Rating: 
Summary: Just like the books, but not enough!
Review: The first and the fourth DVD, are the least satisfying in this package. The crazy captains are my favorite. But this is just the beginning of the series, the real fun begins when our hero becomes captain and admiral!
Rating: 
Summary: Sometimes there are good things to watch on television
Review: I first saw the Hornblower series on A&E and was immediately hooked. For those not familiar with the saga of Horatio Hornblower, this is the story of a young British lad of common background who, by determination, sense of purpose, adherence to a moral code - and not without some luck - rises from lowly midshipman to high rank in the Royal Navy. It's a story of adversity and adventure, comradeship, and a little romance admist a visually exciting period of mortal combat between the British and French. The original episodes which are offered in this set only cover Hornblower's days as a young midshipman aboard HMS Indefatigable. The characters are interesting, the historical details impeccable, and the story extremely entertaining. I certainly hope A&E plans to continue the series and film more of the Hornblower books.
Rating:
Summary: The Marvelous Midshipman
Review: In light of the fact that most of today's programs meant to be "rivetting" contain elements less than worthy of that adjective, this newest adaptation of C.S.Forrester's novel was a welcomed and refreshing approach to depict the action-filled story of the aspiring young Midshipman. I would not stress the "action-filled" element of the story, but rather elborate in how pleasantly surprised I was to find a film with its due share of action accompanied by an engaging plot, highly dynamic characters, and an amazing ability to prolong the interest of the viewer through three full tapes. This epic and Loan Gruffud are, for more reasons than one, worth anyone's while.
Rating:
Summary: The call of the sea beckons......
Review: This is a very good adaptation of the Hornblower saga. The stories are (as has been said) all from the first book and have been changed slightly, but with understandable dramatic and narrative reasons. The acting throughout is marvellous and the ships themselves deserve credit for the beauty and power they symbolise. I can't wait for the next set to be made!
Rating:
Summary: Very Well Done
Review: A&E did a wonderful job of capturing the Hornblower characters. The only bad thing I have to say is that they should have done the whole saga as a one or two year television series. I hope they make more in the future.
Rating:
Summary: A Drama For The Whole Family
Review: Many of today's movies and television drama's are weak in writing and mostly watered down in acting. I find myself clicking through the channels looking for something of substance these days, and have been hitting the "off" button more often than not in frustration. However... recently I came across the mini-series "Horatio Hornblower" on A&E. I was so impressed with the series I wanted it for future Saturday and Sunday afternoons and ended up purchasing the DVD box set several days later. Just a down-right enjoyable series you don't have to worry about watching with your mother.
Rating:
Summary: Great box set of all 4 Hornblower movies
Review: The Hornblower series, a joint venture between ITV's Meridian and A&E consists of 4x 90 minute TV Movies following the life and times of Midshipman Hornblower. The DVDs are top quality, with a clear full screen image and great sound effects in Dolby Surround. The extras on the DVD are also excellent with a decent 'making of' documentary. It's the variety in the movies that makes the box set so amicable. The Duel is a good introduction to the characters and Hornblower's rise through the ranks, the fire ships is a tense sea battle (with a great scene with the ships in the fog). Ioan Gruffudd is brilliant and destined to be a new James Bond I'm sure. With Robert Lindsey as a very Captain Picard Captain too! It's really really good, buy it!
Rating:
Summary: Superb period drama, great plots, sets and location shooting
Review: I first saw the Hornblower film on a flight back from Seattle without the sound and even then it was good! After having watched all 4 of these TV movies from these DVDs I'm of the opinion that this is the finest sea-based drama! There are 4 stories, and they're all enjoyable, there isn't a dud. We see Hornblower rise through the ranks and gain respect above and below deck. The best scene of the whole series has to be when they capture a French ship and sail it through a Spanish fleet in the fog. The quality of the DVD is top notch. Picture quality and sound are up to the standards you'd expect for a 1998 TV program costing £10M. The extras are brilliant: a making of documentary (there's a book too also available on amazon.com) and a whole special on English ships from that period. Worth the money.
Rating:
Summary: A particularly good adaptation
Review: Having read all the Hornblower novels before I finally did discover those four fine DVDs, I had some high expectations about the quality of the production and I was pleased to discover that the result did come up with what I was looking for. Even though the stories do vary in part from the novels, the spirit of Forester's work is kept well alive... A great introduction into the world of Hornblower and the Royal Navy during the times of the Napoleonic Wars. But dont forget to read the books as well, the writing style is as captivating as the movies...
Rating:
Summary: I've Waited for This for a Long Time!
Review: As a fan of the sea and adventures set on the sea I had been lacking in the cinematographic interpretation of these two for a while. Then A&E's beautiful Horatio Hornblower movies came along. The four adventures are superbly cast (I *loved* the Duchess) and the images are breathtaking. I have never read the books, but my interest has certainly been sparked and I intend to read them all some day. The stories are engaging and believable (except for the romance in The Wrong War). It is not often that I am compelled to root for the right characters. Ioan Gruffud does an excellent job in portraying Horatio. Let's hope his future is as bright as his performance in this series! Here is to him getting a call to do more Horatio movies! I know I'll watch! And buy!
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