Customer Reviews

Horatio Hornblower - The Complete Adventures

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

These, of course, are adaptations of C.S. Forrester's wonderful book series on the adventures of Horatio Hornblower. (The first four movies are based on the book "Mr. Midshipman Hornblower" and the last two on "Lieutenant Hornblower"). And while they obviously cannot be faithful to the books in every repsect, they still prove to be excellent films. The stories are wonderful, tracing the heroic exploits of a young midshipman in the Royal Navy as he matures into a very competent officer.

These movies are not only in great in terms of story, but also production. We are told during one the DVD extras that the films were made using a combination of full-size vessels as well as scale models. Only once (out of countless shots) could I tell a shot employed a model.

The casting is also outstanding. From Hornblower to Captain Pellew and to Hornblower's men, everyone gives a great performance, making you believe that they are indeed the characters they are portraying. Ioan Gruffudd is particularly good in that he has expertly captured the complexity of the Hornblower character. (And incidently, some other reviewer mentioned something about him as the next James Bond - check out some of his publicity pics on online, and I think they might be right...!).

Of course, despite the persistent arguing of others, we know that these are NOT based on the life events of any one person. While, he interacts with a few historic figures (e.g. Captain Pellew), the Horatio Hornblower character is fictional. (Yes, I am aware of the Hornblower biography written by C. N. Parkinson, but it is supposed to be all in fun!).

If you like Napoleonic battles, or are into Naval films, or perhaps would like to see some films about the growth and maturing of an honorable man, these films are for you!

Although the Horatio Hornblower DVDs derive from an A&E "made for television" miniseries, all of the episodes are of movie quality. The acting is just great, the stories are wonderful, and each one stands very well on its own, although the episodes are best if watched sequentially. The sets and effects are very well done.
For those who don't know, the Horatio Hornblower series of books was written by British author C.S. Forrester, and deals with the career of a fictional British naval officer during the Napoleonic Wars. The series is somewhat faithful to the books, but significantly departs from the books in a number of places. But this is all to the good--purists (such as myself) will not be offended by this.
This is a "must have" for anyone who likes war movies. Each episode contains a solid storyline and chronicles Hornblower's growing leadership abilities. These are tails of adventure, leadership, hardship, and war. Very little gratuitous violence--young children and adults alike will enjoy this series.

Before Patrick O'Brian (who is justly due all accolades) there was the Hornblower series by C.S. Forrester, which has screamed for big screen treatment for decades. Before A&E tackeled the series, the best we have had is the old B&W Gregory Peck version caled "Captain Horatio Hornblower" which merges several of the middle books (the oldest ones) together. It was a good movie, but standard Hollywood stuff.

The A&E series starts with Book 1 "Midshipman Hornblower" and works up from there. The charcterizations are good and the screenplays, while taking inevitable liberties, are more or less faithful, especially in the characters of Hornblower and Bush. (My favorite was "Lieutenant Hornblower", Forrester's most complex novel in which Hornblower is caught up in a mutiny against a paranoid captain, and then has to extemporize an assault on a Spanish fort. The A&E series is at its best in this story, and keeps us guessing, as does the book, whether the ambitious Hornblower pitched his captain down the larbord stairs to save his neck and that of his fellow officers.)

Ioan Gruffudd (not a household name, although he had a small part in Titanic) is a supurb young Hornblower. There is strong support by the Kennedy and Bush characters, as well as Captain Pellew.

There will be inevitable comparisons with "Master and Commander," which I deem unfair. By the time "Master" begins, Cameron Crowe's Jack Aubrey is already a seasoned captain. In "Hornblower", we see Gruffudd's Hornblower evolve into his rank, making mistakes and learning. The Aubrey-Maturin novels are more complex, but Hornblower is one of the finest characters ever developed in the genre, and the success of the A&E series is how this is captured.

The A&E series was not a theatrical release and is not nearly as big on scale or special effects. None of ships actually used in the Hornblower series are particularly large, and do not match their historical counterparts.

Recommendations: I loved both the Foerrester and O'Brian series, and re-red them from time to time. They are like Port and Madiera, each have their use.

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!

A&E has said recently that it is not interested in funding more Horatio Hornblower movie episodes, even though Granada (the British production company that produces Hornblower) has cleared it with the Forester estate and was working on new scripts. Without A&E, who is more interested in reality TV, Granada can't afford to shoot another film. A&E's attitude is quite sad considering Hornblower performs quite well with American audiences and garners Emmy nominations.

Gruffudd himself has stated that he'd be glad to participate in more Hornblower efforts, even lobbying recently for Hornblower on the big screen because of A&E's lack of interest.

I just read the Hornblower novels and happened to see "Loyalty" on cable TV. I was blown away and then learned that there were seven more episodes, so I purchased this set, which is the best mini-series I've seen. Its production standards are almost equal to a feature movie, including the sets, photography, actors, costumes, etc. My wife, who has no interest in the Royal Navy, even got hooked.

Don't hesitate to purchase these DVDs, especially if you have read the Hornblower novels. Even if you haven't, you may well decide to do so after watching.

This set of movies is a wonderful adaptation of the Horatio Hornblower series. I bought the original set of four, and then the other two, and I watch them all the time. The movies very accurately portray the character of Horatio Hornblower, and are very nearly true to the storyline in the books. I would recommend these movies to anyone who has read the Hornblower books, or anyone who loves naval stories.

Don't hesitate! Get these movies! Then sit down with a bowl of popcorn and your family and have a blast. If only there were more characters like Hornblower, and more movies like these. Our family LOVES this series, and has watched it more than once. You have to adore Horatio--the perfect action hero because he's not quite perfect and he knows it--if he were a real person you'd want your daughter to bring him home. Anyone who sails or likes military (naval) history will have a special treat watching these.

This captivating mini-series has everything you would want in an adventure series: gallantry, intelligence, plots that engage your imagination, characters that you care about and actors that are at the top of their form.

The historic and naval details are just enough to make you appreciate the authenticity of the series, but does not bog down the plot with too much minutiae.

The script is witty, and compelling and not a word is wasted or meaningless. Every word out of Pellew's mouth is a gem and every look on Horatio's, Archie's or Bush's face speaks volumes.

The cast will soon become favorites whom you will look for in other films, but their work in HH may just be their best ever.

I suggest that you buy the series, because one viewing of this magnificent series, is not enough.

Usually women steer clear of "war story" type stuff, but in this case, don't! It's much more than cannons and battles. This series is filled with fantastic character work and excellent relationships between the main cast. (Cherie Lunghi is a standout in "The Duchess and the Devil" as a canny, trustworthy-or-not Duchess, and the rest of the cast is absolutely worth the price of admission.) You see the main character grow plausibly from a promising upstart to a seasoned leader climbing the career ladder, and forging strong friendships and gaining the devotion of his men along the way. It's a real ensemble cast, with all of the supporting characters given real, textured personalities. Definitely a great set of DVDs for a girls' night in!

The only reason it's getting only four stars is that the "making of" information is paper-thin and more of an advertisement for the series itself than a real exposition on the creation and execution of the series itself. I don't need what amounts to a commercial for the show and can't see the logic of having it on the DVD set; obviously, if I bought the DVDs, I didn't have to be sold on it. I would much rather have had real technical information on the adaptation of the novels, the filming, and the post-production.