When the aged man-o-war, HMS Surprise, is surprised by an attack from a superior new class of French naval vessel off the coast of South America, the Surprise’s captain, Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe), begins a very dangerous game of cat and mouse that will take him and his crew to the other side of the world. However, Aubrey’s vendetta begins to take a toll on his men, including his longtime friend and ship’s doctor, Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany), who begins to question the motives behind Aubrey’s dogged pursuit of the French vessel – a ship that is faster and more powerful than any they’ve ever faced before.

Peter Weir’s visually scrumptious Master and Commander: At the Far Side of the World is a sorely underrated and underappreciated adventure epic, and features what is, in my opinion, Russell Crowe’s best performance this side of “Gladiator”. His Aubrey oozes easygoing confidence and swagger – a man who earns his own men’s confidence and loyalty with both a cocksure winning smile and a seemingly innate knowledge of the sea. It’s easy to see why his men are willing to follow this charismatic, master tactician to the far side of the world, just as it’s easy to see why, in the privacy of his own chambers, Aubrey is struggling with his decision each and every time he loses a man to what amounts to a very personal quest to satiate his own inflated ego. This phantom ship has snuck up on – and nearly destroyed – a ship captained by “Lucky” Jack Aubrey. Surely such an insult can’t go unanswered!

Master and Commander: At the Far Side of the World is an absolutely thrilling and breathtaking film, made all the more so by the almost three-dimensional sight and sound experience that the Blu-ray treatment affords it. This is another must-buy for folks eager to test the limits of their gear.