The battle sequence that opens Peter Weir's Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is spectacular.

Cannonballs rip through wood and flesh as waves rock the ship, riggings rip, masts sway and crack while men rush to put out fires, change the course of their vessel or assist the injured and dying.
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Despite its cumbersome title, Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World is a magnificant spectacle, historical fiction so deeply rooted in reality and so deftly filmed that the viewer feels instantly transported into the action.

Well, that is true if the viewer is male and knows the period. Women seem less enthusiastic, restless with the running time.
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