Sharpe's Challenge
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Movie Reviews of Sharpe's Challenge
Movie Review: the older Sharpe
Summary: 3 Stars
this episode of an older Sharpe is not up to the standards of the original series but is better than no Sharpe.Movie Review: Sharps Challenge DVD
Summary: 3 Stars
Disapointing.
The novels were much better. There seemed to be huge chunks missing.
Movie Review: The "challenge" apparently involves a time machine
Summary: 2 Stars
Before everyone gets all fired up, let me state for the record that I love the Sharpe novels and have always considered Sean Bean perfectly suited to the character on the screen. However, Cornwell and Bean should have passed on this concept. When Cornwell wrote most of the Sharpe series, one must assume he did not consider them as screen plays. During the original series made over 10 years ago, various adaptations were made to the story lines. It didn't necessarily make them any better adaptations to the screen than the original story would have been. In fact, on at least one occasion it made them downright silly (the Aztec gold episode, for example). However, at the time at least Bean could credibly play the character's age, and the story at least took place in Spain and Portugal during the Napoleonic Wars.
In the India volumes of the Sharpe series of novels, Sharpe is still in his teens, an enlisted man until he saves Wellington. However, Bean was too old to play a teenager, and the same problems would have applied with all of the other characters who appeared in those books. As a result, a historical anamoly had to be concocted so that everyone could go to India at a time when no such significant events were actually happening. Sharpe doesn't save Wellington. He doesn't have conflict with Hawkswill. Harper and Simmerson are there (they shouldn't be). The fact of the matter is, this is not a historical novel - it's a fantasy concocted about events that didn't happen, during a time when such events were not happening, solely to capitalize on the popularity of Sharpe and Harper. It comes across as the mish-mash it is. As someone who is quite fond of the series, even the earlier films, this movie was painful to watch. If they wanted to do a film about these characters, they should have done Sharpe's Devil, or even one of the later books involving the Napoleonic Wars - at least you could slap a toupee on Harper and pretend the actors are close to the age of the characters on the screen.
I give this two stars rather than one, because those who have never seen the prior series and are unconcerned with any historical relevance may be able to suspend belief for entertainment value. The acting and sets aren't bad - I just can't forget watching this how the money would have been better spent making a movie which is actually based on the books. They were good books and would have made a good film.
Movie Review: Tired rubbish!
Summary: 2 Stars
I rented this one (good thing too!), and it really is the most preposterous plot. Bad movie! Really bad acting too! It appears that they just threw this one together and went through the motions to try to milk a few more bucks out of the franchise. Even the costumes barely fit any of the actors (Note even Sean Bean could barely lace up his tunic; too much curry?), and the gear of the native 'Lancers' looked like the tag end of a Halloween clearance sale (Lancers are ordinarily equipped with lances for one, though not a lance was to be seen, and the commander of the Lancers was carrying a ridiculous infantry small court sword, rather than some sort of tulwar or saber). The villain of the piece is a renegade British officer serving as the general of a rebellious Indian princeling. His identity is supposedly unknown, and part of the 'mission' of Sharpe is to find out who he is (although he has been in command there for some 15 years, raising hell in the local area) and rescue his old comrade Patrick, who had been sent previously on the same mission. Good idea! Send an Irishman to India to work undercover! Who would know? And despite months of exposure to the Indian sun, neither Patrick, nor Sharpe have so much as a light glow, let alone a tan or sunburn! Pasty people in Peshawar? Oh please! Caricature characters, poor acting, poor costumes, silly plot, and altogether a pointless letdown for fans of the other Sharpe adventures.Movie Review: Sharpe's Challenge Disappointing
Summary: 2 Stars
I enjoyed the Sharpe series on Masterpiece Theatre years ago and was looking forward to watching Sharpe's Challenge on PBS but quickly I was painfully aware of the gratuitous violence in this latest episode. The earlier Sharpe episodes had plenty of violence but not nearly as graphic as this one. I think it is much too sad that we are fed this type of over-the-top violence in what could be thrilling mysteries and adventure stories. There were such horrid scenes that came up so fast that I didn't have time to look away. I wouldn't want my children to see something like this. I felt strongly enough about it that I had to write my review.