In my column last week, I praised the innovation, prowess and use of special effects in Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. Although this week's DVD is also very recent, its approach to special effects is significantly different.In director Peter Weir's Oscar-winning Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, ambitious British naval captain (Russell Crowe) attempts to intercept a French military ship and prevent the Napoleonic Wars from spreading to the Pacific. It is a well-crafted, carefully woven story, somehow balancing the swashbuckling romanticism of tall vessels and billowing sails with the grit and trauma of war on the high seas.

Whereas Sky Captain called to mind a simultaneously futuristic and nostalgic setting that was entirely computer-generated, Master and Commander relies very little on computer effects, instead using large miniatures and full-scale replicas of the various ships.

It is an older technique, reflecting the tried-and-true approach of everything from Citizen Kane to the original Star Wars films. It works remarkably well here-perhaps even better than any computer effect.

Even if the film is not entirely historically accurate, part of Master and Commander's magic is its remarkably genuine rendition of early-19th century maritime life. This effect has much to do with Weir's aversion to technology.

The sailors on the ships-from Crowe himself down to the forgettable extras-were all trained to operate the vessels. They all learned to tie knots in ropes, hoist sails and weigh an anchor. The sets were often actual boats, and the cast had to act as if they knew what they were doing.

Because Sky Captain did not have the luxury of a physical set, its characters (many of whom are digital themselves) often behave robotically.

In Sky Captain, the digital effects work marvelously, much in the same way that Master and Commander's use of physical, non-digital effects works so well. Each film's approach to effects has a great deal to do with the atmosphere that each evokes.

In Master and Commander, the story is rich and personal. There are few naval battles in the film. Most of the film is spent on the ship with Crowe's character, his crew and the eeriness of their home at sea.

It is a deep and nuanced film, balancing excitement with moments of contemplation, human drama and emotional strain. It is a film that digital artists-with their passion for over-expression-might have drowned in code.

Unfortunately, the DVD contains very little additional material-especially for a film so effective and modestly powerful. One feature allows some uninteresting behind-the-scenes looks into other films, but there is nothing about Master and Commander itself.

That so little material can be found on the DVD is quite odd-even Master and Commander's Web site includes short featurettes about the production. For some reason, an excellent film has been cheated by its own DVD distributors. It's a pity-they could have done so much more.