MovieChat Forums > Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) Discussion > The one movie that would actually deserv...

The one movie that would actually deserve a sequel ...

posted 9 years ago by sascha-17
12 replies | jump to latest

... or to be turned into a series of movies.

Instead we get the n-th silly Marvel flick and countless uninspired, sanitized remakes of beloved classics from the 80s.

Not only was "Master and Commander" an exceptionally well made film (technically), it also had compelling and realistic characters, a great cast, incredible realism and historical authenticity. It also featured great FX work alongside many shots taken on board an actual ship. And the way it blended all the miniature-, CG- and real shots was also pretty flawless.

Plus there's the big one: The fact that it's based on an established, high-quality series of very popular books which offer a vast variety of stories and characters. I'm not saying properly adapting the next part would be easy, but the material is right there - and it's of first rate quality.
Unlike some of the more recent book series' turned movies, which pander to dumb teens and feature "plots" and "characters" so cliched and simplistic that a soap-opera-writer would be embarrassed to have his name on them.

Oh well.. in a perfect world they'd be working on part three by now, but I doubt we'll see another M&C-adaptation anytime soon. At least not a cinematic one - personally I'm hoping for someone to discover the potential of this series to be turned into a high-quality TV-show à la "Game of Thrones" or "Rome".

S.

[–] RustyShackleworth 8 years ago

If only.

I think there were plans to make a sequel but apparently this film didn't make enough to justify the cost of one.

[–] syntinen 8 years ago

And thank heavens for that. Peter Weir wouldn't have directed a sequel; he had fulfilled his long-held desire to make a Patrick O'Brian movie and had moved on. The studio suits would have hired a hack director, bumped up the cannons-and-cutlasses quotient, written in a love interest, and cast a hot chick and a young guy with yoof appeal . . . It would have been terrible.

[–] BoultersCanary 8 years ago

Yep. Imagine a mix of Pirates of the Caribbean and Titanic........

The church may shout but Darwin roars

[–] ooohboio 8 years ago

That sounds both amazing and terrible.

[–] Boman777 8 years ago

A sad truth, but one that cannot be denied.

Not that the Pirate movies don't have their place however. I actually really enjoyed the first three for what they were, but in the current cinematic landscape something like M&C is seriously lacking.

It can be that blockbuster while at the same time being a genuinely good production.

[–] BoultersCanary 8 years ago

Not that the Pirate movies don't have their place

They're OK for kid's films.

The church may shout but Darwin roars

[–] syntinen 8 years ago

Oh come on: the original one was really witty and funny, partly because Johnny Depp, to the horror of the studio suits, played Cap'n Jack as a stoned Keef Richards. Then when it was a hit the suits all cried, 'Yes! We still don't get the joke but DO MORE OF IT! DO IT TO DEATH!!!'

[–] BoultersCanary 8 years ago

Depp was good, yes. But other parts of the film were deadly dull and rather stupid - like that interminable sword fight with all the cgi effects.

The church may shout but Darwin roars

[–] Boman777 8 years ago

I think the first and second pirates movies are actually pretty good because they get a lot of things right. Even the third has some redeemable qualities.

[–] hugh1971 8 years ago

I've read some of the O'Brian novels and I did find they got a bit repetitive. There's only so many times you can hear phrases like 'Splice the larboard mains'l and cheese down the port hatches until she's trim with the weather behind her upper foredeck, Mr Bosun!' before it starts to get a bit same-y.

Also, as someone pointed out, Hollywood would probably bugger up any sequel with a love interest, CGI explosions, liberal-agenda characters with 21st century opinions, etc.

The GOOD thing is that in a way we don't need a sequel. I have watched M&C dozens of times and it never gets stale. I always see or hear something new in it. It's a perfect gem - the script, acting, vision and sound are all amazing, so let's be thankful for that!

'Monsters? We're British!'

[–] Dirty-Barry 8 years ago

Agreed, great film. Love the Horror Express sig btw 👍

[–] kicke_blueblack 7 years ago

Nah.
Sequels can F themselves