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The Scarlet Pimpernel

The Scarlet Pimpernel

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Definitive Pimpernel!
Review: No one, but no one has ever been as good as Anthony Andrews in this movie. This is possibly the best Jane Seymour movie also. Leslie Howard's acting pales in comparison and not just because that movie is in black and white.

My VHS is suffering from too many viewings and I'm in the market for a DVD of this wonderful movie. How about it out there in DVD land?

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The best movie ever!
Review: this movie is THE best of the best. The story is great, the actors are great. the action is the best! Especially the sword fight...but i'll leave that to you to decide. The Casting is Perfect! Especially Anthony Andrews (Sir Percy Blakeney - The Scarlet Pimpernel) and Ian Maclennan (Paul Chauvelin) This is a family favourite which everyone but my 11 year old brother (who only pretends he doesnt) loves to watch over and over again!
This is a must-have for everyone.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Has become my favorite movie!!!
Review: Historical romance at it's greatest. After seeing this edition, I bought the 1934 edition with Leslie Howard. I enjoyed it, also. I found the dialogue a little too fast...as was the style back then. I could definately see how the 1982 version was basically modeled after this version, but with many clearer additions to the plot and still better acting, especially with Marguerite.

Next, I read the book. Personally, I liked both movies better. Of course, there would have been no movie without the book & it is definately worth reading. Read it first, though! The extra dialogue and descriptive scenes only slow down the story to me. The author and the 2 movies all handle the situation with Marguerite betraying the aristocratic family poorly....but that is how they keep them apart. If they communicated well, there would be no plot & no...Ah! at the end of the story.

Even my husband loves this movie and will watch it repeatly, laughing each time. I can't get enough of this story & will probably watch every version made, just to see if I can get just one more sparkling detail from the story that was different from the others. I only wish there were 20 sequels with the same actors as this 1982 version.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: service problem
Review: The movie was ordered July 15th and not received till Aug 8th. The movie is not as clear as it might be. Looks like its been copied too many times.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Scarlet Pimpernel
Review: Everything that was said in praise of the Scarlet Pimpernel with Anthony Andrews was true, it is the best of them all. Leslie Howard was wonderful in the role, but Anthony Andrews "is" the Scarlet Pimpernel. No one who has played this character since has captured the true essence and personality of Sir Percy/Scarlet Pimpernel as Mr. Andrews. He is to the Pimpernel what Sean Connery is to 007.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: WHAT A GUY...
Review: My sister has raved about this film for as long as I can remember. When I failed to find it in our local video store, she told me not to worry, as she had recently bought it and would lend it to me. Well, having now seen the film, I can understand why she raved about it. It is a vastly entertaining film, filled with a smattering of history, swashbuckling action, political intrigue, romance, and droll humor. Couple all this with some very good acting and direction, and one has a must-see period piece. It is historical fiction brought to life.

Based loosely upon the novels of Baroness Orczy, the Scarlet Pimpernel is the hero of beleaguered eighteenth century French aristocrats. The Scarlet Pimpernel dedicates himself to rescuing aristocrats that, in the Republic of the post-revolution era, are destined to lose their heads in the feeding frenzy engendered by the minions of Robespierre. Just who the Scarlet Pimpernel is, the French have not a clue, other than he is believed to be an Englishman. The viewer, however, is on the secret of his identity from the very beginning.

Anthony Andrews plays the extremely foppish dandy, Sir Percy Blakeney, who is about as blue blooded as one can be and live. He is also the wealthiest man in all of England. Given to amusing his fellow aristocrats with bons mots, he also devises entertaining rhyming couplets about the Scarlet Pimpernel. Speaking in a highly affected voice and sporting the latest in fashionable attire, Sir Percy is a seemingly unlikely action hero. Yet, it is he who rescues those who are destined to lose their heads to the dreaded guillotine. It is he who is the Scarlet Pimpernel.

Since the Scarlet Pimpernel is putting a crimp into the post-revolution blood bath, the feared Chauvelin (Ian McKellen), an ardent revolutionist and hatchet man for Robespierre, seeks to capture him. Chauvelin has a soft side, however, as he is profoundly in love with Marguerite St. Just (Jane Seymour), the premier actress of France and one of its most celebrated beauties. Unfortunately for him, however, Sir Percy has just met Marguerite and been smitten. When Sir Percy romantically woos and wins the heart of Marguerite, she consents to marry him, not knowing that he is the Scarlet Pimpernel. When she marries Sir Percy, Chauvelin stops at nothing to exact his revenge, and his actions eventually cause a rift in the marriage.

What happens to Sir Percy, Marguerite, and Chauvelin is well worth seeing. Anthony Andrews is utterly charming, romantic, and drolly funny in his dual role as the dandified fop/dashing action hero who is in love with the prettiest girl in town. Jane Seymour is perfect as the beautiful thespian who captures the heart of a wealthy aristocrat, only to find, in the end, that she has married a romantic hero. Ian McKellen is effective as the angst ridden Chauvelin, who has had his heart pierced by Cupid's arrow.

This is a wonderful film. Now, having seen it on video, I am eagerly awaiting its release on DVD, so as to add it to my personal collection. It is a film that one can enjoy watching again and again.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: DVD Coming Soon!
Review: Good news on the DVD release - I just received an email this morning from Image Entertainment regarding the upcoming DVD release: "Image Entertainment has just decided on a release date of 2/24/04 for this title. More information regarding this title will be posted on our web site when it becomes available." This is great news - this wonderful film deserves a proper DVD release!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: DVD is Coming
Review: Good news. The Anthony Andrews version WILL be released on DVD later this year. I don't have a release date yet, but I am sure the company that is organising the US release, Image Entertainment, will give it plenty of promotion nearer the time.

Regards

Andrew Luff
London Films

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Amazing!!!
Review: This movie is one of the most memorable movies anyone could ever see! I highly recomend it to anyone who wants to watch a thoroughly enjoyable movie that the entire family can watch and appreciate. I am just sad that this movie is no longer being made and I that it has not been put on dvd. In short it's a wonderful, VERY quotable, and very enjoyable movie.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Magnificent and flawless adventure, romance, and intrigue.
Review: ... It's not only a superb story; but it's full of scenes which are worth watching again and again for the pure enjoyment of the dialogue, acting, and scenery.

The Scarlet Pimpernel is an English noble who rescues French aristocrats from the murderous reign of terror Robespierre unleashed in France. In "real life" he is a dandified, seemingly idiotic and obsessively fastidious "wimp"; whom everyone regards as wholly incompetent (though incredibly rich); but actually he is a daring, dashing adventurer, incredibly intelligent man who might have been the fictional ancestral concept of Clark Kent and Superman.

Anthony Andrews is utterly magnificent in this film. His performance as Percy (The Scarlet Pimpernel)is flawless, and eclipses even the incredible beauty and acting of Jane Seymour, who is also superb in every manner. Ian McKellan is a great villain. The music is very good; the cinematography beautiful, and the story is non-stop action, romance, and adventure, as we see how this amazing character saves aristocrats and falls in love; as the plot moves towards his attempt to save the heir to the throne of France. He is so enjoyable to watch as the foppish Percy that the film contains humor as well as suspense, intrigue, and danger.

For some reason I've never read this novel; but I will surely do so; and frankly, from a pure enjoyment point of view, this is one of the best 25 or so films I've ever seen. I can't recommend it highly enough; and hope to find it on DVD someday. It's not only a film worth seeing; it's a film worth owning. Sink me; if that's not the truth.


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