I'm looking forward to this too. I'm such a fan of the historical era. But I've got to say I prefer Forester to O'Brien. The very thing you mention, Wombat, that O'Brien does everything else, is what I don't like about the books. There are sequences in them I love. The escape across Spain with Jack in a bear suit? Brilliant. The character work between the two men is just great stuff. The stuff at sea? Very nice. But the moment they get on land the books drag to a grinding halt. O'Brien starts writing social commentary like a very poor Jane Austin rip-off. And he's doing it through the mirror of his own time, which is extremely jarring. Yes, all authors do this, but O'Brien doesn't do it well. I feel preached to, and it's very heavy handed.
Still, can't wait for the movie. Billy Boyd is in it to, as Bonden the coxswain. Real ship battles, mmmmmm.
For anyone who enjoys this kind of stuff, the series that A&E did a few years ago of Hornblower stories is very good. Not entirely accurate to the books, but still very well done.