Plot: What’s it about?
In The Mutiny, we find Horatio Hornblower (Ioan Gruffudd) has been placed on trial, where he faces a court-martial and potential execution. He soon gets a visit from his mentor Sir Edward Pellew (Robert Lindsay), who is of course interested to hear Hornblower’s side of the story. As Horatio reveals what was happened, we learn that he was assigned to a massive gunship, under the command of Capt. David Sawyer (David Warner), a most decorated officer. As the mission continues, Hornblower begins to see some flaws with the Captain’s orders and makes this known, so he is subjected to intense punishment. Soon however, other crew members start to agree with Horatio, but are unsure whether or not to question the orders. This leads to the chain of events that forces an officer to take control of the ship, which does not sit well with Sawyer, even in a weakened state of body and mind. Now the ship faces an attack from nearby Spanish forces, all while a battle for control rages and Sawyer seeks to discover who caused him his loss of command. What will happen on board and more to the point, what will become of Horatio in his current situation?
I was very impressed with the first series of Horatio Hornblower episodes, so I was looking forward to these new installments, very much indeed. I had high hopes for this round, based on the excellence of the prior programs, so I worried I might be let down here. I have to admit, these new episodes aren’t as good as the previous ones, but I was still more than entertained, to be sure. I love a good movie about massive ships and swashbuckling adventures, so even though this was a small step down, it still packed a mean punch. The story is still top notch and unfolds in two installments here, as The Mutiny and Retribution. I think the former has more in terms of the elements I like, but both were very well made and worthwhile efforts. Of course, both episodes take a place within the Horatio Hornblower arc, so don’t expect two unrelated programs here. As was the case with the original series of episodes, the production values are high and effective, from the elaborate sets and of course, intense attention to detail in all scenes. This set might have a steep asking price, but given the value of the episodes, fans of the series will not want to miss these new installments. I give this release a more than solid recommendation, but make sure you’ve seen the prior Horatio Hornblower release before you explore this one.
Video: How does it look?
The programs are shown in full frame transfers, just as they were shown on U.S. television. This is the proper form as far as U.S. viewers are concerned, but the series was shot in widescreen and shown in Europe as such, so it would have been nice to be given anamorphic transfers, but no hard feelings in the end. The image looks much sharper and refined than it would on television, but still has some flaws that make me lower the score. Some of the darker scenes tend to obscure detail, but not too much, though you can tell. The contrast is usually solid however, so don’t expect an overly dark image here. Colors seem in fine form also, bright hues and of course, natural and accurate flesh tones. I saw some compression flaws, but nothing too serious and as such, I am giving this one a solid overall score.
Audio: How does it sound?
I was a little let down here, as I wanted booming cannons and raging waters, but was given a quite conservative experience. The lack of proper surround sound is evident, as the rear channels are underused and in the front channels, there’s not much to shout about either. The basics come through in decent enough form, much like they would on television, but I long for a more powerful mix for these episodes. The music and sound effects sound ok, but seem limited at times, without the punch that would really enhance the experience. No problems with dialogue however, as it sounds clean and crisp here. This release also includes English subtitles, in case you’ll need them.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This release includes some good extras also, such as a forty-five minute documentary on the Op Sail 200 event. This piece is very cool and offers a look at all sorts of ships, but has little to do with the series, so I won’t discuss it much more. A very cool 3-D cannon feature is also included, which allows you to select different sections of the cannon, then learn more about them. You’ll also find some information on Royal Warships and author C.S. Forester, though these last elements aren’t too interesting in the end.
