Rating: 
Summary: Horatio Hornblower is back for another round of heroics
Review: "Horatio Hornblower: The Adventure Continues" consists of two tapes encompassing a single story. "Mutiny" finds our hero (Ioan Gruffudd) under arrest in Jamaica for mutiny. His old captain, now Commodore Sir Edward Pellew (Robert Lindsay), arrives to chair the tribunal that will judge the court-martial and demands to know what Mr. Hornblower thought he was doing. Of course our hero replies he was doing his duty for the good of the service. The court-martial serves as the framing device for what happened, told in flashbacks. Hornblower has the misfortune of serving under Captain James Sawyer (David Warner), whose discipline is tainted by either cruelty or insanity. After being pushed down some stairs, Sawyer is injured and during a battle with a Spanish fort puts the ship's crew in jeopardy. At the pivotal moment Hornblower persuades the ship's doctor and first officer to declare the captain incompetent to command. Unfortunately, First Officer Buckland is incapable of leadership for an entirely different reason; it just is not in him. The second half of the story, "Retribution," spends more time in the courtroom as the court-martial proceeds with testimony by the participants setting up the flashbacks. Hornblower's ship the Reknown has to deal with not only the Spanish fort, but also a small fleet of ships and rebellious ex-slaves. As the story continues at each crucial moment, it is our hero that saves the day. But in the courtroom, where one of the judges clearly has it out for Hornblower, his naval career if not his life will come down to one crucial question: who pushed Captain Sawyer? When First Officer Buckland (Nicholas Jones) charges Hornblower with having done the deed, our hero's best friend, Archie Kennedy (Jamie Bamber) gets off his death bed to tell the truth. Or does he? Unlike the first movies, which were based on C.S. Forester's novel "Midshipman Hornblower," this effort creates an original story. Stories about cruel British sea captains are certainly done to death, but fortunately that is only the backbone of this story. What we really have are a series of adventures as Hornblower works his little miracles. The character's strength has always been his innate sense of honor and that comes through in both the script and the acting. Horatio Hornblower might be a creation of romantic fiction, but that does not make him one less whit compelling. Gruffudd has clearly grown with the role of Horatio Hornblower, building on the character's evolution in the first Emmy winning mini-series. Lindsay's return as the parental figure in our hero's life is a welcome sigh, as his mates Styles (Sean Gilder) and Matthews (Paul Copley). But the stand out performance is Warner, who has played more than his fair share of unstable characters, but who now has brought a remarkable restraint to his portrayal of Sawyer. He does not come close to going over the top. The commitment of Gruffudd and the other involved in these projects to continue filming further exploits is certainly welcomed news.
Rating:
Summary: Horatio Hornblower is back for another round of heroics
Review: "Horatio Hornblower: The Adventure Continues" consists of two tapes encompassing a single story. "Mutiny" finds our hero (Ioan Gruffudd) under arrest in Jamaica for mutiny. His old captain, now Commodore Sir Edward Pellew (Robert Lindsay), arrives to chair the tribunal that will judge the court-martial and demands to know what Mr. Hornblower thought he was doing. Of course our hero replies he was doing his duty for the good of the service. The court-martial serves as the framing device for what happened, told in flashbacks. Hornblower has the misfortune of serving under Captain James Sawyer (David Warner), whose discipline is tainted by either cruelty or insanity. After being pushed down some stairs, Sawyer is injured and during a battle with a Spanish fort puts the ship's crew in jeopardy. At the pivotal moment Hornblower persuades the ship's doctor and first officer to declare the captain incompetent to command. Unfortunately, First Officer Buckland is incapable of leadership for an entirely different reason; it just is not in him. The second half of the story, "Retribution," spends more time in the courtroom as the court-martial proceeds with testimony by the participants setting up the flashbacks. Hornblower's ship the Reknown has to deal with not only the Spanish fort, but also a small fleet of ships and rebellious ex-slaves. As the story continues at each crucial moment, it is our hero that saves the day. But in the courtroom, where one of the judges clearly has it out for Hornblower, his naval career if not his life will come down to one crucial question: who pushed Captain Sawyer? When First Officer Buckland (Nicholas Jones) charges Hornblower with having done the deed, our hero's best friend, Archie Kennedy (Jamie Bamber) gets off his death bed to tell the truth. Or does he? Unlike the first movies, which were based on C.S. Forester's novel "Midshipman Hornblower," this effort creates an original story. Stories about cruel British sea captains are certainly done to death, but fortunately that is only the backbone of this story. What we really have are a series of adventures as Hornblower works his little miracles. The character's strength has always been his innate sense of honor and that comes through in both the script and the acting. Horatio Hornblower might be a creation of romantic fiction, but that does not make him one less whit compelling. Gruffudd has clearly grown with the role of Horatio Hornblower, building on the character's evolution in the first Emmy winning mini-series. Lindsay's return as the parental figure in our hero's life is a welcome sigh, as his mates Styles (Sean Gilder) and Matthews (Paul Copley). But the stand out performance is Warner, who has played more than his fair share of unstable characters, but who now has brought a remarkable restraint to his portrayal of Sawyer. He does not come close to going over the top. The commitment of Gruffudd and the other involved in these projects to continue filming further exploits is certainly welcomed news.
Rating: 
Summary: Still a great adventure, but on a smaller budget
Review: Any fan of the Hornblower books will appreciate the attention to details about life on board the ship, and your blood will still race with the adventure. David Warner is a world-class villain, better than anything in the original series. There are fewer real action/battle scenes, though, since apparently they did not take the ship(s) out to shoot at sea at all (too expensive it seems). So the films seem a little tamer visually than the first set of four Ioan Griffudd Hornblower outings. I still hope they put out more of these, as soon as they can...!
Rating:
Summary: Still a great adventure, but on a smaller budget
Review: Any fan of the Hornblower books will appreciate the attention to details about life on board the ship, and your blood will still race with the adventure. David Warner is a world-class villain, better than anything in the original series. There are fewer real action/battle scenes, though, since apparently they did not take the ship(s) out to shoot at sea at all (too expensive it seems). So the films seem a little tamer visually than the first set of four Ioan Griffudd Hornblower outings. I still hope they put out more of these, as soon as they can...!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Entertainment
Review: Arrived in excellent Condition and earlier than
Promised. Will Buy again!
Rating:
Summary: Horatio never disappoints
Review: Buy it and play it over and over again! They just do not make movies of this quality anymore! Three cheers for the lad!
Rating: 
Summary: Ain't Gregory Peck !
Review: Good interpretaion, but too bad only AMC seems to have access to the original restored widescreen version of "Captain Horatio Hormblower" with Peck, Virgina Mayo, and James Robertson Justice. Would be nice if amazonia allowed us a way to record those whom are seeking that WB cinemascope costume drama on DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Close - but no cigar!
Review: Having seen all six episodes and read all the books I can only say that the TV series should be prefaced 'loosely based on the books of C.S Forester. Very loosely based. Some of the episodes are almost unrecognizable. I did enjoy the series for what it was. The opportunities to see a movie about life at sea in the Royal Navy are few and far between. I understand the need to make the stories more attractive to a larger audience but they went too far in my view. Hornblower was a loner not a ladies man. He had only three romantic liaisons in his entire life if memory serves. He has some sort of interaction with a female in almost every episode it seems. He is not friends with the crew - that would be unthinkable - the writers did not seem to understand the hierarchy of the Royal Navy. There were so many historical and technical errors - they could have least made an effort to get it right. The character of Archie Kennedy was expanded out of all proportion - Hornblower's friend. In the books Hornblower didn't make any close friends in his entire life. He became close to Bush but there was still the difference of rank as a barrier. If you have never seen anything on screen in this genre, it will be a thrill to watch. If you have read the books (and a purist like me) you will try to forget what you have read in order to enjoy the films.
Rating:
Summary: Another terrific series from A&E/BBC!! A must see!
Review: I am not a "maritime buff" nor am I a fan of C.S. Forrester's works but I thoroughly enjoyed the A&E/BBC "Horatio Hornblower" series. I have to admit that I was first drawn to the series because of Ioan Gruffudd (whom I admired in "Great Expectations" and "Titanic") but soon found myself hooked because of the gripping storylines, great action and impressive production values (set, costumes, casting, etc.). In "Mutiny," Hornblower and fellow officers are accused of mutiny against the increasingly unstable and sadistic Capt. Sawyer. In "Retribution," Hornblower must prove his innocence and an important battle against the Spanish puts his and his fellow shipmates lives in grave danger. This follow-up series is just as impressive as the original (which came out in 1999). It brings back characters such as Sir Edward Pellew (Robert Lindsey), Lt. Kennedy (Jamie Bamber), Mathews (Paul Copley) and Styles (Sean Gilder). This series also introduces us to some memorable characters (and great actors) such as Lt. Bush (Paul McGann of "Our Mutual Friend"), Dr. Clive (David Rintoul who played Mr. Darcy in the 1985 "Pride and Prejudice"), Capt. Sawyer (wonderfully portrayed by David Warner of "Titanic") and Midshipman Wellard (newcomer Terence Corrigan). As always, Ioan Gruffudd is in excellent form and I hope A&E/BBC will continue to bring us more of "Horatio Hornblower!"
Rating:
Summary: Another terrific series from A&E/BBC!! A must see!
Review: I am not a "maritime buff" nor am I a fan of C.S. Forrester's works but I thoroughly enjoyed the A&E/BBC "Horatio Hornblower" series. I have to admit that I was first drawn to the series because of Ioan Gruffudd (whom I admired in "Great Expectations" and "Titanic") but soon found myself hooked because of the gripping storylines, great action and impressive production values (set, costumes, casting, etc.). In "Mutiny," Hornblower and fellow officers are accused of mutiny against the increasingly unstable and sadistic Capt. Sawyer. In "Retribution," Hornblower must prove his innocence and an important battle against the Spanish puts his and his fellow shipmates lives in grave danger. This follow-up series is just as impressive as the original (which came out in 1999). It brings back characters such as Sir Edward Pellew (Robert Lindsey), Lt. Kennedy (Jamie Bamber), Mathews (Paul Copley) and Styles (Sean Gilder). This series also introduces us to some memorable characters (and great actors) such as Lt. Bush (Paul McGann of "Our Mutual Friend"), Dr. Clive (David Rintoul who played Mr. Darcy in the 1985 "Pride and Prejudice"), Capt. Sawyer (wonderfully portrayed by David Warner of "Titanic") and Midshipman Wellard (newcomer Terence Corrigan). As always, Ioan Gruffudd is in excellent form and I hope A&E/BBC will continue to bring us more of "Horatio Hornblower!"
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