Rating: 
Summary: Worth Every Penny
Review: Our boy is back. This time he is on a secret mission to return a French defertor to France. I know that doesn't make any sense but you have to see the show to understand. Also at home he stuggling with a marriage that he does not want be involved in. Really interesting to see him back a decision, will he grow up or have the mindset of a midshipmen forever? Overall-I always enjoy the vast majority of A&E stuff especially these movies. The characters are mostly due true to the books, the actors seem to care about their job and when the movie is boring it never stays that way for long. highly recommended
Rating: 
Summary: NOT C. S. FORESTER
Review: Previous episodes of this series did make some attempt at compatibility with the books of C. S. Forester. At least, enough of the characters and story line were present so that the books could be recognized.
No more. Extremely little C. S. Forester material remains in "Duty" and "Loyalty". The story lines are nothing like anything I read in the books. The characters are ludicrous. Here we have Hornblower portrayed more as leader of a boys club than captain of a man of war circa 1800.
I thoroughly enjoyed the films but as adaptations, they are failures.
Rating: 
Summary: Horatio Hornblower swashbuckler
Review: The adventure continues at full gale force wind carrying the viewer along as another two adventures unfold with the very handsome Horatio. The intensity of the first stories again keeps the viewer entranced and entertained. Well worth watching--several times.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Sequel
Review: This set is a wonderful follow up to the previous Hornblower adventures. In "Loyalty" we find Horatio dealing with spies and a French port that is well fortified. His capture doesn't keep him and the crew from completing their mission and saving the British Fleet once again.
In "Duty" we find Horatio taking a wife, and then off to sea he goes again. This time in search of a missing ship. Once again he must best Napolean's fleet and army. The return of the cast we loved in the previous episodes, aged a little along with Horatio, they are great to watch in action. Horatio returns to England finding good and bad news.
Great quality as previous DVDs in this series. Includes same features as other Hornblower DVDs. Any fan of seafaring movies like "Damn the Defiant" and "Captain Horatio Hornblower" will love this set.
Rating: 
Summary: Poor Picture Quality
Review: Though these two new episodes are in Widescreen Anamorphic 1.78:1 format, the picture quality is very poor when compared to my other Hornblower DVDs. What actually happened is that these episodes were filmed in 4:3 aspect ratio (full screen), then chopped up and the resulting image enlarged to artificially make them "widescreen" i.e 1.78:1 ratio. Not very clever. All this results in a very unsatisfactory picture quality not to mention the faces of the actors sometimes partly cut in close up scenes. Did A&E really think customers wouldn't notice? But I guess filming in widescreen from the beggining would cost more. I'm very dissapointed.
Rating:
Summary: I love the series!!
Review: What I love best is getting to see the scenes A&E cut out so they could show commercials. The scene between Bush and the landlady were great! (This was after they came home from the Whist club).
Rating:
Summary: I love the series!!
Review: What I love best is getting to see the scenes A&E cut out so they could show commercials. The scene between Bush and the landlady were great! (This was after they came home from the Whist club).
Rating:
Summary: Those of you who giggle at the word ¿frigate¿...
Review: Will nevertheless enjoy the latest two entries in this neat little series of movies. Fifth Officer Lowe from Titanic has received a promotion to Captain Horatio Hornblower in this rousing seafaring adventure. Ioan Gruffudd, a charmer in the tall, dark, and handsome mold, plays C.S. Forrester's idealistic early 19th century British naval hero in two movies, "Duty" and "Loyalty." Hornblower is passionate about the sea and his duty to King and country, but less so about the woman he marries, Maria Mason. Forrester's hero is a man so ethical that he marries beneath him not out of love, but duty (hence the first title). He cannot bear Maria's complete adoration of him to go unnoticed, and for her to realize his own lack of feeling for her, so he marries her and lives a charade. Alack and alas, this pairing is bound to be ill-advised. Those who dig rip-roaring stories of the sea will enjoy this one. The writing and direction are excellent. There is enough historical information to please purists. There are swordfights, spies, war, cannons, Napoleon, and enough things blowing up to please action fans. Still, the series is suitable for older children, as the violence is rather tame and the lack of sparks between "Horrie" and the dumpy Maria translates into prim kisses but little else. The relationship between Hornblower and his superior, Admiral Pellew, is distinctly father and son, and between Hornblower and his second-in-command, Lieutenant Bush, distinctly brotherly. Shades of gray do not appear in Forrester's stories as A&E has brought them to the screen; characters are mostly polarized as good or bad. The turncoats aboard Hornblower's ship are entirely devious, the loyal ones entirely good. The somewhat priggish Hornblower is idolized near-completely by his crew, especially when he throws himself on a bomb thrown on board the Hotspur and claps it out with his hand-knitted gloves (two guesses who lovingly knit them). Then he orders it thrown overboard. Why not just throw it overboard to begin with? Then he is too modest to mention it in his report to the Admiral. When Maria reads of his bravery later, she starts blubbering, as per usual. I love Julia Sawalha, and she does her job well here, as Maria is too googly for words. The effects aren't half bad, but the same picture of the harbor standing in for Portsmouth every time got a bit tiresome. Comic moments abound, my favorite being with the hapless Styles, who gets into trouble at every turn. "Who's first down the privy, then? Styles?" Barbara Flynn as Maria's conniving mother and Hornblower's landlady, seems to have trotted directly out of a William Hogarth illustration, albeit she's about fifty years out of date. Also brilliant is Greg Wise as Major Cotard, the Frenchman "frog dandy" who Hornblower suspects may not be on the side of the British after all. He is almost, but not quite, as dashing as Mr. Gruffudd, who appears to have a nifty little franchise going here in the upright Hornblower. Let's hope he gets a spirited woman companion to loosen him up a little in later episodes. All in all, most will enjoy the story, acting, and production values. It appears to remain true to the novels. Rent it or buy it, you will not be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Can't wait for the next adventure!
Review: With all the garbage out there, this is simply a great adventure! It's fun! It's not out to shock with crude language or sexual innuendo, it's simply fun. It's a family movie we can't wait for the next adventure!!!
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