 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
- Review Date: May 3, 2004
- PG-13
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- 2003
Common Sense Media says
Balanced action and a strong story of friendship.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this movie has a prolonged and intense battle violence and some graphic scenes of surgery. Characters are in peril and many are severely wounded or killed, including some who are still children. A character is whipped as punishment. A character commits suicide. Characters drink and smoke and there are references to drunkenness, including the impact of extra rations of rum for the sailors.
What's the story?
In MASTER AND COMMANDER, Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe) is captain the H.M.S. Surprise, a tall ship in the midst of the Napoleonic Wars. His orders are to "sink, burn, or take as a prize" a French ship called the Acheron. When the Acheron attacks, Many of Aubrey's crew are injured or killed and his ship is badly damaged. Aubrey must chart a new course on many levels. The Acheron is more powerful and he must lead his crew into battle against a daunting enemy, knowing that many will be wounded or killed. Aubrey is a good captain. He treats the men with dignity, kindness, and respect. But he understands that they need him to be a leader, not a friend, and that sometimes requires discipline and distance. Aubrey's nickname is "Lucky Jack." He knows that when he is in command of a group of boys and men a long way from home, it helps if they believe that he is lucky as well as wise. But that means he has to stay lucky.
Is it any good?
Co-screenwriter/director Peter Weir has delivered a respectful but exciting film based on two of Patrick O'Brien's hugely popular books. He's clearly aiming for a thoughtful and intelligent action film for grown-ups, and comes pretty close. The action scenes are exceptionally well-staged and detailed, putting the audience in the middle of the battles. The action is balanced with a strong, classically structured story of the friendship between Aubrey and the ship's doctor, Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany).
Aubrey is a man of action who gives and follows orders while Maturin is a man of science who believes that battles are tragic distractions from the pursuit of knowledge to make the world a better place. Their two perspectives provide balance as they struggle with their duties. All of the performances are exceptionally strong and Crowe is splendid as Aubrey. Weir has succeeded in making a film that is true to O'Brien's books, utterly respectful of the history but all about the story.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about why Dr. Maturin says that "the deaths in actual battle are the easiest to bear?" Would Aubrey agree?
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AGE
...
I think this would be okay for older teens.
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AGE
A great nautical movie!
Master and Commander was an excellent movie with a compelling story and some great actions scenes. During the battle scenes blood is visible and one character commits suicide by grabbing a cannonball and jumping off the ship. As far as language I only heard one use of the F-word and about half a dozen uses of d***. There are a couple mildly suggestive comments made, but nothing really bad. I have only watched the movie once so I might have missed some stuff. This is defiantly a must see for fans of naval warfare.
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AGE
A must for those pirate loving fans!
Ok. It really isn't "pirate" it is more like swash-buckling-England's-best-navy-feel-good-about-your-life-movie. Very accurate and a true look on life on an English Navy Vessle during the Napolean Wars. I like England. Go England!
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AGE
very well-done adventure for older kids
This looks and feels like a movie by Mel Gibson or Peter Jackson; its very well done. And the battles are almost unberably exciting; i felt like i was right in it! I highly reccomend watching it with a mature kid 11+ because the battles are bloody and intense, and there is one f-word (which is impossible to notice unless you are using subtitles, wich i would also recomend because its hard to tell wat there saying sometimes.)
"Two Thumbs Way Up!"
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AGE
Awesome
Great movie, only problem here is the violence. There is blood and a kid gets his arm amputated, during the amputation all you see is his face, nothing overly disturbing.
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AGE
Pretty Good but not my favorite.......
This movie was ok. There was nothing bad in it besides some very mild language and a couple gross surgeon parts. It was a rather long movie and pointless but It still had a pretty good story line and would be ok for anyone to watch!
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AGE
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World was an enjoyable mixture of action and drama, melted into one story about a ship and its captain. There were a few action sequences (especially scary since they were on a boat), although less that what was expected, and a very visual surgery. However, to counter all the action, there were also heartfelt speeches and a strong friendship between the main characters, which is incredibly inspiring. Master and Commander is largely entertaining for people with all sorts of different tastes in movies, but I wouldn't recommed it for children under 13.
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| Studio: | Twentieth Century Fox |
| Director: | Peter Weir |
| Cast: | James D'Arcy, Paul Bettany, Russell Crowe |
| Genre: | Action/Adventure |
| Run time: | 138 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | November 14, 2003 |
| DVD release date: | April 20, 2004 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | intense battle sequences, related images and brief language |
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