Good start, but then it gets ruined

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

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.

With its high end production values, 'Horatio Hornblower: The Duel' never belies its made for TV origins. The ships are real, the sets are real, and never once do they try to pass off cut rate CGI for the real thing. It may lack slick, Hollywood style action, but every frame of it feels absolutely authentic.If I had one complain it would be about its brevity. Hornblower's journey from seasick landlubber to competent midshipman feels way too rushed, robbing the final act of some of its dramatic punch. But once the buckles begin swashing you won't care about all that other stuff anyway.

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

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.