Horatio Hornblower: The Duel - Region 2 DVD

No more faithful to Forester's books than the 1951 Gregory Peck classic Captain Horatio Hornblower, the real inspiration seems to have come from the success of Sharpe, starring Sean Bean, which likewise featured a British hero in the Napoleonic Wars. Nevertheless, while rather more easygoing than the real British navy of the time, the Hornblower saga delivers an entertaining adventure, greatly enhanced by the presence of such guest stars as Denis Lawson, Cheri Lunghi, Ronald Pickup and Anthony Sher.

Beginning in 1794 with the 17-year-old midshipman joining the fleet at Portsmouth, "The Even Chance" offers a rather rushed introduction. --Gary S Dalkin