Hornblower: The Even Chance

If America only knew how good this was,it would be the highest rated Made-For-TV movie series of all time(hard to believe there are more people out there that would rather watch "The Columbo Mysteries" than Horatio Hornblower- that just goes to show the power of major network name-brand advertising.

The Hornblower movie series has been television at its finest. I have seen all 6 of the A&E Horatio Hornblower movies,"The Duchess and the Devil" is my favorite of the 6 films. However I tune in to A&E everytime they air a new Hornblower movie. So far all 6 movies have been based on the Horatio Hornblower adventure novels written by C.S. Forester(the same author who wrote African Queen). Each Movie chronicles the on-going adventures of Horatio Hornblower who is a Brittish Lt. in the Brittish Navy during the late 1790's-to early 1800's during the Napoleonic era in Europe. I sincerly believe that each one of these 6 Films has been good enough to have shown at the movie theaters,if the producers had wanted to. Unlike other Made-For-TV films,The Hornblower films do not have that Made-For-TV feeling to them,like most television movies have.

A common misconception that people who havent seen these movies have is that all 6 of these films go to gether as a mini-series- that is not true. The Hornblower movies are not a mini-series,all 6 of these films are individual movies about the same charactor- with all the same actors playing the same roles in each film(EXAMPLE:think of the James Bond films-They are not sequels, but they are all about the adventures of James Bond- that same principle applies to the Hornblower movies) I give the entire Horatio Hornblower movie series 5 out of 5 stars. Its Perfect entertainment- but you cant please everyone, so for those of you dont like epic battleship battles,historic style drama,high stakes adventure, and danger on the high seas,if you dont like stuff like that-there is always Columbo re-run for you to watch.

I viewed this show with some trepidation, as the name Hornblower to me (as with many others) is synonymous with Gregory Peck. But this is a different Hornblower and the magic is very much the same - fancy uniforms, good guys and bad guys, lots of sailing ships and lot of blood and thunder. What more can one ask for?

Add to this an excellent cast, from the principals down and you come up with a rip roaring piece of entertainment. The producers on the whole avoided the urge to "modernise" the story, the speech and demeanour of all concerned rang true, this in itself is worthy of note.

So, if like me , you were reluctant to see this show as you didn't want your memories of the Peck movie spoilt - do take the opportunity if it comes to your screen again. It is a classic example of when the British do something well, they do it extra well - Recommended.

The first in the Horatio Hornblower series, this installment is absolutely stunning. After watching this, you will find yourself longing for more. There is enough action, drama, and humor to satisfy just about anyone.

The acting is wonderful. Ioan Gruffudd in particular in the leading role, but all the supporting actors put out great performances as well.

The costumes are flawless. That, combined with the set design and ships, make you feel as though you have gone back in time.

I would recommend this miniseries to anyone I know (And I've done much of that already).

I am 19 years old, and since I had not read any of the Hornblower books (I expect most people would think this criminal, not to have read the stories of the most beloved naval hero in fiction!) I knew nothing about the story until the first two hour film was shown on TV (October 7th in England.-I hear that the USA will get the Hornblower series in the New Year) There are four Hornblower films, and the first 'The Even Chance' made me want to see the other three right away! The story is set in the years of the Napoleonic wars, and the first story shows Hornblowers first adventures as midshipman aboard the' Indefatigable'' having to put up with bullying by Simpson another midshipman aboard the ship who takes an instant dislike to the new recuit. The acting by Ioan Gruffudd as the young, self-concious, shy Horatio Hornblower is superb, and his dark brooding good looks are sure to make him a new heart throb. The rest of the cast are brilliant too, from Robert Lindsay as captain Pellew to Dorian Healy as the vicious Simpson. The £12 million spent on the film, has not gone to waste either. The first wooden ship to be built for 140 years, 'The Grand Turk', is used in the film for the 'Indefatigable' and is a stunning sight to see. The action sequences are brilliantly done, making you feel like you are almost on the ship itself. So brilliant action sequences, wonderful battle ships, and a stunning cast, all make Hornblower one of the best things to come on TV in years. Luckily for me (now a huge Hornblower fan) the showing of the second film-which was to be in December- has been put forward to November, because of the huge number of people calling ITV Television station, saying how much they liked it, and demanding for it to be put on early! I personally cannot wait to sail the sea with Horatio Hornblower again.

I was frankly not expecting much because my exposure to Ioan Gruffudd has been exclusively the dismal Fantastic Four movies. I was stunned to learn that he can actually act -- or could once, anyway -- and his performance completely carries this film. The rest of the cast, for the most part unfamiliar to me as an American viewer, do a fine job as well. I would make something of an exception for Dorian Healy, but I fault him less for his performance than the script for giving him so little to work with other than moustache-twirling villainy. That's a minor nitpick, though. The acting is solid across the board, with a great supporting performance by Robert Lindsay.

In general, the action moves along briskly, the characters are well-defined, and the overall production values are surprisingly high. There are a few weak special effects where the budget shows a bit, but for the most part this is a really well-mounted production. The sets and costumes are top-notch, and a lot of attention seems to have been paid to period detail. It would be easy to believe this was a big-screen theatrical production if not for the periodic commercial fade-outs (which, by the way, were uniformly ignored on the telecast I watched -- is it really that difficult, Ovation?) Oh, and for other American viewers, the reason Kennedy looks so familiar but you can't quite place him is because he buried his natural accent so successfully on Battlestar Galactica.

At any rate, I highly recommend this film and now look forward to seeing the others in the series. I can only marvel at whatever happened to Horatio Hornblower to turn him into such a lackluster Reed Richards. Perhaps a lifetime of attempting to spell "Ioan Gruffudd" has just worn him down.