Hornblower - Meuterei

This may well be an excellent production, but I would like to ask the Americans amongst you not to credit an American Network with its production but rather the UK casts crews and channels responsible for making it rather than the US network which seams to incessantly repackage mid quality UK productions

I have now seen all six of the A&E Hornblower series and find it one of the best produced series TV has ever done. I will say five and six were slow paced and moved more like a soap opera but the writing has been outstanding the cast is professional and superior in every way. The first four episodes rated 8 & 9 's in my book but these last two dropped a little to a 7 because of the pacing. Excellent family fare and I am sure everyone will find them entertaining.

I am now addicted to Hornblower! This is one of the most realistic historical dramas out there.

Everything in Hornblower is played to perfection, from the sets

(fantastic, towering ships) to the costumes to the cast. The actors

are all so believable in their roles that it's hard to pull yourself out

of that world. I had only flicked onto it by accident on TV, but I couldn't pull myself

away. I have to say, Ioan Gruffudd is one of the best British actors

around. If you haven't watched any of the series, well then, shame on you!

I didn't see the A&E movie when it first came out and missed part two the second, so have bought the video from Amazon.com. This is true adventure with enough action to keep the suspence continual. My husband has read several of the books and both forms of the stories are excellent. A great cast and the sight of the beautiful sailing vessels in full rigging -- I'd forgotten how much I love them. I recommend this movie to everyone of any age.

Big budgeted Brit TV-series based on the books of C.S. Forester, set during the Napoleonic wars in the beginning of the 19th century.

Hornblower starts of as a midshipman and the series follows him as he climbs up through the ranks.

Only the British can make such a spectacular historical series. No costs or means have been spared to recreate life at sea in those times. Not much of CGI or whatvever, the ships and fight are all real. When Hornblower is trapped on a sinking ship, there is no money for some elaborater special effect so they just sink it for real. Plots are full of twists and turns and are never predictable. Series is very intelligently scripted, great charactarisation and humour is provided when needed.

It seems this series was the inspiration for US movie "Master and Commander" with Russel Crowe. It's the same theme, same era and nearly same plot. If you are familiar with the Hornblower series , Master and commander is almost a kind of rip-off, although it is based on another bookseries. Master and Commander is an OK movie but it just pales in comparison with this simply brilliant series. I think this is again proof that TV is getting better then cinema.



It is not the first adaptation of the CS Forester saga on Hornblower . In 1952 Hollywood made a very worthy effort with "Hornblower" by cramming three books into one movie. Starring Gregory Peck as Hornblower and Virginia Mayo as the love interest. Directed by actionspecialist Raoul Walsh, it's a real winner.