Russell Crowe is Lucky Jack Aubrey, the Navy's greatest fighting captain and Paul Bettany is ship's doctor Stephen Maturin. The ship, the Surprise, is suddenly attacked by a superior enemy. With the Surprise badly damaged and much of his crew injured, Aubrey - the "Master" of the Surprise and "Commander" of his men - is torn between duty and friendship as he sets sail in a high-stakes chase across two oceans, to the far side of the world, to intercept and capture their foe. It's a mission that can decide the fate of a nation - or destroy Lucky Jack and his crew. The film is based on the narrative outline of the tenth book in Patrick O'Brien's legendary "Aubrey/Maturin" series of high seas novels about the British navy during the Napoleonic Wars.

Nominated for Best Film and Best Director at the 2004 Oscars.