Rating: 
Summary: Hornblower is number one!
Review: I first saw these movies from the library and loved them so much I had to beg my parents to get them for me (no easy task). I have all eight movies and I watch them at least three times a week. I am a HUGE fan of anything relating to the 17th century british navy, and enjoy watching Hornblower rise from a nervous midshipman to a high ranking officer. You don't need to see them in order, though it would help if you are watching them for the first time. A thousand times better than masters and commanders. Lots of action! Good humor. An absolute must see! You'll love them as much as I do!
Rating: 
Summary: Look at the subtext
Review: I just finished this series and was particularly struck by the last two DVDs, "The Mutiny" and "Retribution." Together, they tell the story of a mutiny that Hornblower helped to instigate. The story begins with, and has a number of flashbacks of, Hornblower and the other ship's officers (most of whom are his sidekicks) being court martialed after the mutiny. The penalty is death. Of course an important part of the plot is the suspense as to whether the officers are hanged and if so which ones.
I am not sure if this was intentional, but the view of the judicial process is thoroughly cynical. The three authorities running the court martial are not interested in the truth. The captain whose command was taken away was not only paranoid and abusive, but psychotic, and his commands endangered everyone around him. The authorities understand from the evidence (including that of the ship's doctor) that the captain had lost his reason. However, they are firmly against publicly admitting it because the captain had been a celebrated hero in earlier days. All the ship's officers participated in the mutiny. One of three candidates--quite possibly Hornblower--tried to kill the captain by pushing him through a hatch. The authorities agree outside the court that at least one officer should be hanged as an example. One authority is Captain Pellew, Hornblower's old mentor, who is fond of him and argues with the others against hanging him--saying that Hornblower is very useful in the service and likely to continue being so. As far as I can tell the other authorities tell Pellew if he can pin the blame on at least one other officer to go ahead, so . . . well, you'll have to see how it turns out.
Rating:
Summary: Where are heroes like this today?
Review: I used to make fun of my family members for loving these movies. Then my parents bribed me into watching the first one and I couldn't stop. These are delightful movies that teach about honor, duty, loyalty and propriety while offering great, stimulating entertainment. I never would have thought I would enjoy a series of movies about men on ships, but Horatio is a hero worth admiring, one who commands his crew with a stern but fair hand. Not to mention that Ioan Gruffudd is incredibly attractive and endearing and becomes only more so as the series progresses.I recently started reading the books, which are equally delightful. Forester is a brilliant author who has truly done his research. The movies follow the book dialogue almost verbatim and so the integrity of Forester's writing comes out in full force, a quality lacking in many book to movie adaptations. I recommend movies and books to all!
Rating:
Summary: Where are heroes like this today?
Review: I used to make fun of my family members for loving these movies. Then my parents bribed me into watching the first one and I couldn't stop. These are delightful movies that teach about honor, duty, loyalty and propriety while offering great, stimulating entertainment. I never would have thought I would enjoy a series of movies about men on ships, but Horatio is a hero worth admiring, one who commands his crew with a stern but fair hand. Not to mention that Ioan Gruffudd is incredibly attractive and endearing and becomes only more so as the series progresses. I recently started reading the books, which are equally delightful. Forester is a brilliant author who has truly done his research. The movies follow the book dialogue almost verbatim and so the integrity of Forester's writing comes out in full force, a quality lacking in many book to movie adaptations. I recommend movies and books to all!
Rating:
Summary: You'll want to own them all!
Review: I've become a bit of a sceptic about TV and movies (so many bad ones and I'm sick of the language, violence, etc.) and a friend loaned me Loyalty, Duty, Mutiny, and Retribution. After watching my husband and I were hooked. I just bought all 8 available and we watched the first 4 and M/R again (my friend had to go and buy the rest too). We save them for our Friday night movie nights and now I'm sad that we've watched them all. It's kind of hard to describe how they grow on you, but they do and are really great! We joke about naming our next pet (or child if there would be another) Horatio - how he's our "hero" - he's someone for both the men and women out there, young and old. We look forward to watching them with our kids when they're a bit older, loaning them out to anyone interested, and re-watching them. There are a FEW instances of language and violence, but nothing compared to what you'll find on TV or in an average Hollywood movie. Everything you read in the reviews is true (except the 2 negative ones) so I won't repeat what's already been said. You will enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Very good movie but some simple errors from time to time
Review: If you like to read Hornblower adventures you will like this movie too( even it is based on the story ). Excellent characters and good actors, but ther are some simple errors regarding human behavior in some situation like duel beetween Hornblower and Simpson. The last one is changing his behavior beetween fury and begging for mercy. Or capturing the Spanish fort where soldiers are going to surrender in one moment and the next they are fighting furiosly. There are more, but not so many. So it is worth to spend some money and see it ! For foreigners one warning: The Mutiny and Retribution( Adventures Continues) have no subtitles !
Rating: 
Summary: The Awful A&E Production
Review: If you've never read Forester, then fine, buy and enjoy. But, these miserable productions deviate so far from the original books that the character and storylines are unrecognizable. After A&E aired this excrescense, I emailed them thus: "You ought to have your grog stopped." Why, oh why, when people turn books into movies or video, can't they stay true to the original? The BBC managed to do so, with the "Sherlock Holmes" series (well, they went far afield with "The Adventure of the Priory Hall", but the rest were splendid). End of rant.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Series...
Review: Ioan Gruffudd stars as hunky Horatio Hornblower in this must-have Nautical A&E masterpiece. My only problem with Horatio Hornblower DVD set....Is that it isn't longer! This series stars when Horatio is a teenager, and progresses through his Lieutenancy. Horatio must endure hazing, evil crewmembers, disease, starvation and civil war. The scenes on this ship were beautifully filmed, and the costumes authentic looking. I cringed with horror along with Horatio, at the scenes where the crew must eat seabiscuits with maggots, and where Horatio is beaten, starved, and forced to remain on watch for 36 hours straight! As can be expected, Horatio endures these horrors like a trooper, and his friends endure along with him. I really cannot recommend this series enough. It beats most anything that's playing in the theaters today!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful action. Superb acting
Review: It is a joy to follow Horatio Hornblower's "journey" as a young officer in HM Navy. From the beginning it is clear that HH is more than just one of the "young gentlemen". His ingenuity and wits makes him stand out from the rest. He succeeds in doing his duty using his abilities in a way which gains him the trust and admiration of the men above and below him.
Ioan Gruffudd's performance as Horatio Hornblower and Robert Lindsay as Capt. Pellew are indeed outstanding, as well as the rest of the cast.
Part 5 and 6 let you see how much more HH has grown into his role as a leader. David Warner as the quite insane Capt. Sawyer is brilliant.
A MUSTSEE ! But beware, it can become an addiction.........
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful family entertainment.
Review: Like many people, I read the Hornblower series of books by C.S. Forester when I was growing up and loved them. I have now seen the entire series on DVD and the films are almost as good as the books. That is high praise indeed for all those involved in this impressive series of movies. Set at the beginning of the French Revolution, Mr. Midshipman Hornblower is a seventeen year old who has just signed on to learn all the ropes to skip and the ropes to know as a naval officer. He is intelligent and he is eager to be the best he can be. He is a handsome, talented young man who quickly comes to the attention of his senior officers, who put him in harms way early in his career. Hornblower is more than ready for the task and he astonishes everyone, including the crew, with his creativity and daring. As the saying goes, the sea is a stern mistress and young Hornblower learns quickly that the sea is not his only problem. He must face all the challenges of leadership in an English Navy which does not tolerate either weakness or mistakes. He takes his punishment, just and unjust alike, without complaint. He is the king's man and a patriot in the best sense of that word. His rise is swift. First he becomes an acting Lieutenant, and then with a bit of luck, a fully commissioned officer. His men watch first his bravery and then come to know the deep integrity of his character. He neither lies nor will stand by and watch an injustice without standing up for the injured party, often at great peril to himself. He is the definition of all that is good in a naval officer. These films are about good and evil, bravery and cowardice. Never is there much doubt about the right course of action and Hornblower will always be found on the side of bravery and honor. The filmmakers have spent lavishly on the many battle sequences that are part of each story. These are action films that never insult our intelligence. Good people die in battle, but Hornblower is one of the lucky ones to escape serious injury, while many of his comrades are not so fortunate. Ioan Gruffudd does a wonderful job bringing Hornblower to life. Never for a moment do we doubt that there are such fine people and we feel better for that knowledge. This is entertainment for the whole family. Grab a bag of popcorn and get ready for an evening of adventure on the high seas.
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