Jack Aubrey is Captain of the British war ship "Surprise". He is a skilled captain, respected by his crew, and well known for being lucky in battle. His mission is to go to the coast of Brazil and destroy or capture a privateer ship named "Acheron". The Acheron has been marauding the South American coast and raiding British merchant ships for France. When Aubrey finally engages the Acheron, he finds that he has a much more difficult task ahead of him than he expected. They are outmanned, outgunned, and outclassed. As casualties mount, "Lucky Jack" doggedly pursues the French ship despite reservations by the crew and advice from his close friend and ship surgeon Dr. Stephen Maturin. But just how far will Aubrey be willing to go in order to catch his prize?

In Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World director Peter Weir and Russell Crowe join forces to create an epic, emotional adventure. This stupendously entertaining movie, adapted from two of the novels in Patrick O'Brian's 20-volume maritime adventure series, celebrates an idea of England that might have seemed a bit corny even in 1805, when the action takes place, but that is brought to vibrant life thanks to Russell Crowe's commanding performance and Peter Weir's thoroughgoing mastery.