Life in quarantine is tough for everyone, but for millions of Americans the extended time spent at home amid the coronavirus pandemic has brought a lot more hours to watch TV and movies they may have missed. Or if that sounds boring, they can simply tweet about movies and get their stars to defend them on Twitter.
The latter happened over the weekend when someone on Twitter derided Master and Commander and its star, Russell Crowe, hopped online to slam the critic and praise both the film and its director. The 2003 film Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World starred Crowe as a seafaring captain during the Napoleonic Wars. The film, though a bit anonymous 17 years later, has a respectable 81 rating on Metacritic (and 7.4 on IMDB if you’re feeling that instead) but the tweet that got things started described it more as a movie that will put you to bed.
Lots of folk complaining about lack of sleep during the Pandemic. May I recommend Master And Commander starring the usually captivating, attention-grabbing Russell Crowe. I’ve never made it past the ten minute mark. You’re welcome. And thanks Russell. @russellcrowe pic.twitter.com/SD2runOpMA
— Ian McNabb (@empiresend) January 9, 2021
The original tweet was from January 8, but it tagged Crowe, who has 2.7 million followers on the site and hopefully isn’t checking his mentions too thoroughly like the rest of us. But he did eventually get back to Ian, defending the film and lavishing praise on director Peter Weir along the way.
That’s the problem with kids these days.
No focus.Peter Weirs 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. https://t.co/22yjNtQRbg— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) January 17, 2021
Crowe called it a movie for adults, implying the man criticizing him was simply a child. Unfortunately, his distaste for the film isn’t related to any boomer-millennial strife.
I’m four years older than Russell
https://t.co/JgsNsnsXhu
— Ian McNabb (@empiresend) January 17, 2021
But the moment immediately went viral, with a lot of people weighing in on the movie, the critique, and Crowe’s response to boot. There were also a lot of people praising the film despite the viral tweet.
Twitter watching Russell Crowe wreck a dude calling Master and Commander “boring” pic.twitter.com/ymi9rgLZ3k
— Mmmmmm-kay Ultra (@disco_remix) January 17, 2021
POV: you just called Master and Commander a boring movie during sea shanty quarantine pic.twitter.com/3k2K5b9LPS
— Windlass
(@MusketAnna) January 17, 2021
Master and Commander, one of the greatest movies of all times, was trending and I was about ready to go to war if I saw smack talk. pic.twitter.com/22o2VcdjDv
— NationalPreservation (@NatPresPart) January 17, 2021
Master and Commander is a legit masterpiece
— priscilla page (@BBW_BFF) January 17, 2021
A number of critics were quite literally cheering Crowe on.
I’ve said this a million times, but the fact that we have one MASTER AND COMMANDER and, like, sixty PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN is the greatest indictment of post-2000 Hollywood that exists.
— Sonny Bunch (@SonnyBunch) January 17, 2021
There was something fun about seeing a random movie from 17 years ago pop up on Twitter, especially given we are just a few weeks removed from Bean Dad.
Master and Commander Twitter is the first good thing I’ve woken up to see on this website in years.
— Matt Ford (@fordm) January 17, 2021
If anything, the viral moment is likely to get a few more people watching Master and Commander again, or perhaps for the first time. It’s currently streaming on Amazon Prime, if you need it.