20th Century Studios, Disney Give Audiences Little Reason To Buy ‘Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World’ 4K/Blu-Ray Re-Issue

BY: Philip Sayblack

Prequels, sequels, and reboots are big business for Hollywood’s major studios and have been for a long time.  They are not the only big business for the cinema industry, though.  Re-issuing movies is another major practice for those major studios and for distributors.  Due to advancements in technology, countless classic and modern classic movies have gotten the 4K treatment, some good, some not so good.  With so many movies having been re-issued in recent years on 4K, the list feels as endless as all of the prequels, sequels and reboots that Hollywood’s major studios have released and have planned for release.  That is important to note because like those prequels, sequels, and reboots, some re-issues are memorable and some not so much.  Early this month, 20th Century Studios/Universal/Disney released another of those somewhat less memorable offerings with the re-release of the 2003 high seas drama, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.  Released on a 2-disc 4K/Blu-ray combo pack, it marks at least the third time the movie has been re-issued, with previous re-issues of the movie in 2008 and 2015.    The one true shining positive of this movie is its story.   On the other side of things, this re-issue suffers from not one but two negatives:  Its packaging and its bonus content.  The bonus content itself is interesting but not new to this presentation.  Therein lies the major problem.  While those negatives greatly detract from the movie’s presentation, there is at least one more positive to the re-issue, that being the general audio and video.  Each item noted is key in its own way to the whole of this latest re-issue of Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.  All things considered, they make this presentation proves itself yet another re-issue that is recommended for a very targeted audience.
20th Century Studios/Universal/Disney’s recently released 4K re-issue of Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is a presentation with a very specific audience.  It is one of those re-issues that is meant only for viewers who do not already own one of its previous re-issues.  That is due in large part to its packaging and its bonus content.  Those concerns will be examined later.  Its primary positive point is its story.  The story, which centers on leads Russell Crowe (Les Miserables, American Gangster, Gladiator) and Paul Bettany (Avengers 1-4, Mortdecai, The Da Vinci Code) is a high seas drama.  On one side is Crowe as Capt. Jack “Lucky” Aubrey and on the other is Bettany as Dr. Stephen Maturin.  It opens as Aubrey’s ship, the H.M.S. Surprise, is being pursued by French warship, the Acheron (pronounced ACK-eron).  After the Surprise is attacked by the Acheron, Aubrey takes it on himself to pursue the Acheron to the “far side of the world.”  It is only revealed late in the nearly two-and-a-half-hour (two hours, 18 minutes to be exact) movie that he was only authorized to pursue the Acheron to a certain point before turning back for home.  This is where things really get interesting.  This is not the swashbuckling movie of Hollywood’s silver age nor is it just some turn off your brain blockbuster.  This is more of an emotional journey of friendship and personal determination between Aubrey and Maturin.  The comparisons are possible between this movie and the likes of Mutiny on the Bounty or Moby Dick, but at the same time, Aubrey is neither the infamous Capt. Ahab (from Moby Dick) or Capt. Bligh (from Mutiny on the Bounty).  He is a beloved, respected leader among his crew.  Only once does any dissention arise between Aubrey and Maturin throughout the journey and even then it is momentary. 
Even more interesting is that unlike so many action movies and other blockbusters, Aubrey is the protagonist, but there is no real antagonist.  Rather the “faceless” crew of the Acheron is the antagonist and is not even shown until the climactic final battle between the ships and their crews.  It is a great, unlikely approach that is certain to appeal to audiences who tire of that usual good guy/bad guy format.  Rather it is more of that literary “man v. himself” and man v. nature” story.  Speaking of nature, the intense scene in which the crew struggles against mother nature as it sails around the southernmost tip of South America, almost into Antarctic waters, are gripping in themselves.  Between those moments, the emotional moments that the crew face, and other moments, the story in whole, which has a happily surprising finale, considering the story’s opening minutes, the story in whole is reason enough to take in this movie at least once.  It should be emphasized here that again, this is not a typical blockbuster loaded with action sequences.  It is a story that requires audiences to immerse themselves in the story in order to appreciate this element.
The story featured in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is a solid starting point for the movie.  As much as it does to make the movie interesting, the movie’s new re-issue has some problems that weaken its foundation.  One of those negatives is its packaging.  In regard to the packaging, the movie is presented in a two-disc 4K/Blu-ray platform.  The discs overlay one another inside the steelbook packaging.  This is a packaging method that few if any studios and distributors use with home physical releases anymore.  It was used ages ago at the advent of DVDs on multi-disc sets.  The thing is that studios and distributors finally listened to consumers about the scratching that resulted from having to move discs around and changed their packaging methods.  This led to few if any studios and distributors using this packaging method anymore.  Sadly 20th Century Studios/Disney/Universal did not listen here.  So as a result, audiences are forced to remove one disc to use the other depending on whether they are using the movie’s Blu-ray disc or its 4K disc.  The scratching that likely will result from this is certain to shorten the life span of one if not both discs.  To that end, this is a negative in itself that could have been alleviated ahead of the movie’s latest re-issue.
On a related note, those who may not be so familiar with video quality, Blu-rays upscaled on 4K televisions are cinema quality.  They are just as good as any 4K disc in most cases.  To that end, audiences may find themselves questioning the validity of the nearly $50 price listed through Barnes & Noble Book Sellers.  Neither Walmart nor Target list the movie, nor does Books-A-Million.  Amazon lists the movie’s re-issue but has no pricing.  Barnes & Noble Book Sellers lists the movie at nearly $50 in its latest presentation.  The Blu-ray presentation is far less expensive, making for even more concern about buying this release.
The other negative to this re-issue is its bonus content.  In regard to the bonus content, all of the extras featured here are the same as the ones presented in the movie’s most recent 2015 re-issue.  In other words, there is nothing new for audiences who already own that noted Blu-ray re-issue.  That is far less motivation to own this set.  Now in regard to the extras themselves, it should be said that they are interesting.  The hour-plus behind the scenes featurette makes for so much appreciation for the movie because it shows the time and effort that went into making this film.  From handcrafting the ships to the real on-site shooting in the Galapagos islands and on the water (as well as in a tank) to the very training that the cast (and crew) underwent for this movie, to the efforts that director Peter Weir took to make the movie look and feel believable, this feature adds so much appreciation for this movie.  Speaking of Weir, he gets his own featurette in which he discusses his dedication to making the movie as believable as possible while not straying too much from the literary source material on which the movie is based.  It adds to the respect for this director’s director.  The deleted scenes even make for their own interest as they reveal that they in fact would not have fit into the movie’s final cut.  So, in essence, the extras do add to the viewing experience but again all of these bonuses are also featured in the movie’s previous re-issue.  To that end, audiences who own that presentation of the movie have less reason to own this presentation.  Those who do not own the movie already may even find themselves buying the previous Blu-ray pressing considering the aforementioned pricing for this new release.
Clearly this latest re-issue of Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World has some concerns.  For all of the concerns that the movie presents in this presentation, there is at least one more positive to note, that being the general production.  The sound and video quality throughout the movie is applause-worthy.  This is especially evident in a moment such as the noted storm scenes.  Obviously, the moment had at least some CG incorporation, but audiences would really not notice that, considering how realistic the sequence looks.  The loud bursts of wind, the sound of the Surprise battling the swells, and so much more make this moment so believable and immersive.  On another note, the panoramas that are used at points, the expert shots aboard the ship and other moments make for their own engagement.  The climactic final battle between the Surprise and Acheron is yet another moment in which the production shines.  The boom of the cannons, the clanging metal of the swords, the roaring shouts of the crews, and so much more make that sequence just as powerful in its own right.  Between this sequence, the others noted and so many other scenes, the overall sound and video in this presentation is of its own note.  When the production is considered alongside the story, the whole therein makes for something more for new audiences to appreciate.  This even despite the issues raised by the packaging and the bonus content.  To that end, those audiences who do not already own this movie in its previous releases will appreciate what it has to offer here.  At the same time, viewers are still likely to find themselves questioning the validity of paying a potentially high price for this re-issue when it has everything that the movie’s previous Blu-ray re-issue boasts and with less concern about damage to the disc.
20th Century Studios/Universal/Disney’s new re-issue of Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is another questionable re-issue from 20th Century Studios, its parent company, Disney, and Universal.  That is due partly because of and despite its story.  The story is not one of those movies that will allow audiences to just turn off their brains.  It is a presentation that much like its literary source material, requires audiences to fully and actively immerse themselves in the presentation in order to appreciate this element.  Considering the general mindset of so many audiences this is going to once again limit its appeal.  The packaging and bonus content featured in this re-issue is its own concern.  The packaging of the two-disc set risks the discs being marred as they are removed and replaced while the bonus content offers nothing new  here.  The bonus content in this re-issue is the same as that in the movie’s previous Blu-ray re-issue.  The other positive (really the only pure positive) in this presentation is its general presentation.  The sound and video quality throughout the movie is impressive to say the least.  It makes for an aesthetic experience that gives audiences at least some more reason to take in the presentation.  To that end, those who immerse themselves in the story will appreciate that and the production.  The result will be appreciation for the movie if not for its general presentation in this latest outing.  Each element examined here is key in its own way to the whole of Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World in its new 4K release.  All things considered they make the movie’s new re-issue another presentation that continues to cause question regarding Hollywood’s ongoing trend of re-issuing so many movies.  It is another offering from 20th Century/Disney/Universal that will appeal to a very targeted audience.
The new 4K/Blu-ray combo pack re-issue of Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is available now.  More information on this and other titles from 20th Century Studios is available at:
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