finest. What would normally be uneven pacing with a less skilled director is virtuoso timing by Weir.

The other standout aspect of the film is Weir's meticulous attention to detail. The passionate commitment to realism coupled with a fat war chest (a film budget reportedly at $130 million), enable him to craft a stunningly authentic film portrayal in the face of the cliched story.

Additionally, the cinematography is breathtaking and the sounds are equally impressive. Weir perfectly orchestrates the actors and extras that make up the crew. They look dirty, scarred, toothless and haggard, much like the men Lord Nelson's navy would look after extended months at sea.

For the incredible authenticity alone, this movie is a worthy voyage. The interplay of Aubrey and Maturin is also a good draw. The all too conventional storyline can be overlooked, especially with the understanding that perhaps the movie is merely laying the groundwork for its inevitable sequels, which may have more advanced and complex plots.

Caption: Ship surgeon Dr. Maturin (left, Paul Bettany) has a contemplative moment with his friend, Capt. Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe). Three stars out of four