Rating: 
Summary: Brilliant movie!
Review: Richard E. Grant is Sir Percy Blakeney. The cast is simply brilliant, it could not have been better! Also big compliments to Mr Ronan Vibert, who plays Robespierre excellent! For costume-movies fans: The Scarlet Pimpernel is a MUST! Beautiful costumes, castles, characters and witty dialogues, especially between Sir Percy and Lady Blakeney.
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Summary: The Scarlet Pimpernel Boxed set
Review: Simon. E. Grant is superb as Percy Blakeney! His turn as Blakeney is much better than Leslie Howard's turn. I cannot wait for a new series! DGW
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Summary: Darker take on the familiar tale
Review: The BBC/A&E version of the famous "Scarlet Pimpernel" story is somewhat darker than what audiences are used to seeing. Film versions of the story probably reached their peak with the excellent 1982 made-for-television movie starring Anthony Andrews in the title role, which still retained a bit of the light-heartedness that the original story encapsulates. Here, the characters are all in place, though some are altered from earlier versions. Sir Percy "the fop" still gives cause to believe that his sole interests lie in clothing and cricket. Percy as the Pimpernel is as heroic as ever, though he sometimes resorts to more surprising (and violent) means during the daring rescues and escapes. There are a few really great, perfectly Percyish scenes, such as when he "borrows" Chauvelin's horse to escape yet again.
The other characters are changed even more so. The actress in the role of Marguerite is quite good, though she is not as pretty as one would expect her to be, especially when she was supposedly the most sought-after woman in Paris before meeting Percy. Chauvelin is quite a bit older here, but he still plays the villain quite well nonetheless. He has more depth here than in earlier versions, where he was simply "the villain". Also, check out the actor who plays Robespierre. Talk about creepy!
The storylines themselves are creative and unique, though they do deter quite a bit from the books and any other film versions that have come before. Nonetheless, you might want to give this one a try, just because--well--it's the Pimpernel!
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Summary: the Scarlet Pimpernel Returns
Review: The best Pimpernel of the series. Plenty of action,mystery and love. Richard E. Grant is the perfect Sir Percy. The complete foppish dandy but also the perfect romantic hero. He gets to use his clever wit not only with his wife but also with Suzanne Bertish, as the new totaly unlikeable Madame Tourain/Chevier D'Orly. He also gets to show his senstive side with the dauphin. Elizabeth McGovern isn't the best Marguerite, but here shows her complete love for Sir Percy, by risking her life for him and carries it off very well. Martin Shaw, the best of Chauvelins,is perfect. Although, he never catches of to Percy's intentional misprouncing of his name. I've seen this so many times, I think I know most of the dialogue.
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Summary: Not a great interpretation of the books, but ok...
Review: The Scarlet Pimpernel and all of the subsequent novels are some of my very favorite books, so naturally I was interested in this production. I was a bit disappointed in it, however, because of how far it strayed from the spirit of the original stories. The Sir Percy of the novels relied on his cunning and wit to get out of sticky situations rather than killing a bunch of people (even if they deserved it) as in these three films. That is really my main complaint, but I have a few others. The character of Chauvelin is different. Here he is bad, yet conflicted. In the novels he is just plain bad. He shows an obsessive lust for revenge, but in these films he just seems really miffed. Having said that, I think Martin Shaw played the character well for the way that it was written. Chauvelin's sidekick, Fumier, is annoying and unnecessary. Although, it was probably easier to have one guy helping him throughout all three films rather than having different people, as happens in the different novels. I thought Richard E. Grant was decent. He could have been better, I think, if the role had been interpreted better. He also doesn't fit the physical profile of Sir Percy, but that could be overlooked if the role was more like the original character. As for Elizabeth McGovern, she really lacked the passion that the role of Marguerite needed. Finally, I really wish that the French characters would have used French accents. Or at least tried to. Now it's time for the good things about these films. They are beautifully shot, and worth watching just for the cinematography. There are some fun fencing scenes, which are always a plus. The musical score is also quite good. I really like Anthony Green's performance as Sir Andrew. I thought it was really well done, just the way that I pictured Andrew. I did think he would make a better Sir Percy than Grant, especially since he actually does fit the physical profile. Last but not least (and the reason I wrote this review), the best performance in the movies, in my opinion, was that of Ronan Vibert as Robespierre, especially in the third film. He played the part exactly as I'm sure Baroness Orczy had him in her mind. He gives the character that soft-spoken viciousness that makes others cower before him, even though he perhaps isn't a physically frightening figure. Plus, he perfectly does the "mirthless smile" bit that Orczy was always writing about. True, it was a relatively small role, but Vibert's performance was the definite standout, with Green coming second. Pay attention to their performances if you watch these. The bottom line is that this film is fun to watch if you like a good swashbuckler. If you are looking for a film that has a better interpretation of the book, watch the version with Leslie Howard. Actually, watch it anyway. If you want a lavish, beautifully filmed version that may not quite get all the details right, watch these movies. They aren't the best, but they are fun.
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Summary: I confess, I had a dueced good time watching these movies
Review: The Scarlet Pimpernel has long been one of my favorite novels because of the adventure and witty dialogue. This movie brings out all of the fine points of Baroness Orczy's fabulous tale. Richard E. Grant is hilarious and dashing. The attention to historical details are, for the most part, accurate. Those interested in the French Revolution will be tickled to hear "ca ira" played throughout the first episode. They will also enjoy the actor who plays the diabolical Robespierre, his dead eyes and foppish attire seem to capture the essence of the Incorruptible. If you are looking for a swashbuckling tale, this set is for you. Six hours of fantastic stories. If you liked St. Ives, you will love this one...
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Summary: The worst, I repeat, WORST book adaptation I have ever seen!
Review: The Scarlet Pimpernel is my favorite hero. He's tall, handsome, sweet, funny, well-mannered, clever, and only resorts to violence as a last resort. So who is this short balding dude who insults his wife in public, stabs people, and is absolutely, positively irritating? He's not the Pimpernel except, Oh GAWD!, he is! What the devil was A&E thinking? Did anyone actually read the books before they wrote these scripts? Every character in this whole stupid A&E series was totally wrong. They all were about 10 years older than they were supposed to be, but what's more is that their personalities were totally wrong as well. If you want a good Pimpernel movie, try the 1982 version with Anthony Andrews as Percy. He was too perfect and way too cute as Sir Percy! Jane Seymour also played a lovely Lady Blakeney and Sir Ian Mckellan was the absolute epitome of the villian Chauvlin. Or, if you're an old movie fan, try the 1934 Scarlet Pimpernel movie with Leslie Howard and Merle Oberon. Oberon was better as Marguerite than Jane Seymour even was. Leslie Howard's preformance (while not as good as Anthony Andrews's) was excellent as well. His transitions from fop to hero were masterful.
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Summary: Honey, I'll be late tonight
Review: The Scarlet Pimpernel is one of those books any child, or teenager should read. It has all the ingredients adventure, a hero in disguise, an evil villain, a great heroine and action and adventure. I really like this version. I thought that no one could surpass Anthony Andrews , but , as usual I was wrong. Richard E. Grant is utterly perfect. He can be a stupid snob while he is Sir Percy and a great, sensible hero when he is the Pimpernel. His performance is elegant, wit and funny. Elizabeth Mac Govern plays a real Marguerite. Not a stupid, simple woman as others have done before. She was a great actress before her marriage. She has a past and that is why I like her. A real heroine who matches the heroe, not one who is crying all the time and waiting for him to save her. Martin Shaw is the best Chauvelin. He is a villain, with that dark secret that makes him more human. But also his wicked sense of humor keeps the high level in the film. And plus, add a great score. A wonderful music with a catchy melody and you have a great serie. BBC always keeping its standars. Let's hope they will going up.
Rating:
Summary: Honey, I'll be late tonight
Review: The Scarlet Pimpernel is one of those books any child, or teenager should read. It has all the ingredients adventure, a hero in disguise, an evil villain, a great heroine and action and adventure. I really like this version. I thought that no one could surpass Anthony Andrews , but , as usual I was wrong. Richard E. Grant is utterly perfect. He can be a stupid snob while he is Sir Percy and a great, sensible hero when he is the Pimpernel. His performance is elegant, wit and funny. Elizabeth Mac Govern plays a real Marguerite. Not a stupid, simple woman as others have done before. She was a great actress before her marriage. She has a past and that is why I like her. A real heroine who matches the heroe, not one who is crying all the time and waiting for him to save her. Martin Shaw is the best Chauvelin. He is a villain, with that dark secret that makes him more human. But also his wicked sense of humor keeps the high level in the film. And plus, add a great score. A wonderful music with a catchy melody and you have a great serie. BBC always keeping its standars. Let's hope they will going up.
Rating:
Summary: A witty and swashbuckling romance!
Review: The Scarlett Pimpernel is a top-notch miniseries equiped with everthing a great romance needs. A little adventure and a dancing scene. The acting is wonderful and the leads make it a pleasurable journey because they react to each others with superb timing and chemistry. their has never been a more witty and charming Sir Percy. This mini series will make you want to read all the books they are based on. The director did an amazing job of capturing the time period and mode. this movie immediatly grabes your attention and you never want to stop watching it. Let us hope their are many more to come for that elusive pimpernel!
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