Customer Reviews

Sharpe's Peril

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Richard Sharpe and the redoubtable Patrick Harper are finally on their way home from India. Both look exhausted but are attending a ball given by the Governor of India who asks just one last favor. Would Sharpe be so kind as to deliver a valuable piece of property to one of the hill outposts? He can do this, the Governor goes on to say, without any, repeat any, peril. That should have been a flashing red light of a clue, but of course, Sharpe says I'd be delighted or something like that, and so the adventure begins.

The 'property' turns out to be the spoiled young fiancee of a French officer, who won her in a game of cards. She's already gotten off on the wrong foot with Sharpe, so to speak, after she smacked him a good one because he wouldn't dance with her. Sharpe and Harper do some grumbling, but dutifully set out with Marie and soon come across evidence of bandits. Not just any bandits, though. OMG, THESE bandits kill women and children and old people. Shame on them, especially since everyone has so repeatedly demonstrated a high regard for the sanctity of human life in the previous episodes of Sharpe and all. Shame, I say.

When our merry trio runs into a group of travellers headed to the same destination, they immediately hook up. After all, there is safety in numbers and Sharpe and Harper see a glimmer of hope as they think they'll dump Marie on the travellers. She won't have any of THAT, no sirree, so Sharpe and Harper must tag along to the outpost. Finding out about the other travellers and their issues, of which there are many, occupies everybody's time and energy until they reach the outpost. OH NOES!!!! Devastation everywhere!! There is much skullduggery and buckling of swashes; lots and lots and lots of blood, though the cavalry always seems to arrive in the nick of time.

There are plenty of Sharpe stereotypes in this entry: the very young officer who has something to prove, the old officer ditto, feisty heroine, several doomed heroes as well as some swell new villains. There's a portly English soldier deliciously named Wormwood who's up to no good, and a suave Russian officer named Dragonoff or something like that who's moonlighting as an opium dealer. In addition, Sharpe is revisited by his past. A couple of characters have surprising last names and remember General Simmerson? He has a great role.

Without spoilers, this Sharpe ends very satisfactorily, even if some of the events are major eye-rollers. For example, the French fiancee is kidnapped by her betrothed, who is on the lam from both the East India Company and the Army. They stop so she can TAKE A BATH???? 'Cause we all know how important personal hygiene was in 1818.

If you haven't seen any of the Sharpes, DON'T START WITH THIS ONE! For non fans this would be about a two and a half star movie. I'm rating it four because I am a fan and am willing to overlook a lot for the pleasure of spending two hours in Sharpe's world. Really, in spite of the above snarkiness, this film wasn't at all a bad entry in the series.

For fans of historical military drama serials, Bernard Cornwell's enduring character, Richard Sharpe, is at or near the top of the list. The original series chronicled the rise through the ranks of an enlisted man who, after saving Lord Wellington, was promoted to officer (unheard of in the British army.) He served Wellington admirably during the peninsular wars in Portugal and Spain, and culminating in the famous Battle of Waterloo.The BBC television series, starring the durable Sean Bean, does an admirable and faithful job of adapting the various Cornwell novels, particularly considering some of the budget limitations inherent in television series. As book adaptions, they are not unlike the excellent Granada Television production of the Sherlock Holmes stories starring the late jeremy Brett.

In the latest two additions to the chronicles (including the preceding Sharpe's Challenge,) Sharpe, accompanied by his faithful partner sergeant Harper (played solisly by Daragh O'Malley) has resurfaced in India. What sets both episodes apart from the original series, is that they were shot in 16X9 format with HD cameras. Although the DVD for both Sharpe's Challenge and Sharpe's Peril are, of course, presented in standard definition, the widescreen format increases the technical quality immensely, particular on the modern digital widescreen televisions.

The episode for Sharpe's Peril offers nothing new, preferring to stick with the reliable Sharpe "format." While hardly a film masterpiece, it is a definite step up from most seies television, offering good, solid, entertainment for fans of military history and/or Sean Bean.

Any fan of the series will enjoy this 16th outing for Sharpe and Harper. On par with 2006's "Sharpe's Challenge". The larger budget really shows in the scale of the scenes over the tv series.
Not sure why anyone would buy it from Amazon US though. They want $29.99+$2.98 shipping for a Pal format Region 2 DVD. That is twice the price from Amazon UK - $12.94+$5.00 after converting from pounds sterling. It is the same DVD!!! I love British Drama and Mystery and have ordered lots from Amazon UK - never took more than 7 days to arrive. Why would anyone pay over $15.00 more just to have it arrive 1-2 days sooner. Amazon still gets your money - just not twice as much!

Not part of the original series, but an offering later after Sharpe returns to India. Beautifully scripted and performed, it is a Richard Sharpe adventure. If you look at the books, though, it covers territory that includes many of the older plots. Worth it? Yes - but only if you have seen the entire series. It follows Sharpe's Challenge. Watch all 14 and Challenge to really understand the dynamics here.

A worthy addition to the series, & agreeable end to the films.

All things are subjective, and some Sharpe's pictures are better than others (but taken as a whole or individually they're better than 98% of the other stuff out there) but this was a romp as good as any other Sharpe's picture. As to the reviewer who opined that Bean is "...wee bit over the proverbial hill..." & another who observed "...Bean...&...O'Malley...looking far older and more haggard than in the previous installment..." I say of course they are! The actors, like the characters & the rest of us, are getting on in years! If the old dash is dulled with a weary patina, it occurrs to me that old soldiers know too well the futility of war & are wearied by the waste. "Wars are for kings and bureaucrats." says Sharpe, & too right. Fights & battles are for Sharpe & his ilk; they make a man old beyond his years & Bean & O'Malley play their parts very well. Thank you all, & thank you two most especially.

If you have followed Richard Sharpe's adventures on television over the past 17 years (yes, "Sharpe's Rifles" debuted in 1993!), the latest installment, "Sharpe's Peril" (filmed in 2008, but released in the US, in 2010), may seem a bit of a letdown, with Sean Bean and Daragh O'Malley, still in India after 2006's "Sharpe's Challenge", looking far older and more haggard than in the previous installment, and the 'original' story, a cut-and-paste of elements done better in several earlier Bernard Cornwell adaptations. Both Bean and O'Malley, in the 'Making of' special feature, imply that this will be the final adventure ("Sharpe's ready to retire from soldiering"), although the film has less of a sense of closure than 1997's "Sharpe's Waterloo".

But I was not completely disappointed by the film; it has some entertaining elements, and after discovering the hardships of the production (with over 100-degree heat every day, nearly inaccessible locations, and a variety of language problems involving a multi-national production team), the fact the film 'works' at all says a lot about the professionalism of a veteran cast and crew. I don't bemoan Bean's careworn features, now; nearly 50 when he made "Peril", in a hostile environment, he shows a higher energy level than many of the cast! I believe there is still a great final "Sharpe" story to be made, that will be more satisfying...

The wonderful team that gave us so much pleasure and entertainment with "Sharpe", should be given a better send-off, in a more hospitable environment!

I have really enjoyed the Sharpes series both DVD and the books, in fact I would classify myself as a Sharpe's junkie. (I've read 4 or 5 of the books and they really add an extra dimension to the DVD episodes.) I saw that this was released and jumped at the chance to see an episode I didn't know by heart. What a let down. Yes the budget is higher and India somewhat interesting backdrop, but Sean looks like he's spent all of Boromir's pay on scotch over the past 6 years. At first I thought his haggard appearance was a cinematic ploy and that they would clean him up, but no that's the actor. Sargent Harper wasn't much better. And the bit with Harper doubled over with pain down in "Manland" whiles he's trying to wiz, and then nothing more ever comes of it is wierd. In fact the whole episode is really the worst of all of them. Everything that made the original series so bloody good- outrageous villans (who could not hate Hakeswell, or Simmerson), the intolerant snobbery of the English officers, the barely plausible but enjoyable romantic interests in every episode, and overall the triumph of true honor, skill and bravery over all odds, none of it is in this episode. I wish I had rented it and spent the money on one of the older series sets- like "Sharpe's Sword" Harper: "Am I gonna die Father?" We're all gonna die ...someday Patrick" - If you know the scene - it was bloody fabulous.
Even at its worst Sharpes Peril is better for my tastes than most other productions. For the uninitiated- go watch the first 5 episodes. Three stars

Sharpe is the best! If you like the rest of the series or just Sean Bean in general then you will enjoy this movie.

Ok, this story isn't the best in the series. but after all the Napoleonic wars are done with by the time of this story, and this is the second India story. It has alot of classic soldier in India story fixtures etc with bad soldiers, boy soldiers , a beautiful princess and the brave but sometimes clueless and petulant heroine. It's probably the weakest of the series of films but it's still got good acting from all involved and of course Sean Bean who is both a weary soldier and yet still able to lead and overcome. He and the actor who plays his sergeant companion bring this a better rating because they are these characters in some degree by now. The story isn't too bad imo and the budget isn't a huge one but it's decent enough and reminds me of a classic b movie. I would say the earlier sharpes stand above this but this blu ray is worth owning for all SHarpe fans as well as for adventure fans.

We have the entire "Sharpe's" series and this was a wonderful addition to the collection!
Sean Bean truly is "Sharpe"! The story line and characters are very accurate for the time period portrayed in this series!
Anyone interested in the Napoleonic Wars and that time period will enjoy this movie. However, I would suggest watching the series from start to finish since, this is the last episode (to date) in the series.