Very Cool!!!

Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Sharpe's Eagle was the first book in the bestselling series by Bernard Cornwell, and one of my favourites. It had it all: danger, heroism, massed battles, adventure, and plenty of peril. Sadly, this television movie lacks a decent budget, so every action scene from the book suffers, and many are missed out. The huge marching French column at the end of the novel is nothing more than a few French stragglers, the whole "cut off on the other side of the river" scenario is simply excised, and the final confrontation between Sharpe, Harper, and a couple of huge axe-waving heavies is totally missed.I could cope with the lack of excitement if the rest of the film was done well, but it's not. The acting seems to be a bit of a mixed bag. Bean, Box, O'Malley, and Troughton all put in very good performances, as does a youthful Daniel Craig playing a roguish bad guy. But the rest of the cast seem to give hammy turns, especially Michael Cochrane's excruciating Simmerson. The movie is heavy on talk and dialogue and moves at a sluggish pace. The Portuguese locales look very nice, as do the costumes and sets, but it's not enough to save the film. Even though Bean does his best, SHARPE'S EAGLE is a disappointment.

Sean Bean returns in this, the second entry in the Sharpe movie series, which sees Richard Sharpe reluctantly serving under the command of a ruthless and sadistic 'Horseguards' fop Colonel Sir Henry Simmerson, who's incompetence results in the death of the highly respected Major Lennox, a company of soldiers, and the loss of the King's Colours.Also Simmerson's cowardly retreat from the action, allows Richard Sharpe and his crack company of Rifles to save the day, gaining Sharpe another promotion, this time to Captain.Captain Sharpe however has sworn revenge for Lennox's death and is determined to realise Lennox's dying wish, which is for Sharpe to capture a French Imperial Eagle from the battle field to adorn his grave.However with disgrace staring him in the face, an embittered Simmerson is out to extract his own revenge upon Sharpe, with the help of his worthless nephew Lt. Gibbons and the dangerously nasty Lt. Berry played with a deliciously evil sneer by a very young Daniel Craig.Set just before and around the historical battle of Talavera, this is one of the best entries in the series with welcome returns for Daragh O'Malley, as Harper, Assumpta Serna as Teresa, Brian Cox as Hogan and David Troughton as Wellington.

The Sharpe series of TV movies, based on the books by Bernard Cornwell tell the continuing adventures of a British rifleman during the Napoleonic wars. Each is filled with terrific battles, dashing heroism, buxom bodice ripping women and blustering commanding officers behaving like idiots to the consternation of Sean Bean's titular character and the rest of the rank and file. Sharpe's Eagle, one of the earliest entries, is arguably one of the most enjoyable escapades our hero goes through. Additionally, it's also worth noting that years before Bean locked horns with Pierce Brosnan in Goldeneye, he also came to blows with another Bond - in this case, Daniel Craig, who plays a villainous English officer with designs on an impoverished Spanish noblewoman.Eagle gets its title from the French army's gold Eagle standards and this entry in the series shows Sharpe's attempts to restore the honour of his regiment by capturing one. Needless to say, this involves a lot of fighting and while the limits of the budget are all too apparent in this day and age, it lends the fights a more personal edge, zeroing in on one regiment in the midst of an epic clash between the armies and our view of the field is exactly the same as theirs would be; we see the immediate threat and little else, the rest of the army shrouded in smoke. The bruising clash between English and French cavalry near the start is just the prelude to the climactic battle for Talavera where Sharpe and the boys take on an entire French army in a hail of musket fire followed by some bloody close quarters fighting. The violence aside, the other chief focus point is Sharpe himself, ably portrayed by Sean Bean. He may be better known to audiences nowadays for playing villainous roles, but he actually suits the rough and ready hero far better. He doesn't so much act as inhabit the character completely; this isn't Sean Bean playing Sharpe, he simply is Sharpe. Brian Cox meanwhile puts in a fine supporting role as Major Hogan and Daragh O'Malley as always is effortlessly charming and dangerous as Sergeant Harper, Sharpe's right hand man.But a hero is only ever as good as his enemies are bad and Sharpe's Eagle has two of the most detestable oafs to ever crop up in the series. With the French army a distant threat, his main encounters come with authority figures and rival officers, in this case Michael Cochrane's inept Colonel Simmerson and Daniel Craig's Lt. Berry. Simmerson is a snarling, beast of a man, addicted to scarification and with a stubborn belief that flogging and corporal punishment will keep his men in line. Craig on the other hand is delightfully slimy as an upper class villain with a penchant for abusing women, a cool headed and calculating evil to Simmerson's over the top cad.In short then, a highly enjoyable two hours of swashbuckling. It is a far more intimate portrayal of a colossal historical war than it would have been if it was made in Hollywood, but it is one that takes us right down onto the front line with the red and green jacketed troops. Sean Bean is so good its a bit of a shame that he has been relegated to playing the same evil English men that he comes to blows with here, but ultimately this is one of the most enjoyable transitions of a novel to screen I can name. And given that it deviates little from the (highly recommended) book, one of the most respectful ones too.

The action and, let's face it, Sean Bean are what brought me to this series, but the wit and humor are what make me watch it over and over. One of the best one-liners from "Harper" requires you to know the historical context behind it, but mostly you can enjoy this series without knowing much history at all. Sean Bean is wonderful as the romantic hero who is not afraid of anyone or anything as he takes on the daring missions his superiors set for him. And Brian Cox is a real standout as the finageling Irishman who pulls many of Sharpe's strings. Daragh O'Malley is a rare find as Sharpe's sargeant too. The production quality is good and the locations and set dressing are very realistic. I especially appreciate that the actors actually get dirty when they fight (something you don't always see in these period pieces). A great episode chock full of 'eye candy'. It's going to be hard not to wear out the DVD with this episode.