It’s the early 19th century and Napoleon is threatening to take over Europe. The British navy is all the stands in his way and as was common then, the French and British fleets clashed all over the world as they jostled for supremacy over the waves. The HMS Surprise is commandeered by the brilliant Captain Jack Aubrey (Crowe) but when they are ambushedoff the coast of South America by a much larger and better-equipped French vessel the British crew are lucky to escape. What ensues is a game of cat and mouse as Aubrey uses all his expertise to outwit and defeat – against the odds - his French counterpart. But as the ‘game’ becomes increasingly desperate for the British ship is the captain pushing his crew beyond their limits for what appears to have become a matter of personal pride?

Master and Commander is an unusually paced film. It begins with the sudden ambush of the HMS Surprise and then dives headlong into the tactical battle between the two ships as they sail along the coast of South America. It then abruptly changes course and we fall into a strange interlude as tensions within the crew grow and they subsequently crew dock on the Galapagos Islands. The film then picks up pace again as it reaches its conclusion. In fact, Weir deals with the changes of pace skilfully and this helps the film from descending into monotony. But there are clearly points in the film where sequences begin to drag. There is only so much excitement and awe that one to conjure up by repeatedly showing the ship being battered by waves and the crew climbing frantically up and down the masts. Similarly, just as the viewer is wondering whether Master and Commander has become a ‘naturalists’ voyage of discovery, it picks up the strand it left behind prior to the Galapagos interlude. Nevertheless, the fact that Weir has gone beyond simply making Master and Commander a big budget swashbuckler is commendable. There is an interesting undercurrent in the relationships amongst crew members and the tensions that pervade the ship. Weir has also done a terrific job of recreating shipboard life of 1805 and unlike The Perfect Storm, the effects in Master and Commander are not the main attractions in the film. Instead, Weir uses his ‘epic’ canvas to good effect and the photography and locations are stunning.

The film is also well supported by its suitably craggy looking seamen. Russell Crowe is clearly at home playing the over-bearing, belligerent and brilliant Jack Aubrey. But, as with all the characters on the ship, we know nothing of his past or what lies beneath his hardened exterior. So Crowe’s Aubrey isn’t quite able to inspire the charisma that was so evident in Gladiator. In fact, Paul Bettany’s doctor is the more sympathetic of the main characters and Max Pirkis as the young midshipman outshines both of them.

In all, Master and Commander, is average fair lifted by its wonderful cinematography and attention to detail. But it maybe what it lacks, particularly with its main protagonist being a brilliant naval captain, is a worth adversary for him. There are indications that the film would revolve around this but it changes course leaving this potentially pivotal confrontation in its wake.