Overview: Set in 1806, the story follows British Captain Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe) as he sails his ship, the HMS Surprise, toward Cape Horn in pursuit of a French frigate known as the Acheron, which had previously attacked the Surprise. His friend, the ship's surgeon and a spy, Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany), may have ulterior motives on the journey.

Verdict: 'Master and Commander' is a constantly compelling picture that pays as much attention to the quieter aspects of character motivation as it does to those rousing action sequences. Extraordinary and award-worthy, Crowe carries the film with the rare combination of charisma and brute masculinity that has made him a star. In fact, 'Master and Commander' may be the best-looking film ever made about a seafaring vessel! An exuberant sea adventure told with uncommon intelligence, Director Peter Weir's greatest accomplishment may actually be that it never feels claustrophobic. See this film at all costs!