Gladiator Russell Crowe sets his Beautiful Mind on hitting the high seas for an 1805 adventure tale that pits him and his English crew against a bigger and more powerful French ship in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.

It's 1805 and England is at war with Napoleon. The HMS Surprise, a British Navy ship commanded by the celebrated Capt. "Lucky" Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe) is told to intercept the French Privateer ship Acheron and either sink it, trash it or bring it back home as a prize.

Well, big Surprise! The Surprise is badly damaged and many of Aubrey's men are injured in a sneak attack by the much larger and better-gunned Acheron. Aubrey is determined to bring down the formidable French adversary, but his decision takes him and his crew on a dangerous chase from the coast of Brazil to the faroff shores of the Galapagos Islands. The ship's doctor and Jack's ally, Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany), questions whether his captain's mission is professionally or personally motivated. There are huge storms and much danger including the maiming of gung-ho cabin boy/trainee Blakeney (Max Pirkis) before the Surprise again meets the Acheron and is finally victorious.