Rating: 
Summary: Lacks the punch and excitement of the Hornblower series.
Review: As a long-time Hornblower fan, I was very excited at the prospect of the A&E Hornblower series (especially after the exceptional A&E Pride and Prejudice), but I was very disappointed by this series. If you have read any of the Hornblower novels, you know they are fast paced and wonderfully exciting tales of war at sea. These films were anything but- what is a 20 page story in the book is drawn out to a boring 2 hours. They lack the excitement and action which makes the Hornblower series great. What a shame!
Rating: 
Summary: Please Give Us MORE: A&E!!!!!!!
Review: I would like to think I know this period of history fairly well, which is why I am so surprised at the high quality of these films (from a historical perspective). These films are as good as it gets for re-enactors!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely wonderful!!!
Review: My family and I enjoyed this series. Didn't think my son would be interested, but he was hooked from the first minute. Wow! Ioan Gruffudd and Lindsey did a great job.
Rating:
Summary: Ioan is wonderful!
Review: This is a wonderful set! Ioan Gruffudd is great in this and very expressionate (Forgive my spelling)! He makes me really believe that he is Horatio and he makes me feel bad for the charater he plays (OR makes me feel good!) He dose a wonderful acting job and is possiblly the best actor I have ever seen!
Rating:
Summary: Adventure, Swashbuckling....Simply terrific series
Review: I loved the Hornblower series. It made me want to re-read the Forester novels again, and I did. Cast and crew did an amazing job of recreating how hard navy life was during that period in time. Ioan Gruffudd was simply terrific as Horatio. I can't wait to get my own personal copy of the videos.
Rating:
Summary: Not Usually My Type--But
Review: I usually don't tune in to military/adventure sagas--glad I did! Great story, fine acting, and superb attention to detail. I know not all young midshipmen were so handsome and gallant, nor all captains so wise and honorable, but by the end of the series I felt an intense longing to stand on the deck of tall ship with a fair wind behind her. Thanks, AandE.
Rating:
Summary: Captivating piece of work
Review: While the producers of the film took considerable license with Forester's one novel on which the four episodes were based, the results are most worthy. But the fourth episode leaves the viewer up in the air. Are more episodes to come next season, with the same actors? The production values are simply magnificent, especially in the shots of the tall ships at sea. Eat your heart out, Titanic. On the whole, the acting was excellent, most notably from the actor who played Capt. Pellew. Now we can only wait and hope for episode five et seq.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent production! Cheers to the cast & crew!!
Review: One who loves period films; I have thoroughly enjoyed the four HORATIO HORNBLOWER movies. It gave you a wonderful, romantic sense of the ideal of honorable men. I would love A&E to continue with more of the HORNBLOWER stories. It is now on my list of "top favorites," along with A&E's PRIDE & PREJUDICE. Excellent casting (i.e. Ioan Gruffudd, Robert Lindsay, Samuel West, Jamie Bamber), costume design, & ships (real & models). Being in film production myself, I'd say the cast & crew's hard work was well worth the effort! I would loved to have worked on something this engaging.
Rating:
Summary: FANTASTIC - THE BEST
Review: The series was absolutely the most realistic and superb series I have ever seen. The acting and casting was the greatest. Ioan Gruffudd was everything I imagined from the books.
Rating: 
Summary: Video Hornblower worthy, but not spectacular, version.
Review: Having been captivated by the swashbuckling tales of C.S. Forester's series on Horatio Hornblower, I was delighted to hear of A & E's production. While a worthy production, with realistic naval scenes, the production failed to capture the depth and complexity of the character of Horatio Hornblower. Ioan Gruffudd delivered a believable performance, but the nuances of Horatio's character did not emerge. Rather, this seemed a character designed to please current sensibilities rather than capture the essense of the historical Horatio. At times, compared to the introspective, deeply principled Horatio of Forester, this Horatio was almost cartoonish. Some of this was the result of muddied, thinly produced scenes (especially the fourth and final video), which didn't allow the complexity of the character and the wrenching decisions to which he was forced to make, be fully explored.
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