* AdaptationDisplacement: PluckyMiddie duo Calamy and Blakeney (and, to a lesser extent, assistant surgeon Higgins and sailing Master Allen) are all minor characters in the novel series who only have a handful of appearances between them but are seen as major parts of the franchise due to their role in this movie.
* AwardSnub: Many feel this was robbed of the [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Best Picture Oscar]] by ''Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheReturnOfTheKing'', and the widely held view that the trio of films were such an artistic peak of film craft that the voters collectively waited until the final installment for awarding in the non-technical categories to avoid giving Peter Jackson 9 awards (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay) in 3 years.
* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic (also a Funny Moment):
-->'''Aubrey:''' Well, Stephen... The bird's flightless?\\
'''Maturin:''' Yes.\\
'''Aubrey:''' It's not going anywhere.\\
''[And... cue Boccherini.]''
* CommonKnowledge: Many people have claimed that the film changed the enemy ship from the novel (the USS ''Norfolk'') from an American ship to a French ship so as to avoid turning off American audiences by making the Americans the villains. In fact, the filmmakers have said that this isn't the case: they only made the change because the Literature/AubreyMaturin novels are predominately about UsefulNotes/{{the Napoleonic Wars}} (with Napoleonic France as the consistent BigBad), so they felt that it would be more fitting to give the film a French antagonist. The film also ''isn't'' a strictly accurate adaptation of ''The Far Side of the World'', but instead [[AdaptationAmalgamation incorporates plot points from several installments in the series]]. Most notably: instead of ending with an epic showdown with the HMS ''Surprise'', the novel ends with [[spoiler:the ''Norfolk'' getting shipwrecked on a remote island before Aubrey can intercept it]], which wouldn't have been ideal for a film.
* SugarWiki/FunnyMoments: "Do you not know that in the service...one must always choose the ''lesser'' of two weevils?" Maturin's ''"Yeah, I walked right into that one..."'' face really sells it.
** Most of [[ServileSnarker Kilik's]] scenes are good for a laugh, as he's the only non-officer, barring Maturin, who dares to give Aubrey any lip, usually grumbling complaints and making dry comments. Special mention to one of his earliest scenes when the ''Acheron'' makes its first attack, and while Aubrey and co. are busy with the battle, Kilik heads down with his assistant to the captain's cabin to steal any silver goods he can carry.
--->'''Kilik:''' [''Stops his assistant from grabbing some sabres''] Leave the bloody swords! Get the captain's silver below!\\
[''Later as the battle rages on'']\\
'''Kilik:''' [''His assistant drops some goods with a loud clatter''] For God's sake, don't drop anything! [''Cannon blasts through the wall, causing both to fall and drop their entire haul'']
* GeniusBonus: The film has a half-Spanish explorer predating Charles Darwin by decades in his study on the Galapagos. In real life, aside from his own expeditions, Darwin based part of his investigation on data collected by Spanish explorer [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_de_Azara Félix de Azara]], whom Darwin admired (another Spaniard, José de Acosta, might have been an influence too). This might have been unintentional given the obscurity of the fact, but if not, it was a nice HistoricalInJoke.
* HePannedItNowHeSucks: The opinion of many, including Russell Crowe himself, [[https://news.avclub.com/russell-crowe-admonishes-kids-these-days-for-failing-1846077453 after musician Ian McNabb called the film boring on Twitter.]]
* HilariousInHindsight: Creator/PaulBettany, who plays a predecessor to Darwin in this film, would [[Film/{{Creation}} later go on]] to play the great naturalist himself.
* HoYay: Between Aubrey and Maturin. They have a very close friendship, spend a significant amount of time playing musical instruments with each other, and a large amount of Aubrey's development throughout the movie has to do with how he treats Maturin. Besides, without women, this kind of behavior was not uncommon among sailors in the Royal Navy.
* MagnificentBastard: The French Captain of the deadly ''Acheron'' prowls the waters, preying on any British vessels he encounters to aid in the war effort for Emperor UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte. Engaging with the forces of Captain Jack Aubrey, the French Captain proves himself a skilled match for the ''HMS Surprise''. When the ''Acheron'' is bested, the Captain changes places with another man to fake being a doctor and organize a "surrender" so he can eventually take the ship back from the British in a clever ambush.
* MemeticMutation:
** The first line of the opening:
--->April, 1805, Napoleon is master of Europe and only the British fleet stands before him – oceans are now battlefields.
** The movie in general as received a reputation as the quintessential male/dad movie, ranging from [[{{Website/FourChan}} 4chan]] posts about it being a movie [[HeManWomanHater "women will never understand"]], to memes on other social media and thinkpieces about the supposed fascination it holds over men, along with the general genre of WoodenShipsAndIronMen.
* NauseaFuel: The surgery scenes in this film. Only Stephen manages to keep anything close to a straight face while at work [[spoiler:even on himself]]. The other characters who have to assist him in these procedures show evident signs of being uncomfortable and borderline nauseated at what they're seeing.
* PeripheryDemographic: In addition to the usual fans of swashbuckling action films, this movie is absolutely beloved among history geeks (and especially [[WoodenShipsAndIronMen Age of Sail]] geeks) for its incredible attention to historical detail and accuracy.
* StoicWoobie: Cute Lord Blakeney really deals well with his fate of losing an arm (and worrying that he won't survive the amputation) and several friends. Still... he could use being wrapped up in a fluffy blanket and being hugged as he has never been hugged before.
* TheWoobie: Hollom. Nothing ever seems to work out for him.
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