The first Hornblower film is based on the books by CS Forester, however it is clear that some of the flavour of the books is hard to replicate on the screen especially on television when frankly to mount naval battles and widescreen sea based shots require a Hollywood style budget.Set in 1793, in The Even Chance, we see a young 17 years old midshipman, Horatio Hornblower (Ioan Gruffudd) getting to grips with the navy, he feels the full effect of sea sickness but even worse bullying from senior officer Jack Simpson (Dorian Healy.)Luckily for Hornblower when Britain goes to war with the French he is transferred to another ship led by Captain Pellew (Robert Lindsay.) Under Pellew Hornblower thrives, his crew respects him, he shows bravery, tenacity, cunning and intelligence.However it is not long before Hornblower duels with the sadistic and despicable Simpson.This is a rip roaring adventure but I did find the script and some of the scenes a little cheesy. Some of the staging looked a little sub-par even for television but at least it was not dull.

Just finished watching the first episode of the Hornblower series and I must say that it is excellent. The late 1990s and twenty first century is an exciting period for fans of historical epics as the production aspects of the films are perhaps the best ever. It is as though someone placed a camera in the 1790s and filmed everything live. The shots of the battles between the English clipper ship and the French corvettes are by far the best I have ever seen. The British accents, codes of conduct, and smart uniforms are very authentic. And the scenes filmed in the small seaport on the English coast establish a real sense of place.The story centers around a young midshipman attempting to prove his worth in the Kings Navy while at the same time confronting a malicious fellow officer. Even though the series is set in the late 1790s, it deals with the timeless issues of honor, courage, loyalty, and duty to which almost anyone can relate.For fans of British history and sea faring adventure, it does not get any better than this. 10/10

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.

Another commentator wrote:"First of all, a note about the American titles for this mini-series: what's wrong with you people? Can't you leave a title alone? Or do you think your crowd is so dumb, they wouldn't understand the title that the makers gave it? Why did you have to change "The Even Chance" into "The Duel", for instance (and the other titles as well)? Translating a foreign title is one thing. Altering (and totally ruining) an existing title is something else."Please do not blame Americans for making changes to movie titles alone. Many films have their titles changed for marketing reasons. Back in 1981, I was on an underground platform in London that had a poster for the American film with Sigourney Weaver and William Hurt called "Eyewitness"; but the London tile was "The Janitor". How strange! Maybe they changed it because another film at the time had the same name? Or perhaps this new name sounded more "American" to British ears.Also, about how this was not marketed well in the US, it may be due to some marketing director assuming that US audiences don't appreciate British TV very well. You must also understand that many Americans do not understand many British accents and have a hard time understanding these foreign dialects. I know from my own experience as a Canadian- American living in New Zealand that it takes a while to understand not only the accents, but also the slang words.Regardless, I am looking forward to renting this series, as it has been highly recommended by my sister (American) who LOVED every episode and wish they would show it again on American TV.