Skillfully adapted from the meticulously detailed historical novels by Patrick O'Brian, the epic adventure, set during the Napoleonic Wars, boasts at least two artists at the top of their respective games -- namely filmmaker Peter Weir and actor Russell Crowe -- collaborating on a constantly compelling picture that pays as much attention to the quieter aspects of character motivation as it does to those rousing action sequences. In addition to drawing those male legions of faithful O'Brian readers, the film, with its themes of duty and friendship, not to mention Crowe's Oscar-ready performance, should have no trouble attracting equal numbers of females despite the genre's inherent boys-club appeal. Incorporating principal characters first introduced in O'Brian's "Master and Commander" but also borrowing the narrative outline from the 10th installment of the 20-book opus, "The Far Side of the World," the circa 1805 adventure is set almost in its entirety aboard the HMS Surprise, a British Navy ship commanded by the celebrated Capt. "Lucky" Jack Aubrey (Crowe).

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