Horatio Hornblower Vols. 5-6 (2000)
Adventure | Drama | War

-- C.S. Forester's -- 2-Disc Boxed Set --

Tagline: He's Back!

Ioan Gruffudd (Titanic) returns to action as C.S. Forester's swashbuckling naval hero Horatio Hornblower in these two brand-new lavishly produced films which continue A&E's Emmy Award-Winning series. Following his rapid rise through the ranks of the King's Navy during the tumultuous years of the Napoleonic Wars, Hornblower's latest adventures chart a course for unexpected peril as he confronts deadly new adversaries -- on both land and sea.

Volume I (5): The Mutiny: The year is 1802. Sailing aboard the HMS Renown, Hornblower is eagerly anticipating his latest assignment: subduing the pirate fleet preying on British Shipping in the West Indies. Before long, however, it becomes clear that the Renown's tyrannical captain (David Warner) is dangerously unbalanced, forcing Hornblower to take action that threatens not only his naval career… but his life as well.

Volume II (6): Retribution: Facing the ignominious prospect of being hanged for "black, bloody mutiny" aboard the Renown, Hornblower languishes in a Kingston jail while his accuser, the demented Captain Sawyer remains confined to quarters. But Hornblower's course will be altered yet again when the young officer is chosen to lead a strike force through treacherous mountain terrain on a mission to recapture an enemy held fort.

User Comment: hispro Celina, Ohio • This is another beautiful example how A&E Networks knows exactly how to make a proper period movie. A top notch script, excellent sets and brilliant cast members make this one of the most polished television movies made in recent years. Star Ioan Gruffudd shines in the lead role, showing true lead star quality. I'm certain that he is on his way to bigger projects in his career. Coupled with established actor David Warner and well-known face Paul McGann (nice to see him doing more television after his abruptly cut-short turn in "Doctor Who"), the cast flow through the excellent script with everything they've got, not just acting the parts but expressing the feeling of the story.

Let's hope that this movie (and it's sequel "Retribution") are not the last we see of the Lydia and her crew. A&E could show other television networks exactly how to make a truly entertaining TV movie, something that seems lost to everyone else.

Summary: Another excellent period piece

--- JOYA - (PPQ) ---

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