Rating: 
Summary: Not good enough...
Review: This is one of my favorite stories, but the two leading actors in this DVD are terrible. Elizabeth Montgomery is a pretty woman, but she moves through this film like a cow. Richard Grant just isn't cut out to the Scarlet Pimpernel. Mr. Grant is a great character actor so he plays the disguised Percy moments well, but he is not a good leading man, so he really can't get the "real" Percy right. I love him when he plays sly, sniveling rodents, not "the HERO."I... suggest to whomever has the power to do so that they bring back the great version of the Scarlet Pimpernel produced in the 1980's and make it into a DVD. Sir Anthony Andrews (Brideshead Revisited) played the Scarlet Pimpernel to perfection. His lady love Marguerite was played by Jane Seymour (Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman). The chemistry between these two actors was downright steamy..though they never removed their clothes. The scoundrel St.Just was played by the wonderful Sir Ian McKellan (Gods and Monsters). McKellan oozed evil and yet compelled sympathy not unlike that of Sir Lawrence Olivier playing Richard III. The story takes place in the late 1700's during the Reign of Terror when the French Revolution rolled out of control. Sir Percy, an English aristocrat (Andrews)is seen by most as a "foppish gentleman" who cares only for his appearance, but his close friends know the truth. Percy uses numerous disguises to cover his identity as he breaks the law and rescues French aristocrats from the guillotine. The real Percy is charming, his swordplay fantabulous and his identity as the Scarlet Pimpernel hidden from Marguerite on their wedding day when he discovers she has betrayed a French aristocrat to the Revolution. This tale is a real bodice-buster..when it is cast properly.
Rating:
Summary: Need newer version with Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymour!
Review: This is one of my very favorite stories--a real adventure and love story that has plenty of surprises. Unfortunately, this making of the Scarlet Pimpernel is dry and played without passion on the political, adventurous, AND romantic scenes. I would love to have the newer version with Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymour. It's a great flick that is also good for a "Blockbuster Night" with your significant other.
Rating: 
Summary: Richard Grant Does a Great Pimpernel
Review: This may well be my favorite version of the Scarlet Pimpernel. I had always adored the 1934 version with Leslie Howard. Richard Grant does not merely reprise Howard, he rethinks the character of the Pimpernel. The Howard version, done at a time when England was under attack by Germany, is solidly patriotic. Howard's Pimpernel is a patriot and a humanitarian. Richard Grant's Pimpernel obviously enjoys the thrill seeking, living on the edge of destruction. As someone else said, an adrenalin junkie. Rescuing aristos from the guillotine is an extreme sport for him. Lady Blakeney is played as an older character, about mid thirties, rather than 25, as in the book, which is delightful. She is more experienced, less an ingenue, and her mistakes arise from desperation, not pique. When they relax together, she and Sir Percy obviously enjoy one another, physically and mentally. Which brings me to the character of Chauvelin. His character is given more depth. There's hints about his character that need to be explored in more depth (could we have another movie or two, please?. He reminded me of Raphael Sabatini's Scaramouche, a middle class character who was drawn into the Revolution without a full understanding of what he was helping to set in motion. However, make no mistake, Chauvelin is looking out for himself first and foremost. France of the Revolution is shown to be a madhouse, where the Guillotine is an icon, sculpture of the heads of the fallen becoming decorations in a coffeehouse. It is both horridly decadent and fascinatingly stylish. All combined I would give these movies 4 1/2 shiney stars.
Rating:
Summary: The Perfect Pimpernel!
Review: To offer a profound disagreement with the reviewer who foolishly caviled at casting Richard E. Grant as the Pimpernel, may I simply say that Grant does for Sir Percy what Jeremy Brett did for Sherlock? This is the definitive characterization of one of literature's great heroes. What fun! What swash! What buckle! And what a treat. So what could be better? The A&E follow-up from 2000, of course. When will it be released? Who can tell? I seek it here,
I seek it there,
I have sought it everywhere!
Is it in heaven,
Or is it in hell?
That second series Pimpernel!
Rating: 
Summary: The Scarlet Pimpernal Box Set
Review: Well, I haven't seen the series yet but I have been reading sme which sounds sad. Richard E. Grant is a great actor but being the lead in his movies was never his strong point. I liked him in the film Jack and Sarah co- starring with Samantha Mathis. They had that spark in the movie that made it wonderful. I would love to see Jane Seymour and Anthony Andrews come and make a series of The Scarlet Pimpernal. It would be great because they had that spark that made the whole movie. Watch it today you would love it.
Rating:
Summary: An SP fan trying to be balanced
Review: Whenever people review a movie based on a book, they seperate into two distinct groups. 1- Those who love the book and are disappointed and 2- Those who have not read the book and love the movie. I will try to write a review that will help everyone. I am a Scarlet Pimpernel fan. I was happy to hear about the new videos and bought the set. I must say that as a fan, I was let down. As a movie fan, I found them to be tolerable. The pros and cons of the movies: Tape 1- SP Fan- The plot was of course mangled but one comes to accept that as a given in any SP adaptation. Ms. McGovern was not as vile an actress as I expected. The villains are well played. However, I found the utter change in the tone of the books to be distressing. In the books, the SP would come up with a brilliant and usually non-violent rescue. In the movie, they kick down doors, hack through anyone who gets in their way and generally make like a SWAT team. Once again, Marguerite and Chauvelin are made out to be ex-lovers, never in the book by the way. This is not giving away key plot points: Lord Tony is quickly killed! Lord Tony who survived a dozen SP books killed and forgotten about! Non-SP- Okay historic adventure. The costumes are good, the acting is solid. Robespierre is especially good. Too violent. The "get a room" factor is high. Worth a rent, not a buy. Tape 2- SP- Better than the first anyway. The arguments between our favorite married couple are cute. Again, not true to the tone of the books. The villainess is quite good though. How did Marguerite's hair grow back so quickly? Would they really have allowed her a wig in prison? I think not! Non-SP- Interesting relationships. The priest's plight was truly moving. I loved the part where Sir Percy pretends to be his arch-enemy! Still, there are better films in this genre. Tape 3- SP- The best of the lot and probably the only one worth buying. The writing becomes very predictable and I guessed a key suprise three minutes into the movie. Still, the vallains are good. I must agree with the review below that Sir Percy would never kill anyone like he did in this one. Too contrived an ending. Non-SP- The best of the lot. Some good suprises, some cliches but overall moderately enjoyable. Check out Errol Flynn for better examples of swashbuckling. In conclusion, Lord Tony's death distressed me greatly. The writer obviously wanted to prove that he was not afraid to kill main characters. He had already killed a league member at the beginning! Was he not satisfied? Lord Tony is the son of a Duke for heaven's sake! Do you actually believe the French could murder him in broad daylight in public in front of 200 witnesses and get away with it? It would cause a diplomatic nightmare. Anyway, since they knew he was not the SP, why did they not ransom him back? They are low on cash, remember. That's the way with these movies. They make changes and then do not support them with facts and aftermath. SP- 1 star None-SP- 3 stars Evening out to 2 stars
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty Good Adaptations of a Famous Classic
Review: While the movies in this boxed set are not the best Scarlet Pimpernel movies ever made, this is still a very good series of made for TV movies in its own right. Richard E. Grant is well cast as the Pimpernel while Elizabeth McGovern dazzles as Marguerite. The acting and direction is just short of excellent. The problem I have is that the scripts do not have too many good lines and they appear to have been written by hacks. This is a shame since the Pimpernel series was a most well-written series of novels. Still, the movies in this boxed DVD set are better than most of what you will find on TV these days.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty Good Adaptations of a Famous Classic
Review: While the movies in this boxed set are not the best Scarlet Pimpernel movies ever made, this is still a very good series of made for TV movies in its own right. Richard E. Grant is well cast as the Pimpernel while Elizabeth McGovern dazzles as Marguerite. The acting and direction is just short of excellent. The problem I have is that the scripts do not have too many good lines and they appear to have been written by hacks. This is a shame since the Pimpernel series was a most well-written series of novels. Still, the movies in this boxed DVD set are better than most of what you will find on TV these days.
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