The Weekly Planet - Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World - Caravan Of Garbage

Episode Date: November 7, 2024

We're back to continue on our Rusty Crowe His-Trilogy, a peak into three Russell Crowe historical epics. This week it's 2003's Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, a critically lauded nautical adventure that didn't quite reach the audience it needs to warrent a sequel. Also featuring the likes of Paul Bettany, Billy Boyd and James D'Arcy it's well worth of look if this one happened to pass you by. Thanks for watching out our Caravan Of Garbage reviewSUBSCRIBE HERE ►► http://goo.gl/pQ39jNHelp support the show and get early episodes ► https://bigsandwich.co/Patreon ► https://patreon.com/mrsundaymoviesJames' Twitter ► http://twitter.com/mrsundaymoviesMaso's Twitter ► http://twitter.com/wikipediabrownPatreon ► https://patreon.com/mrsundaymoviesT-Shirts/Merch ► https://www.teepublic.com/stores/mr-sunday-movies The Weekly Planet iTunes ► https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-weekly-planet/id718158767?mt=2&ign-mpt=uo%3D4 The Weekly Planet Direct Download ► https://play.acast.com/s/theweeklyplanetAmazon Affiliate Link ► https://amzn.to/2nc12P4 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Visit go.acast.com slash ads to get started today. Welcome back everybody to another episode of Caravan of Garbage where we're making our way through the Rusty Crow, his trilogy. It's his trilogy. It's his trilogy and no one else's. These are real events that happened that Russell Crowe recreated in real life. You're slightly incorrect there. What?

They weren't real. What? But then his acting. He made them real. He made them retroactively real in the past. Damn. So the history books all suddenly changed to make those real events. Did he make this a too Jarvis movie? Yes.

This is a two Jarvis movie Mason. Oh my god it actually is. This human Jarvis and Paul Bettany Jarvis. That's right. Two Jarvis's. Two Jarvis's. Did you know that? I know it now and we've made it real through the magic of YouTube. Russell Crowe made it real. Through us yes. That's right yeah. It all comes down to Rusty who's currently Australian. That, yeah. Anyways, please leave a like because we are talking about Master and Commander, The Far Side of the World. That's right. I feel a highly underrated

historical epic. Historical. It's based on a series of books that are loosely based on real events. Yeah. I mean, I would say probably not underrated, certainly underseen. Maybe at the time, yeah. We're gonna get to this. I'm sure you're gonna tell us a little bit later that this did not do well. You don't know what I'm going to do. I know exactly what you're gonna do. Just because I have a section at the MRI

talking about box office and I do that every time. Maybe I'm not gonna do that this time. Are you though? Well, I have to. I was gonna say. I've researched it. Great. I'm not gonna research something that not put it in.

Well, I'm gonna say something off the cuff that I haven't researched at all. I'm under the impression it didn't do well at the box office and that's a shame because it's a different type of movie. It has some spectacular battles in it but it's also very sort of contemplative, you know, if I can use that word, if I've said that word correctly. There's a Moby Dickishness to it. There is a Moby Dickishness to it but it's, we're gonna get to it, but it's all it's we're gonna get to this but it's the perfect dad movie Oh my god, this movie turned me into my dad. Mason. I'm naval battles going into fog, right? God sitting around bro and down with your bros

Just just do without the dad's dad's and dudes being bros. My goodness This is the perfect movie to be on TV. This is what didn't do well at the box office It's the perfect movie where it's on TV and your dad just walks into the room and he stands about six feet from the TV With his hands behind his back and he just stands there for two hours He doesn't say anything I don't mean forget 4d D box Whatever all the new innovations the reclining seats in cinemas They should have had a like a corral at the front of each cinema

for dads to just wander in, just an open door policy, just a bunch of dads wandering in and clustering around and just staring the screen and then leaving. Hey, you are not wrong. So, you know why this didn't do well also. Go on. Just prior to this, though it was shot after, came out another movie with a famous Captain Jack in it. Oh, yeah, right, okay. And so people saw Pirates of the Caribbean. This is also Rusty Crow's theory as well. Okay.

And you know that was a big swashbuckling supernatural adventure. It's an incredible movie but this is very different and they kind of marketed it as Boat Gladiator which is what I went into this thinking and I remember seeing it in cinemas And I hadn't seen it since and being like I don't know not really for me I just think I wasn't dad enough for it at the time and now you're extremely dead Just just just you know, I mean sure there is some lashings. Yeah, some people do get lashed Oh, yeah, they can some children lose their arms. Yeah, also side note I think I think one of the things that maybe I didn't pick up on the first viewing

of this, you know, that didn't twig for me, but as an adult, I'm like, oh yeah, most of the crew in this are kids because all the previous crew got, you know, mown down by cannonballs. Yeah. They just have to replace them with whoever's. Or they just died. Yeah, they just got like a small cut in their arm and then they just died. All of their teeth fell out and they choked on them and they died.

It's exactly. Scurvy or whatever. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then they just died or all of their teeth fell out and they choked on them and they died Scurvy or whatever yeah, yeah, but you know there are so many sort of nice moments of just men around the table They're sharing dad jokes. They're talking about a guy that they met right as a pretty good guy Absolutely Lord Nelson or whatever the fuck yeah You know the the privateer ship you know attacks their ship and kills some of them and mutilate some of them And you know, they all nearly die, but you know There's still time to make a little model of the ship. Yeah, have a look at it and go my god What a beautiful ship you made this. Yeah, I didn't find it. Well done. Thanks It makes makes sense what so far look at the beautiful lines in this beautiful ship

This is wonderful as a reward. Can I have some extra ramen to be not be shot by a cannonball? We can do one of those things. We can certainly do one of them. Yeah. So to me, this feels like a series of ideas pushed into about two hours and 20 minutes. That's a movie. I agree. Not a bad thing. I think that totally works. I mean, as in now, this would be eight episodes of something. It would be absolutely eight episodes, yes. Yeah. This combines two novels, Master and Commander Commander and also the far side of the world and in the original story

They're not hunting for a French vessel It's a fictional American frigate the North folk because it was set around that era Then when that when the US and Britain went to war. Oh, yes, I mean, I don't remember it, but I certainly read about it Yeah, I mean, it's not true anymore. Obviously. Yeah, if Russell Crowe didn't remember it, but I've certainly read about it, Mason. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, it's not true anymore, obviously. Yeah. If Russell Crowe didn't act it, it hasn't happened anymore.

That's right. It's crazy. He made it unhappen. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So the story of this is, at the very get-go, they are set upon by this incredible French vessel. Oh hell yeah. You've seen the lines on that thing?

Oh my God! You've seen the stern on that baby. Whoa! Oh! But um-'ve seen the stern on that baby. Whoa! But um... Poop deck? Poop deck. Not for me.

Okay. But, so they're set upon by this vessel, they barely escape, and then it becomes a cat and mouse game between them and this far superior, seemingly invincible ship. That's right. Which they're dodging and weaving the entire time, using all their tactical nautical knowledges. Go port! Now go starboard. Very good sir. In the ten minutes it takes for us to change direction they'll think we've gone port but actually we've gone starboard. My god that's seamanship. Well look I also think Russell Crowe in this he's a great

captain or master and commander if you will I think there's a like a quiet strength and a calmness and there is that sense of humor which he brings to it. I felt for a lot of this movie there was gonna be a reveal that it turns out as he's actually a terrible captain. Because he's got kind of like a you know. Oh he's got a wig in it? Yeah! No no no no, he's a great captain, he's one of the best Mace. I agree. I mean even under duress you know he's able to, you see him kind of you see him contemplating his next moves and and how to

Discipline his crew and also lash lash them obviously and out of rum rum. Yeah, exactly and how to bolster them. I'm Putting you in the brig and you have to make a little model of a boat Thank you captain. Very good, sir. But yeah keeping the crew together It he does a fantastic job in this. In real life, they all bonded together. They went to like a boot camp and all of that to learn how to ship about. He made them play rugby as well. You know, he's a big rugby man as well.

So yeah, all that kind of camaraderie. They were trying to kind of capture that off screen as well. They had a little gentleman's club where there was like no TV. It was just like, it was for playing pool and reading and probably smoking cigarettes, etc. Oh absolutely, yes. It was called the Monkey Bar. I get it.

Yeah, you get it. I get it. Yeah, that's good stuff. Of course, this is directed by the great and not late. Correct. At time of recording. At time of recording, Peter Weir. That's right, Australia's own Peter Weir. That's right.

For now. For now, Gallipoli, Dead Part Society, The Truman Show. I mean, he's an incredible director and I think this is definitely up there. 2010's The Way Back, but not The Way Way Back. He didn't handle the sequel. He didn't? I've never seen The Way Back.

That's the Colin Farrell something is taking the thing. I don't know. No, I'm telling you. Okay, terrific. It's not a question. Okay, all right. It's a fact. All right.

God, you know what's good in this this the use of models paired with CGI paired with real footage of the ocean And they got wetter to do it. They used bigotries for a lot of that. They got wetter to do it Spending all that time in the ocean. Thanks, man. I would be getting wetter They would be and they were so wetter of course just came off Lord of the Rings They had this thing and maybe we'll talk about it later. year. I was in charge. I would've hired a dryer. Why? Because you'd be all, everybody would be wet. You want a dry boats movie?

Yeah, you chuck Paul Bettany in a dryer. Oh, okay. He's all damp and stuff. Very good sir. Right? Yeah, so Wetter did this thing and we'll probably talk about it later this year. Who knows? That they kind of invented or pioneered on Lord of the Rings called bigatures, which is basically huge miniatures.

So the ships that they used in this... Regular sized things. Pretty much. Okay. Like bordering on. That's what they used for like a lot of the naval battles and some maneuvers and then you kind of blend that with other things. It's an incredible looking movie and just the chaos of a wooden ship just being riddled with cannonballs. It just comes across... Think of the splinters. Oh my god. of a wooden ship just being riddled with cannonballs. It just comes across. Think of the splinters. Oh my god.

Ow. I mean sure that kid got his arm blown off or whatever, but think of getting a splinter like in your palm of your hand. It didn't get. You're like ow. Yeah, it didn't get blown off. He got splintered and then he had to get a cut off. They're like, we don't know.

That aside, imagine getting a splinter. Ow. Yuck. Russell Crowe gets one in his neck, doesn't even notice. Yeah. This is the best. Or he's dumb, I don't know. Surgery even notice. This is the best. Or he's dumb. I don't know. Or he's filled with rum.

Or he's filled with rum, yeah. So there's a bunch of surgery in this, Paul Bettany plays the doctor. No good. I mean, this era, there's a moment where they all sit around- I mean, he's the best in the business. At the time. Yeah, but like, at the time, yeah. There's a moment where they all sit around and watch him dig into a man's brain like

it's Netflix. I wonder if I poke the correct thing. He'll come alright eventually. Yeah, he'll be alright. I'll just flick this switch. He's using like a coin and a spoon to perform surgery in the open. Wild stuff Mason. Oh god. But look, the cat and mouse element of this movie, I just love. I just love all the boat tactics, Mason. I love discussing what they're going to do in the Mr. X and the fake ships and the white... Port and then starboard.

Port and then starboard, the poop deck, etc. Drink a port and then go starboard. Exactly. And it leads up to them stick-insecting the French, where they disguise the vessel and of course manage to get the drop on them. Oh hell yeah. Just wild stuff, Mason. So the ending the ending of this of course it leads into the idea of a sequel because they think they get Yeah, that's always been Peter Weir's. Yeah, that's always been his number one problem, isn't it? Yeah, you know remember at the end of Gallipoli. Mmm Thanos shows up. He's like I'm gonna do another Gallipoli Everybody's like, ah ah here we go again.

I thought it was like the ending of The King's Man where Hitler rolls in and goes, hello, I'm Adolf Hitler. Mm-hmm. You might remember me. Remember at the end of Picnic at Hanging Rock? With a rock fell? Yep, and then at the end they're like, oh but what about the long car ride home after the picnic? Yeah.

And here we go again. Here we bloody go again. Hope another girl doesn't die, whatever happens happens that movie? Remember at the end of? Remember at the end of the Truman show where they convinced him to do a season two, right? Yeah, it's like back in I go Yeah, great stuff Mason so yeah, it does kind of hint towards that, you know, well look there's more there's more French tactics of foot here It's so nice. Well, exactly, I mean that devious French captain. He disguised himself. Like a grub.

He should have admitted who he was and then beheaded him. And then lashed the body. But he didn't. He was like, I'm the doctor. I think they should have de-bodied the head and lashed the head. Oh absolutely. That's how you gotta do it Mason. Well they could have played rugby with the head.

That's true. God. But they're like, yep there's more sea out there. Yep. What else can we find in the sea? I guess we'll never know. I guess we won't know. I guess nothing because if Rusty didn't act it out. Yeah. There's nothing in there. Absolutely didn't happen. It's just pure emptiness. Yeah. Anyways it's time for Master and Trivia. First side of the trivia. Go on. Patrick O'Brien. Who's that? He wrote the books. Interesting. Twenty-finished one knot. So he was known for his incredible- Did he die? Yeah. Is that why though? Because

he's incredibly old. Okay. And then he died. He didn't just get lazy. No. He didn't George R. Martin it and just be like, I'll wait to see what the movies do. You know what I mean? The movies? Oh, he's waiting for another series of ladies But he's waiting for them to do 25 more movies, then he's just gonna copy the last one. It was last book Captain Aubrey fights a dragon It's a really sick. Yeah, actually and then he lashed it So it was thought for like the longest time that this guy must be an incredible sailor because the detail Like the attention to not only historical events events but just the workings of a ship. He was just across it. Like these books are known for it. The 20 books that he did and the one that remained unfinished. But apparently he

was a terrible sailor. Like it was discovered that he was like borderline dangerous. But I think that speaks to the work that he put into it that people just assumed that he knew what he was doing. Which he didn't, Mason. Oh! Yeah. Russell Crowe actually broke from production midway through to fly to London for the funeral of his friend and Gladiator co-star Richard Harris, who you might know as Dumbledore. No, I know him as whatever his character's name was in Gladiator, thank you very much.

RIP, Richard Harris. I agree. And you know in this how Russell Crowe played the violin? Yes. He actually learned just to play those songs and nothing else. And he said it's like the hardest acting challenge he ever did. Now look, I would also love like raw footage of him doing it on set because I feel like he did it and then they like redid it over the top.

I don't know that, but if he managed to just rote learn how to play a violin, that's fucking incredible. That's impossible, but he is the greatest actor in the world. I mean, Abba learned how to sing all their songs in English like phonetically, and they did that for years, and they're holograms now.

What? Yeah. How many of them are dead? They're all still alive. They just decided to be holograms. All right. So can we be holograms now what yeah, how many of them are dead? They're all still alive. They just what they just decided to be holograms All right, so can we be holograms probably expensive? Yeah, it's probably expensive. I mean, we basically are we're not in these videos No, that's true. We're JPEGs of anything. I think that's great Maybe I'll put some footage of me and my dad in this him looming over my shoulder as I'm watching this movie But yeah

I'm incredible commitment for rustyy Crow to do that, do the violin, when obviously they could have just done like a below the shoulder cutaway to somebody who actually knows what they're doing. But then you've got to give them like Russell Crow gloves. You got to give them like, you got to do casts of Russell Crow's hands and then give them like, you know,

rugby playing sausage fingers like the violin. You know, the virtuoso violinist who's like, a five foot two woman with these big rusty crow hands. He actually went on to sell that 130 year old violin later, which netted him a cool 73,000 pound. Wait, why did he have it? Just got to keep it. I guess he got to keep it,

until he decided he didn't want it anymore. Okay, great. Yeah, and that's fun. It is fun. Yeah. Now the box office of this, this is a new segment I'm introducing. It's called The Box Office. Go on.

It's called The Big Box Office. Oh. Yeah. And you're introducing it now. Yeah. So presumably this movie had a big box office. Well, it had a box office on a budget of $150 million. Huge, by the way.

That's huge. They were thinking gladiator numbers for this obviously. The return was $211 million internationally which means it wouldn't have made its money back. That being said, the critics did love it. It was nominated for 10 Oscars at one, two. But the other eight categories went to Lord of the Rings Return of the King. Remember that year where they just went, fuck it Lord of the Rings you win.

You win, you got it And you know what they were right mostly mmm. I mean you know what are those Lord of the Rings guys done since then good point I mean this movie obviously I did some of it on this all dry dry. Oh, that's right They did yeah, yeah There was talk of a sequel over the years that never kind of materialized Russell grow when he does talk about this movie He does talk about how it's underrated, and he wish it it did better and I wish more people had seen me do the violin Yeah, absolutely and how that yeah, he would have loved to return to this character in this world Which is interesting for him to say because as we talked about last week, he's not a sequel guy

Yeah, and you could probably be like, I don't know. He was maybe a voice in Batman v Superman. I don't know I don't know which comic book movies he's in He's in a bunch of them Mason and some of them follow on and some don't. But often he'll tweet out like in relation to this. I've seen him do it a few times over the years. And he doesn't just do it for this but he does it for a number of stuff. He'll say one heart at a time. So he's just like, you know, he's bringing people on board to this movie and other things that he wants people to watch. Well you've got us Rusty Crow. Dad DNA engaged, you got us.

We salute you, and by salute you, I mean, six feet from the TV, standing up, hands behind our backs. What's going on here? What's this? Oh, hmm. Interesting. That was all right. Yeah.

Pretty good. Yeah, pretty good. So it was said in June of 2021 that they are going to do a prequel movie based on the first novel. I think they are looking to revise this. He also mentioned that maybe they're gonna do it as a TV series. These books also have a lot in common with the Hornblower series which became

a long-running Joanne Griffith telly thing. Oh yeah, sure. And you know, streaming's had some hits recently with this sort of stuff, The Terror. Yeah. Two seasons, people enjoyed that. Well the first season was both. Second season was Japanese war camps or something. Yeah but it's still old stuff is the old people have old stuff they're looking at an old thing yeah it's Japanese camps is it yeah yeah that's pretty good I think it would be hilarious though if they did make a direct sequel to this and they don't age anybody they're all just 20 years on and they've just been chasing this fridge captain.

And it's the present day now. They went through a portal. It's a multiverse movie now. Oh my goodness. And Rusty Crow is wearing his costume from Thor Love and Thunder. But it's still our captain. We know him, you know. Completely agree. Anyways, if you'd like to see these videos early, guess what? What's that? You can actually head over to BigSandwich.co where you can. Here's a hint towards next week.

What are we looking at for the final movie in the Rusty Crow Hiz trilogy? Is it Noah or Virtuosity? Uh, it'll be one of those. Okay, terrific. We haven't decided yet. What do you want to do? We'd do both at the same time. I guess we could.

Yeah. That's not the only thing at BigSandwich.co. We also do movie commentaries. We do video game let's plays. We do bonus podcasts. That's not the only thing at BigSandwich.co. We also do movie commentaries, we do video game let's plays, we do bonus podcasts. That's so true. Our podcast, The Weekly Planet, where we talk movies and comics and TV shows,

that comes out there every Sunday, as opposed to Monday, where you'll find it on its own YouTube channel, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, et cetera. You'll get the hot news a day early. Hot, hot news and reviews. And we're gonna be covering Gladiator, Second Gladiator. That's right. Can't wait for that one actually Better be good Mason. I'm gonna be mad at Ridley Scott Denzel said I put on the dress

I put on the weird headpiece. Let's go. I'm loving that me too. All right. Thank you so much to Lawrence for the edits Thank you Lawrence, and we'll see you all in the next one my god. That's YouTube'smanship Do you think yes, I agree. He did it very good sir. Bye everyone