Dan1863Sickles While not quite as romantic as the previous feature film, SHARPE'S CHALLENGE, this action-packed adventure is a wonderful farewell to the bad boy English rifleman and his colorful friends and enemies. Personally, I would have ended the series at the end of SHARPE'S CHALLENGE, when Sharpe has the opportunity to marry a loyal, courageous, and truly stunning general's daughter and become a general himself in the famed East India Company. But instead, Sharpe is just trying to get home, and he is roped into escorting a spoiled French beauty through the Indian countryside, and villains are after her, and one thing just leads to another till pretty soon Sharpe is like Moses leading dozens of castaways in search of safety and a new beginning. Where CHALLENGE had the feeling of an Arabian Nights adventure, with most of the action among Indian palaces and Royalty, PERIL is more rugged and down to earth, with a virtual "wagon train" journeying through hostile territory like an old fashioned American Western. There are battles every ten minutes and sword fights every five minutes. Sharpe's followers include a lot of Western types familiar from movies like STAGECOACH and MAJOR DUNDEE. The useless missionary, the plucky pregnant woman, the loyal Indian companion, the drunken or lazy troopers, all have their parts to play. What lifts the story above Western territory, however, is the way in which Sharpe himself is forced to look for closure to his personal dramas. Some of his most deadly enemies reappear (or their sons do) and there are some unexpected discoveries on all sides. The most poignant scenes in the story all revolve around Sharpe coming to terms with past regrets and resolving conflicts. All of it was wonderful, even if Sharpe's French blonde love interest in PERIL isn't quite as demure or winning as English blonde love interest in CHALLENGE. But both movies are Sharpe classics, both great farewells to a true hero!

Leofwine_draca SHARPE'S PERIL follows on from SHARPE'S CHALLENGE. Sharpe and Harper are still trying to find their way out of India, although they keep getting sidetracked. They join up with some soldiers currently escorting a prisoner cross-country, and they soon find themselves caught up in conflict after running foul of an opium smuggler. Action, ranging from sword fights to gun battles and a siege, soon follows. SHARPE'S PERIL was broadcast in two separate episodes. The first sets up the action, and is quite talky and heavy on the explanation. The second half is pure action and thoroughly engaging.The two episodes combine to make this one of the best Sharpe adventures yet. Sean Bean has never been better, here playing a grizzled Colonel who's seen too much of warfare and just wants to be out of it all. Daragh O'Malley brings a deft comic touch as Harper, while the other, new cast members are superb. Amit Behl turns what could have been a caricature into an affecting portrayal of a wronged man who retains his dignity, while Velibor Topic is a hateful villain. Beatrice Rosen is a particularly appealing love interest, and gets to show greater depth than most. Kudos also to a returning Michael Cochrane, who looks to be having a ball. With spectacular Indian locations, some excellent stunt work, colourful costumes, a cast of actors and actresses prepared to give it their all, and plenty of emotion to go along with the action, SHARPE'S PERIL is the best that television has to offer. A splendid outing that doesn't suffer in any way from not being based on one of the Bernard Cornwell novels.

Blueghost Sean Bean returns as the ever intrepid Richard Sharpe in this latest reworking of Bernard Cornwell's earlier books. Shot on 35mm this film, and the previous film from a few years earlier, "Peril" has z different look and feel to it, but regardless we get to see Sharpe's continued exploits and share in his adventures. The production values are higher than ever. The Indian productions seem to have been taken up a notch or two from the films shot in the 90s. Sun drenched scenery, both plush and arid, they're a far cry from the relatively frigid realms of the winter locations in Spain and Portugal. For whatever reason the direction feels a little different as well, but ironically enough seems to hearken back to the feeling that the earlier Sharpe films gave the audience. There's a sense of adventure, intrigue and the exotic, as well as the romantic.Sharpe is presented with some internal challenges as well as a plethora of external ones. Teresa, though long gone since the fourth film, is still very much alive in Sharpe's memory. To find out why, you have to see the film.If I had one critique it's that Sen Bean, being a smoker, has aged prematurely. Oh sure he's old, but his smoking habit doesn't help sell him as the dashing hero type. He looks ragged, which, ironically enough, actually helps accentuate the character. Still, it would behoove him to toss the cigarettes and add some years to his life.Still, it's a solid installment. A bit longer than usual, and it does take liberties with some of the characters, but it's a decent watch.Give it a whirl and enjoy.

davoshannon They criticized this episode because Daragh O'Malley had got a bit fatter. And maybe Sean Bean had a few more lines on his face - well, how many wives has be tried to please - apparently without success!.But it's wonderful. Heroism, humanity, and fellow feeling are all there just as they are in the entire series. There's some closure for fellow aficionados; Hakeswill (in a sense) is laid to rest, and Simmerson ends the fool he always was.Bernard Cornwell is an excellent author, and Sean Bean / Daragh O'Malley and this entire cast has brought it all to wonderful viewing.Wanna be a soldier!