I don’t have a link, but it’s fairly simple: every print sent out by the distribution company has this pattern of red dots showing up in certain frames; the exact location and timing is unique to each print. The dots are big enough to show up in a low-resolution pirated copy of a movie on the Internet, allowing the studio to know which specific print the movie was copied from, thus narrowing the search for the culprits responsible.
I’m completely against pirating movie copies, but this technique to try and combat it is ridiculous. It detracts from the movie-going experience for the regular customer, and will no doubt be defeated by a determined and technically adept pirate.
But that’s really worthy of a separate thread. As for the movie itself, I found it exciting, expertly produced and well-acted.
I liked the movie quite a bit and sea-faring movies usually bore me stiff.
Crowe was excellent and layered as the captain and I really liked his relationship with the doctor.
The Galapgos stuff was my favorite part. I loved seeing the doctor ruminate over the ability of speces to adapt to their environments and starting to question how they did it. As I said in the other thread about this movie it made me want to see a movie about Darwin and the Beagle.
I think the sequel should be called Master and commander: Fightin’ 'round the World.
My thoughts are much like Jodi’s. I haven’t made it through all the books yet, but I intend to. I hope it does well enough that they’ll make a sequel. I’ll be there on opening day just as I was for this one.
And for any would-be Crowe-bashers (I have heard colleagues say they wouldn’t go see it just because of him): Within a few minutes, you will forget the actor and believe you are watching a 19th C. ship’s captain. He inhabits the role that completely.
I was nervous when the cannonballs were flying. I really felt like I was on that deck. (If that sounds goofy, so be it.) Took my elderly mom with me and she loved it.
I also found it weird that while the major repairs were being made, some of the sailors were doing cosmetic repairs as well. I thought that all able hands should be doing the critical repairs to get her under sail again.
I just got home from seeing the movie. Caveat: I’m a huge fan of the novels. I’m not sure how folks that haven’t read the books would be able to appreciate some of the nuances of the movies, e.g.:
Killick and his muttered comments
Awkard Davies
toasted cheese (twice!)
And Curate, the whole point of having the “weather gage” of another ship was that you had the advantage in maneuvering and could do more in the way of choosing when to battle. (Warning though: I’m almost as lubberly as Maturin in these matters.)
And while I still don’t think Bettany really looks the way I thought Stephen should, I think he has Stephen’s manner down pat. I think he was slightly better at Stephen than Crowe was as Jack. Crowe played a perfectly good British naval officer, but somehow I feel he missed Jack just a little.
As far as 3 gun ports being battered into one, I was looking for that too! The most I saw was two battered into one though.
I was prepared to be disappointed. I wasn’t.
Off to read the books again! I love those two guys…
Oh, and I thought it was cool to see hatches being battened down, and the decks being cleared for action. I always had some problems visualizing exactly WHAT they cleared, but now I have a better idea.
