I'll admit I'm a sucker for the Sharpe books and films. Both strands excellent.Sharpe's Revenge is a little more complex than usual; the English and French combining to sort out a problem?.As with most comments here, this episode belongs to Philip Whitchurch as Frederickson, and, yes, Cécile Paoli as Lucille is captivating.But Abigail Cruttenden as Sharpe's wife really started to rankle me in this and following episodes. Could be good acting, but I just don't find anything fanciable in her - somebody else said "airhead" - exactly. Mind you Sean Bean might agree in retrospect - how long did their real life marriage last?.Spare a thought for Féodor Atkine as Ducos. Excellent slimy character throughout. The running gag in the series of his stamped on set of good glasses is his undoing here.Now - to all other viewers in the UK and Ireland - watch the US population react with a few "no"s to "was this comment useful". Everything has to be positive over there.

Sharpe's Revenge has arguably the best opening twenty minutes of the entire series of films. With Napoleon's forces beaten back by the advancing British army, the French General Calvet and his men fortify a position atop a hill and make a last stand against the British forces, led by the determined Colonel Ross and Richard Sharpe, the rifleman with a habit of turning up at major historical battles. In a blaze of gunfire and cannon smoke, the English fight up the hill being whittled to pieces by the flying shrapnel but still pressing forward, until Sharpe and his men manage to blow a gaping hole in the defensive wall. Soon, the beleaguered French troops are being set upon by their blood crazed enemy in some vicious close quarters fighting. Swords clatter against each other, men scream in terror, wounds are torn in bodies and the Russian and Ukrainian stunt team set about flinging each other off walls with reckless abandon. It's an introduction that grabs you round the throat and refuses to let go, but sadly, the remainder of the running time falters after this dramatic opening and soon the story is floundering.The reason for this is quite straightforward. After the first twenty minutes, the war suddenly ends, leaving the writers with the question of precisely what to do with Richard Sharpe until Napoleon can escape from exile and come back to fight Waterloo. Sharpe being Sharpe cannot go far though without getting himself in trouble and before you can say "I'm not so sure fighting a duel is such a good idea," his wife has run off with all his money and what's worse, he's been framed for the theft of Napoleon's gold and the murder of several French officers. Imprisoned and awaiting tribunal, Sharpe decides to take matters into his own hands and escapes with his friend Captain Frederickson across country to track down his foe and clear his name. This sounds quite exciting in practice, but it sadly results in a distinct lack of action and more hiding in farmhouses, culminating in a rather modest skirmish that is a long way from the breathtaking clashes with the French army that normally round off an episode.Nevertheless, it still has its plus points. Captain Frederickson (Philip Whitchurch) in particular is given some very welcome screen time, proving himself to be a highly charismatic foil to Sharpe's dog headed determination. It also makes a refreshing change from having Harper playing the main supporting role, Whitchurch effortlessly stealing the entire show and making you wish he'd had more regular appearances than the mere three films he was given. Also returning is Feodor Atkine as Major Ducos, the evil Frenchman with a grudge against Sharpe. Once again, Atkine makes a fine villain, engineering the situation to tarnish Sharpe's honour and coming across as one of the most unlikeable wretches our hero will ever face.It's a bit of a shame then that these terrific supporting performances and another dramatic play by Sean Bean (not so much acting anymore as wearing the character like a glove) are not enough to save the movie. Jane's betrayal of her husband isn't entirely convincing and her money grabbing lady friend is more of a sketch that a fully fledged person. Furthermore, a bit too much time is spent on her activities in London with the latest upper class twit to fall in love with her. Fair enough, it serves to set up events in later installments, but it has too many plot holes to be fully justified.The lack of a fitting showdown is a disappointment too, the brief clash in a ruined fort at the end being no match for some of the epic fighting that has gone before. Even so, the performances by the cast are enough to warrant a viewing and as already mentioned, the first part of the film is absolutely great. Fans of the series will want to catch this one in order to complete the set of course, but newcomers would be better off starting elsewhere and casual fans may want to avoid it altogether.

This is probably the second to worst of the series (the follow up Sharpes Justice nipping it at the post), and for a number of reasons. For starters the plot is nonsensical - the set-up of Sharpe is so laden with holes it's not even worth considering, especially when Maillot's body is going to turn up with freshly cut off, unbandaged fingers - as opposed to 3 weeks prior.Add to that the needless add-in of Janes money grabbing friend, and Jane's sudden shift from 'daughter of a saddler' saved from the clutches of some gormless upper class twit as chosen by her wicked uncle into high society mistress. Yes Sharpe breaks his promise, but only by a couple of hours....for that it costs him 10k, his wife and nearly his life. Jane goes from being a strong willed independent spirit to some kind of airhead, neurotic female straight out of a Jane Austen novel.Cornwell may have done wrote the book like that; I don't know, but for me it spoilt the series because I really couldn't stand Jane to start with. Then again it gave Sharpe the chance to bed another lady...Frederickson steals the show. The guy is a legend in his own lunch-hour, with false teeth and dashing hairdo, half a pair of eyes and saucy eye-patch he's the guy you are desperately wishing a bit of luck on - and you know he's too interesting to die.The Chosen Men have disappeared in this one. After gradually being whittled down over the last few films it was beginning to turn into something of a on-the-road comedy a la Hope and Crosby with Harper and Sharpe. It gets worse in the next one with no Frederickson.

Capt Fredrickson is a standup guy. Competent, loyal, unafraid. Maj Sharpe breaks his unspoken bond with Fredrickson. Too bad. A double heartbreak for the good Captain. He was a strong character, played well. It seems he will remain in France,post Napoleon. Sharpe's wife is a classic nit-nat who cannot make up her mind. She's also a fool to let others convince her to play games with her husband. So be it.