Crowe hangs five on the high seas

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

Starring Russell Crowe and…

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

Starring Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany

Directed by Peter Weir

“Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World” is “Pirates of the Caribbean” for grown-ups. It’s still not all that exciting, though, which is especially disappointing, considering it’s directed by Peter Weir, who gave us “Gallipoli,” one of the best films about camaraderie in battle ever made.

Weir, who also co-wrote the screenplay, plucks the story – that of British ship Capt. Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe) – from somewhere in the middle of Patrick O’Brian’s massive and revered “Master and Commander” series of novels. The director, whose other credits include dramas like “Dead Poets Society” and “Fearless,” focuses – not surprisingly – on the dynamics between the men and boys aboard Aubrey’s ship, rather than their battles with the French.

The men represent the last force holding Napoleon back. In the spectacular opening sequence, their ship is stalked by a superior French vessel that pummels them with cannon fire, then speeds off. With his own ship damaged, several men dead and more injured, Aubrey is in no condition to catch up to – let alone take on – the “Phantom,” as the crew dubs its attacker. But he can’t resist. His nationalism is fierce, and the “Phantom” is the only bit of Napoleon available to fight. He commands the crew to give chase.

The film is built around three different skirmishes with the “Phantom” – the way Aubrey keeps losing and later running into his nemesis again is a bit suspect; it is the only other ship they encounter in the entire film.

In between the cannon exchanges, the film is all character drama, some of which is interesting and even poignant; some of which is not so memorable.

The story of Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany), Aubrey’s friend and the ship’s doctor, for instance, is bland and overdone; there is scene after scene of the doctor yearning to get off the ship and hopefully discover a new species. It provides the film’s lamest plot point when Aubrey’s battle strategy is inspired by one of Stephen’s finds, an insect that disguises itself as a stick to fool predators.

Crowe’s performance weakens as the film lumbers on, due in part to a screenplay that seems to abandon hope of his character having any depth. Early on, Aubrey, though a type of character we’ve surely seen before, is at least somewhat complex, with his blinding desire to become like the war legends that inspire him. It’s not long, though, before he’s reduced to a typical, shallow hero.

His blonde mane, however, once fully unleashed, is luminous.

In a technical sense, the film is a marvel. It looks handsome and remarkably authentic, with minimal – and seamlessly integrated – computer-generated effects. It easily has more wow shots than “The Matrix Revolutions.”

And even though it falls short – especially with its flat ending – it is still too intelligent an adventure to be released in the summer, as you may have noticed.