Summary:
During the Napoleonic Wars, Captain Jack Aubrey pits
the crew of the H.M.S. Surprise against a much better armed and ruthless
privateer in a chase that takes them all the way to the far side of the world.
All the while Aubrey matches wits with his ship's doctor.
Review:
Riding the waves of this summers box-office smash Pirates of the Caribbean,
20th Century Fox releases an intellectual account of the high seas.
Beginning with a vague storyline/historical account this movie finds its pit
fairly early and rises above mediocrity to become one of the top adult
movies released this year. Before this critique continues I must state that
although this movie has a PG-13 rating many of the themes and motifs can
only be enjoyed by an adult/sophisticated movie audience. Younger box-office
patrons might want to check out Elf, Timeline, Cat in the Hat, or Brother
Bear before purchasing a ticket for this 140 minute journey filled with
well-scripted dialogue and well-orchestrated eerie imagery. Also if your an
adult who suffers from ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) you might want to
check out Matrix Revolutions, Timeline, and/or Love Actually this holiday
season before attending this flick since it heavily relies on long drawn-out
scenes more or less elaborating about life on the high seas in the late
eighteenth/early nineteenth centuries.
Brutal honesty is where this
movie succeeds on the big screen. The film doesn't pander too much to
movie-going audiences by telling an unnecessary love story to progress the
plot and utilizing a simple emotion, love (not in real life, but for movies)
to connect with an audience. Outside of the children in war motif which is a
little overused an subsidizes the lack of love interest for Russell Crowe,
the film really conveys life on the high seas when sailors would cut off
limbs to fight disease, where luck and chance were god-like powers, and when
a man could be born into a life of privilege. Unlike most movies where the
protagonist has to overcome supernatural villains, big corporations, and/or
unthinkable odds; Russell Crowe simply has to overcome his self and his
sense of duty to his country. Although the trailer emphasizes the fact he is
chasing a vessel much larger and faster than his own, the movie really
delves deep into Captain Jack Aubrey's emotions and his priorities. The
movie isn't about winning itself, but how you win and what you are willing
to lose by winning. For instance, in the beginning of the film you see
Captain Jack Aubrey make sacrificial choices (cutting off the arm of an
adolescent boy, losing men at sea in devastating storms) and near the end of
the film you see him reassessing his priorities when realizing victory is
incomplete after sacrificing the lives of his friends/family.
The only pitfall in the movie arises whenever Russell Crowe tries to tell
a joke. It is insanely painful to watch and someone needs to tell director
Peter Weir that slamming your hand into a table doesn't make a mediocre joke
funny.
If you are getting tired/bored from grand/elaborate plots which Hollywood
is well-known for you might just want to check this film out as it is one of
the biggest surprises of the year.
See this movie if you're a fan of:
Russell Crowe (Actor, Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind)
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Peter Weir (Director, Dead Poets Society, The Truman Show, Green Card)
Robinhood Prince of Thieves (1991)
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