In my opinion the film does not exploit the full potential of the story. Ioan Gruffudd is great in the Hornblower role, but at least some of the supporting actors play not as convincing as he does. For example Dorian Healy, the bad guy, appeals threatening primarily through the lighting and the music, not so much through his acting. The captains are portrayed in a rather static way. At times the cutting is clumsy, in particular during naval battles. There are no aesthetically outstanding images. The music is expectable and too conventional. You immediately realize that this is a TV production with less resources behind it than a cinema production such as "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" (2003), which is far more impressive.
Review of Horatio Hornblower: The Duel
