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REVIEWSPREVIEWS: Master and Commander
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, a $135 million film, is based on two of the 20 novels by Patrick O’Brian. Set during the early 19th century, the film extracts another brilliant performance from the always enigmatic Russell Crowe, who plays the captain of a ship.
The film is set aboard an English vessel, the HMS Surprise, an aging naval ship cruising somewhere in South America, which clashes with the French ship Acheron. What transpires between the first scene and the conclusion is the stuff legendary films are made of. The drama and action is a real treat for the audience, as the motley crew of the Surprise waltz through the scenes with unparalleled professionalism.
Almost all of today’s major films start with an overbearing blitz of high-octane explosions that set the viewer’s mind on what to expect. Here, every detail of anarchy and chaos is very well defined, and veracity and attention to detail make the flick stand out in a season where Santa inflicted do-gooding cheer is the high ground for family entertainment.—Mohammad Kamran Jawaid
Brother Bear
Disney’s done it again. Carrying on its tradition of coming up with one good animated movie after another, it has, in the process, set the standards for great animation.
Brother Bear, the latest animated outing by the studio, features the story of a man who discovers that there’s more to life than what he believes there to be. Set in the Pacific Northwest, before European colonization, the story zeros in on Kenai (voiced by Joaquin Phoenix), a young native who has blood on his mind. He wants to avenge the killing of his elder brother, who was killed by a mother bear while trying to protect her cub. However, during his hunt for vengeance, the spirit of the forest turns Kenai into what he despises — a bear. Utterly confused and planning what to do next, Kenai sets out on an adventurous journey back to reality and sees the world from the eyes of a bear. Along the way he encounters and befriends a cub, Koda (Jeremy Suarez) and a couple of hilarious moose (Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas) who provide the comic relief to this otherwise heart-warming family tale.
As usual, Disney’s movie has beautiful animation depicting wonderfully intimidating snowcapped mountains, glaciers, springtime forest scenes, rivers full of leaping salmon and lots of interesting wildlife. That, along with the story and a soundtrack by Phil Collins and Tina Turner, makes it a must see family movie.—Atif Khan
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