Rating: 
Summary: Through Flanders, Portugal, and Spain
Review: Expensive? Sure. But if you're not impatient, you'll find a good price. Is the wooden crate important? No, of course not. But you'll probably love it even if it doesn't fit on your DVD shelf.Price and production values are not what Shape's about. There are heroes and terrible villians, high lords and lowlifes, horseguard and rifemen, buffoons and ballads. It's about the stories! Wonderful stories you'll enjoy seeing again and again. Follow Sharp's climb through the ranks, through dangerous, impossible missions, and you'll end up caring about every ragtag rifleman in his company, even Isaih Tongue. And every time you hear these lyrics, you'll be so glad you bought it: Ore the Fields, and Ore the Maine
Thru Flanders Portugal, and Spain,
King George commands, and we obey.
Over the hills and far away
Rating: 
Summary: Much, much cheaper in region 2
Review: For those of you with region-free DVD players (and to the rest of you what in the world are you waiting for) the complete Sharpe series is available on DVD at amazon's UK site for under $100.
Really, that's a saving of almost $200 and the Region 2 DVDs of course are in the technically superior PAL format. So pick up a region free DVD player and the complete Sharpe series on Region 2 DVD and you'll still be spending less than on this one USA set. Plus, the Sharpe DVDs are readily available to ship in less than 24 hours from Amazon UK.
These series of movies are amazing. I started watching them on ITV in the UK (correction to previous review: this was NOT a BBC production) and then on A&E here in the US. The production values are great, the stories/plots exciting and the acting compelling.
UPDATE: The price on Amazon UK has been increased. The new price (2/21/05) is $129. Still a great deal cheaper than for the US Region 1 release..
Rating:
Summary: BBC production
Review: I actually AM a fan of the British writer Bernard Cornwell's masterful Sharpe book series (note: that's Sharpe with an E - how could an alleged fan of the books misspell the hero's name???) and I think Sean Bean is excellent as Richard Sharpe, the clever, daring soldier who, against all odds, always "lives to march again" during the Napoleonic Wars. Sean Bean truly brings the British character to life. If I had $300 I would buy this special edition box/crate set immediately, because this really is a classic series. Poirot's Hugh Laurie plays a dignified and fairly amusing Wellington, but the Riflemen, Sharpe's soldiers, are the real comic relief. And listen for the electric guitar riffs in the opening theme - it's hilariously anachronistic.
Rating:
Summary: Don't carp, just enjoy
Review: I am a big fan of the entire Napoleonic historical fiction genre, and of the Sharpe's book series in particular. (I actually saw the entire film series before I cracked one of the books.) These movies are LOW budget TV efforts, but they do allow you to put a face, or a uniform, or a tactic in a new perspective, and to understand a little more about history. Sean Bean is a perfect choice for Sharpe. He manages to convey just the right mix of jaded, seen-it-all expert, with the fish out of water bumpkin, and then layers on a "screw-you-guys,-I'll-do-it-anyway" vibe to top it all off. The movies deviate significantly and unnecessarily on many of the major plot points. Sharpe's Gold in particular is a dissappointment, doing away with the books plot entirely and substituting something that plays like a bad, back-fitted Star Trek episode. However, my big complaint is with the pricing point for the series. There are 14 installments (the 15th DVD is apparently a montage-type review of the whole series) of about 9-100 minutes each of low-budget, TV-quality viewing, or only about 23 hours. Plus these movies are already pretty old. I don't think you can name another similar vintage TV offering that is asking for this kind of cash/hour. (Heck, the Monty Python set has older material, twice as much stuff, almost the same number of DVD's and all for only about 60% of the price). The set fails to even be a bargain compared to buying disks individually. This is a drawback for people who have already purchased just one or two of the movies individually (and most of the fans of the series already have). I don't think I'd be out of line to suggest that this set shouldn't be more than 150-175$US. I'll put a plug here in opposition to creative packaging. If I can't fit it on my DVD shelves, it gets thrown away. Spare the stupid crate, and save us all $10.00 and some wasted effort. Still, these movies manage to be worth watching if you are in any way interested or even curious in the era, and I do recommend watching them, but I can't honestly say that they're worth this price.
Rating: 
Summary: Too little, for too much $$, and way too late.
Review: I am a big fan of the entire Napoleonic historical fiction genre, and of the Sharpe's book series in particular. (I actually saw the entire film series before I cracked one of the books.) These movies are LOW budget TV efforts, but they do allow you to put a face, or a uniform, or a tactic in a new perspective, and to understand a little more about history. Sean Bean is a perfect choice for Sharpe. He manages to convey just the right mix of jaded, seen-it-all expert, with the fish out of water bumpkin, and then layers on a "screw-you-guys,-I'll-do-it-anyway" vibe to top it all off. The movies deviate significantly and unnecessarily on many of the major plot points. Sharpe's Gold in particular is a dissappointment, doing away with the books plot entirely and substituting something that plays like a bad, back-fitted Star Trek episode. However, my big complaint is with the pricing point for the series. There are 14 installments (the 15th DVD is apparently a montage-type review of the whole series) of about 9-100 minutes each of low-budget, TV-quality viewing, or only about 23 hours. Plus these movies are already pretty old. I don't think you can name another similar vintage TV offering that is asking for this kind of cash/hour. (Heck, the Monty Python set has older material, twice as much stuff, almost the same number of DVD's and all for only about 60% of the price). The set fails to even be a bargain compared to buying disks individually. This is a drawback for people who have already purchased just one or two of the movies individually (and most of the fans of the series already have). I don't think I'd be out of line to suggest that this set shouldn't be more than 150-175$US. I'll put a plug here in opposition to creative packaging. If I can't fit it on my DVD shelves, it gets thrown away. Spare the stupid crate, and save us all $10.00 and some wasted effort. Still, these movies manage to be worth watching if you are in any way interested or even curious in the era, and I do recommend watching them, but I can't honestly say that they're worth this price.
Rating: 
Summary: A Major Disappointment
Review: I hate to be negative, but I feel I really must warn lovers of the Sharp series about this incredibly disappointing effort. I loved the books, but the series just doesn't measure up. The budgets are very low and look like it. The plots are altered in ways that don't help the story. Sean Bean does a fairly good job job as Sharp, but the rest of the supporting group are either miscast, or ineffective. I am being totally honest when I say I found it so bad that it was difficult to sit through. To be fair, maybe if you'd never read the books you might enjoy it more than I did, but I definately do not recommend buying this without having seen it. I strongly urge you to rent or borrow it first. At least now you've been warned that this series might not match your expectations.
Rating:
Summary: The SHARPE Adventures....
Review: I have this fantastic set of movies depicting the steady rise of Richard Sharpe from the ranks of the English Army of the early 1800s. Sean Bean plays the role of Richard Sharpe who, as we are first introduced to him, is a sergeant in the British Army in Portugal during the campaign to drive Napoleon's Army out of Spain. He begins his rise from the ranks after saving the Lord Wellington from three French Dragoons single handedly. He then is assigned to the 95th Rifles Regiment as an officer and the adventures begin.
Some of the earlier films are rough looking production wise but still make for great viewing. I love how the troops are shown to be a rough motley looking bunch as the armies of the period truely looked while on campaign. The stories have plenty of action, adventure, romance, and drama. It is definately a worthwhile purchase.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Series!
Review: I haven't read the series yet, but being very fond of historical dramas involving period-wear, uniforms, and swordsmanship, I gave this a try. My curiosity was originally piqued by the mentions of Sharpe surrounding Sean's character in Lord of the Rings. So after discovering it was a completely me series to watch, I went hunting for the dvds. Even Ebay was selling them for around $200 a pop, so I went the smart route and went through amazon.uk, where you'll save about $150 if you have a multi-region dvd player as they are Region 2. I was NOT disappointed. Sharpe may be a low budget series by some accounts, but it delights regardless. In fact, that very aspect lends a particular earthiness and a more authentic feel to the series. The stories are good and the historical aspects wonderful. The folk songs of John Tam were particularly delightful and I fully plan on getting the soundtrack. I came to love all the Chosen Men and wanted to fight for them when snobbery or betrayal reared their ugly heads. Harper is both reliable sidekick and comic relief with his wit and good Irish sensibility. Sean Bean IS Sharpe, he truly makes you believe in the rough'n'ready soldier, capable of doing what needs to be done, yet completely honorable, often showing he is a better man than those considered his 'betters'. It will truly be wonderful to now go find the novels and hear in my head Sean's rich voice as Sharpe, the lovely brogue of Sgt. Harper, and the myriad of other accents involved. I would definitely recommend this series if you enjoy period-piece dramas, military/historical dramas, or just a helluva good time with action, adventure, and a dash of romance.
Rating:
Summary: FANTASTIC!!
Review: Ok, so some of you guys who read the books first, were disapointed with this miniseries. GET OVER IT! As a person who was introduced to Sharpe via these movies, I have to say they are absolutely FANTASTIC! Sean Bean IS Sharpe! They are a great way to get to know the period, the characters, and the history. The cast is fantastic, the costumes are authentic, and yes the production is low budget, but so what. That "BBC Charm" is part of the over all effect, and adds to that dirty, desperate, rag-tag feel that was authentic of the British army at that time. A big buget "Lord of the Rings" production isn't always the way to go, and would have harmed more then helped in this case. Film brings many pluses, that books can't. For example, the many songs and accents which only a cast of top british, irish, french, spanish, etc can provide. These movies have produced a fantatical Sharpe fan in me, and if they can do that, then they are definately worthy of the Sharpe name. "Over the hills and faraway..."
Rating:
Summary: Sharpe
Review: Please note that, regardless of popular opinion, Sharpe is not and never was a BBC production....
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