My first exposure to Horatio Hornblower was, of course, the books. The first of these films I watched was "The Wrong War", which was absolutely enjoyable. So I was really surprised to go back and watch the first movie--the Duel--which I didn't even finish due to its content. While the acting and story are excellent (can't really go wrong with Ioan Gruffudd in a period drama) I was very surprised at how much objectionable content there was; this is coming from a familywoman (is that a word?) Anyway, make your own judgment, I'll simply supply the details.Objectionable Content:Sex & Nudity: When Hornblower first gets on the ship, there are plenty of women, and raucous behavior is implied but not shown.Jack asks Hornblower if he is "a fancier of other boys" and if his mother "makes a living on her back." A character calls another character a "whore's son".Profanity: 1 use of the A-word, 1 use of the H-word, 2 uses of the P-word, and more than 10 instances of the D-word. Blasphemy, such as "Jesu" and "God" are used as exclamations.

Horatio(Gruffudd, imbuing the role with a strong sense of honor and pride) begins his naval career at 17, in the year of 1793. In spite of various circumstances being against him, he does, in time, fare well with the other midshipmen(if you don't know a lot of Navy lingo, you will want to keep a dictionary on hand, and a finger on the pause-button). Then, Simpson(Healy, making for a truly reprehensible antagonist) returns, and his abusive behavior, thus far tolerated by the other low-level(none of the officers know about it) workers, leads to a feud with our titular protagonist.I haven't read the novels, but if this is anything to go by, it's no wonder they were deemed worthy of adapting. This is an excellent first chapter, and sets the scene for numerous more - I look forward to taking in the following seven. Thoroughly well-acted, filmed compellingly(though you can, at times, tell this was made for television), credible with a richness of detail(many subtle ones), all characters developed well - and with a pace that features many events and people, without rushing ahead to fit it all in. The realism is impressive - there are some elements that make it clear that this is fiction, a dramatization crafted around things that have happened, and with how gripping this is, you easily forgive that. It goes into universally human themes - respect, discipline, friendship, etc.There is a bit of brutal, bloody, disturbing and violent content in this - it is quite honest in its depiction of the many nasty, potential consequences of sea-faring, and ship-based warfare, of the time. I recommend this to any fan of drama and historical adventure. 8/10

As a huge fan of the Hornblower books, I looked forward to these lavish TV adaptations with great anticipation. Imagine my disappointment to find that none of the merits of the books had been captured, leaving only the cheesiest sort of American-style action-adventure.This first installment is the perfect example. In the original story, the key duel is a masterful play by the virtuoso whist player Hornblower: he takes a losing hand and at the risk of his life finesses it into "an even chance." This reveals the essence of his character: the ability to make coldly dispassionate decisions even when his personal safety is at stake. This revelation is not lost on characters in the book, becoming a key stepping stone in Hornblower's advancement in the navy.The TV movie throws all of this away. Instead of a brilliant tactician, Hornblower is now just another military bonehead, who solves his problems by a combination of physical prowess and ill-deserved good luck.Of course, if the film worked even on that level, it might still be entertaining: a latter-day Captain Blood swashbuckler, perhaps. Alas, that's not in the cards either. As appallingly portrayed by the talentless, charmless Ioan Gruffud, Hornblower is little more than an annoying boob, with neither the charisma of an Errol Flynn, nor the gawky believability of CS Forester's original hero.The historical backdrop might still be of some interest, but that too has been horribly botched. The severe realities of naval life, so vividly depicted in the books, are softened and distorted beyond all recognition. There's no challenge here, for characters to rise above; it's more like a tedious commercial cruise, with boring dinner-table conversation being the worst imaginable hazard.I suppose that had these films NOT included the name "Hornblower," they might seem like passable (if mindless and style-less) light entertainment. But only of the most marginal sort. By attempting to pass themselves off as Hornblower stories, though, they become openly offensive. My advice: avoid at all costs. Put on The Sea Hawk if you want escapist nautical hijinks, and read The Happy Return or Flying Colours if you want sparkling historical drama.

As a great fan of the Hornblower series (have read it completely through 3 times), I was somewhat disappointed in A&E's rendition of it. C. S. Forester's writing was "abso-fraggin'-lutely" outstanding. His characters, plotting, and historical accuracy and detail mark the books as classic reading and are thoroughly enjoyable.I was looking forward to the miniseries with great anticipation. Hate to disagree with what seems the common praise -- the sets, the actors, the filming are all very well done -- but what's missing is the texture of the STORY!As probably the worst example of this, Forester's chapter "The Even Chance" sets up the characters and situation that bring about the duel wonderfully. It's unique. He explains the inaccuracy of pistols of that time and how Hornblower sets the conditions of the duel because of it. In the tv version, this has been changed to something that has little to do with the story as Forrester wrote it. They make a series of a good book precisely because it's such a good story, and then feel compelled to change the story into a typical formula plot.Enjoy the series for what it is, but read the books to get the story that made them classics in the first place.