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Catching up with the much-praised Peter Weir film Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, J. Robert Parks (Phantom Tollbooth) offers his own applause. "One of the movie's many achievements is that it assumes an intelligent audience as well as viewers who aren't sailors. It never talks down to us but doesn't overwhelm us with sailing terminology, either. Weir brings all of the film's elements into harmony. If you're looking for a gripping historical tale that doesn't involve powdered wigs, this movie's for you."

Josh Hurst (The Rebel Base) did not have high expectations going into Peter Weir's Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. He was in for a surprise. "Like a mighty hurricane, this film will quite simply knock you out. Well-acted, masterfully crafted, and relentlessly effective in its storytelling, [this film] shows us an artist and an entertainer at the top of his game. Throughout the movie, Weir raises important questions about leadership, responsibility, and morality. [He] is never preachy or propagandistic; he simply asks the questions and leaves the audience to ponder and discuss the answers."

Similarly, Denny Wayman (Cinema in Focus) calls it "compelling. Military conflicts often bring out the best and the worst in human beings. The power of this film to present both is worthy of the journey."

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