Master and Commander Finally Sets Sail On 4K Blu-ray With a Steelbook Edition

Peter Weir’s Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World starring Russel Crowe as Captain jack Aubrey and Paul Bettany as Dr. Stephen Maturin is finally coming to 4K Blu-ray, and we haven’t been this excited since Tombstone arrived on the format earlier this year.

Want more like this? Get the latest drops, ratings, reviews, and more with the ComicBook Gear Review newsletter — straight to your inbox.

Master and Commander is an adaptation of several of Patrick O’Brian’s iconic novels, and is set during the Napoleonic Wars in 1805. The film launched in theaters in 2003 and was well received, earning 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. That said, it has a reputation for being the ultimate Dad Movie, which we consider well-deserved praise given its historical accuracy and stunning cinematography. The character portrayals by Crowe and Bettany are also magnificent, with their friendship being one of the core aspects of the film. Crowe himself famously defended Master and Commander on X/Twitter in 2021 calling it “an adults movie” in response to it not having enough robots, capes, or whatever the hell it is that people want out of a movie these days. He responded with the following:

“That’s the problem with kids these days. No focus. Peter Weir’s film is brilliant. An exacting, detail oriented, epic tale of fidelity to Empire & service, regardless of the cost. Incredible cinematography by Russell Boyd & a majestic soundtrack. Definitely an adults movie.”

We couldn’t agree more. Master and Commander is a masterpiece. If you agree, the 4K release will officially launch on August 5th complete with Dolby Vision HDR and Atmos audio. It will also come packaged in a Steelbook case that has a nautical / book-like vibe with and illustration of Captain “Lucky Jack” Aubrey on the cover, a compass rose on the back, and an image of Russell Crowe poised against stormy seas on the interior. Pre-orders are available now here on Amazon and should be available here at Walmart soon.

Special features on the release will include Deleted Scenes, Historical and Geographical Triva Track, and Pop-Up Map.

Note that 20th Century Studios will “present a special one-night-only 4K theatrical presentation of Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World on Friday, August 1, as part of Beyond Fest at the iconic Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, CA. This exclusive event offers fans a rare opportunity to experience the critically acclaimed, fan-favorite epic on the big screen as it was meant to be seen.”