Master and Commander - The Far Side of the World (Widescreen Edition)

Russel Crowe is excellent in this adventure movie. It is well done and acted all around. I'd watch it again and again.
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The audio quality is first rate; the video quality is not. The video image is only slightly better than the standard DVD release. It certainly does not merit the term high-definition. This kind of "high-definition" is what will keep the masses from adopting the medium. I bought this before reading any of the reviews. That was naive of me. From now on I will wait to see what the reviewers say before I buy another Fox Blu-ray release. Based on the weak effort displayed by Fox in Master and Commander, I fear the upcoming classic, "The Sand Pebbles", will probably receive the same short shrift. To any Fox execs out there, wake up and smell the coffe; you don't win market share by pawning off second rate goods.

I do not care for anything "extra" in my movie watching so I do not relate to anybody complaining about the lack of extras. I can say that viewing this (rented from Netflix) yesterday on my 60" Sony SXRD XBR1 (even with a faulty OB) with my Samsung BD-P1400 bitstreaming DTS-HD MA to my Onkyo 805, I was transported into the Surprise. I "felt" splinters hitting my flesh (the major cause of human damage in these fights), cannon balls were zipping through my HT, and the concussion of firing was palpable. I will be replacing my SD version with the BD version.

Listen I watch a movie for the movie. I rarely if ever watch the extras. Nowadays everything is green screen or blue screen anyway. All you every really see is some guy on the extras disc sitting next to a computer talking about what he did to make the scene on the computer. I'm sorry but this is not that interesting. I'm sick of hearing people bitch about it and give good transfers on blu bad reviews because of this. This does not help someone purchase it. Is this really so important to you 1 star people for the Master and Commander blu-ray? There are better things to bitch about. And for this Peter character to compare Predator to other blu-rays. Come on dude the damn movie was made in the mid 80's you really think the thing is going to look good as a new release transfer. Get your head out of the clouds. Every one of the blu discs I have from Fox I'm happy with this one is no exception. As for this disc great picture and sound and a good movie to boot.

Master And Commander won two Oscar's for its great sound editing and another for cinematography and was nominated for several more including best sound mixing and visual effects in 2004 and there has never been a better way to enjoy it with this release,the standard dvd had great sound to begin with but this is a much higher level.The picture quality is pretty good as well,I'll have to agree and disagree with other reviewers here.Yes Fox most recent blu's have had pretty bad picture quality(AVP2,Hitman,Predator)even Independence Day was a disapointment but having said that there is nothing wrong with the picture with Master and Commander,at times its as good as anything out.I think it has to do alot with the color the film was shot and the general fim source whenever it doesn't look its best.As I look at it right now a scene in the ship within the first 30min.were the two young shipmates bring a model of the enemy ship to the captain I though wow thats as good as anything I got on Blu.Yes the special features are bare but there are two pretty cool things.First there is a map you can look at anytime in the film to see the ship's position relative to the world and second and really good fact track that runs during the film.I'm not big on special features anymore I look more for performance on Blu Ray and this has it with both Audio and Video,finally Fox put out a good one,now they just to work on price's and we'll be ok.