DVD Review HTF REVIEW: "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" (Highly Recommended!) (1 Viewer)

[Richard Gilmore]

Got this in the mail yesterday. I didn't have time to watch anything but a few minutes but the DTS track is terrific - nothing's lost from the incredible sounds of the movie.

 

[Mark Bendiksen]

Just picked up my copy at Best Buy. Can't wait to see this film again! When I saw it during its theatrical run last year there were major sound problems, so it'll almost be like seeing the movie for the first time.

**************************************

Sidenote: As I was picking my copy up from the display at Best Buy, a couple came up next to me to get theirs.

Gal: Here's the fullscreen.
Guy: Thank God. Don't want that widescreen crap.

(A Best Buy rep approaches.)

Best Buy Rep: Excuse me, I thought I might point out that if you buy Haunted Mansion with any other Disney DVD you'll get five dollars off.
Guy: As long as it's full screen. Don't want any of that widescreen crap.
Best Buy Rep: Yes sir, it's available in full screen.

Grrrr....

 

[Emilio_M]

You should have said to them, "Yeah, me too, I hate that Widescreen crap. I like my movies cropped off. That way when you can't see all the actors in the scene, and BAM!, they just appear as out of nowhere, I get a good scare. Know what I mean?!Hardy-har!"

It's crazy that anybody who saw the wide scope of the seas in M&C in theatres would want to watch a minimized version. But then I guess if they really liked the film they would have bought the two-disc version, and thus be stuck with widescreen.

 

[Mark Bendiksen]

Yeah, I guess that's the saddest part. I probably wouldn't have cared quite as much if they were grabbing an open-matte copy of Win a Date with Tad Hamilton.

 

[Shane Martin]

Fox deserves big kudos for this set. This is a top notch 2 disc set.

 

[Darren Haycock]

I was kind of hesitant to lay down almost $30 for this set, but they include more than just a disc of bonus features, and I figured I'd regret it if I just got the barebones version. I think I made the right choice.
Also, from reading the Fool Screen comments from earlier, I just want to applaud Pirates of the Caribbean once again for only being Widescreen on DVD. It brings a tear to my eye...

 

[Harold Wazzu]

Anyone else think that think could have and should have had a DTS-ES track? The DTS track was amazing and it deserved a DTS-ES one IMO.

 

[Sean Moon]

just set your receiver to DTS ES Matrix, its the closest you will get to an offical one. And this mix was AMAZING! truly fantastic sound mix on this. I have my new demo material.

I bought this blind today, sprung for the Collectors Version, because I would be mad if I didnt get it, and loved this movie to death. Just a wonderful wonderful film.

 

[MuneebM]

I just rented the single-disc DVD because I haven't seen the movie yet so wasn't ready to do a blind buy on this. I didn't get through the entire DVD because my folks were going to bed, but only the first couple of minutes of the DTS track was enough to convince me that this is an incredible DTS track! One of the best I've heard in a long time! Awesome use of the surround field, and I am so glad I have floorstanding towers as front speakers

 

[TonyD]

according to the dts-es and dd-ex thread this does have a rear surround channel it is dts matrix. it is incorrectly flagged.

 

[MuneebM]

What a shame. Such an incredible DTS track and the case and menu don't make any mention of it being DTS ES :frowning: Not to mention we have to manually enable ES Matrix on our receivers

 

[Kevin Grey]

It looks like the Collector's Editions may be in somewhat short supply. I was a bit nervous when the Best Buy ad guaranteed a minimum of 10 per store since that didn't seem very many. Sure enough, when I stopped by yesterday afternoon they only had three copies left of the CE.

 

[Tim Glover]

Watched this last night. A wonderful movie. I really came away more impressed this time than I did when I saw in once in the theater.

Sound mix was top notch indeed. I switched back and forth. At times, the Dolby mix had more bass but was less open, but at other times the Dts mix had lower bass. Preferred the Dts mix on this one.

Top notch video transfer too.

 

[Felix Martinez]

Fantastic film, unbelievable sound track. Unlike the DTS track, the video quality was not reference - too low-pass filtered for my taste, with fine details lacking.

Still, a great set!

Cheers,

 

[Sean Moon]

Eh, if it was incorrectly flagged for EX and ES decoding it is a simple fix, so no hair off my back. I just switch my receiver to fixed ES/EX. But damn, what a mix. When you are below decks it sounds like stuff is above your head, like people walking......amazing use of sound.

 

[Jordan_E]

ZacharyTait:
Unfortunately, I can't say the same. Three of my friends watched it on DVD last week and all three of them disliked it. One of the friends works at Blockbuster, so that's how they saw it. It was 2 guys and 1 girl. She said " It was boring, pointless, and stupid."

I give this movie 3 and I only have 2

 

[Mark_TS]

visiting COSTCO yesterday, I saw a rather elaborate custom longbox of MAC. Its price was $18.23, and the box opens up gatefold style, like many boxed software game titles, with a map, pictures and trivia, but no disc information. It looked at first, by its thickness, to hold the double disc version, but after opening the box top, saw it was a single disc with a thin paperback booklet. Ive heard nothing about this so far. I was all worked up thinking it was the Collectors edition at an incredible steal of a price-anyone have it?

 

[Jim_C]

I think the promotion of this film was misleading. They made it out to be an beginning to end action flick. I think a lot of people expected battle after battle after battle. Consequently, people are disappointed when that doesn't happen.

Personally, I thought a lot was going on in between the opening and closing battles. I thought the movie captured the flavor of the books wonderfully. Not everything at sea involves a cannon.

Great movie and a great 2 DVD set.

 

[Frank Grimes]

I bought the single disc version last night. Master and Commander is the best movie I've ever seen that I didn't like. It was well directed, well acted, and clearly had a lot of detail and money put into it, but the film just did nothing for me. I knew it was based on a book that was part of a large series, but I expected more closure than I got. Maybe I wouldn't have been so dissapointed if I hadn't have come so close to spending my money on Fargo, but M&C has to be my most dissapointing blind buy since The Score.

 

[david*mt]

Anyone have the D-VHS version yet? As amazing as the DTS track sounds on the DVD, I can only imagine how good it sounds with a full bit-rate.