The thing about the Sharpe films is that I'm spoiled: I've always read the book by the time I get to the filmed version, and invariably it's a disappointment when compared to Cornwell's sparkling prose. This one is no different: while, as a stand-alone movie, it fits the bill nicely enough, it bears little resemblance to the book of Sharpe's Sword and the differences are always inferior in this version. There's no sense of massed battle, of the enemy's evil nature, of Sharpe's secret affair with a female spy, and of the terrible life-or-death scenario that our hero goes through. Even the sword itself, so integral to the novel, barely registers in this version. Once again, budgetary constraints are to blame.The film itself isn't too bad and is better paced than some other adventures I've seen. Sean Bean is on top form and his Sharpe is noticeably humorous in this one, which makes a nice change from his usual dourness. The regular supporting cast are all given good parts, particularly Daragh O'Malley – struggling with the responsibilities of fatherhood, and Jason Salkey, whose rifleman Harris has a meaty part for once. The guest actors are all pretty good too – James Purefoy makes an impression as the foppish Lord Spears, and Emily Mortimer is the epitome of fragile beauty as a mute girl. Michael Cochrane also pops up as the lecherous Simmerson, clearly taking over from Pete Postlethwaite in hissable villainous duties. The battle scenes are limited and in some instances there are laughable mistakes. The closing battle, when Spears is sent on in front, made no sense to me whatsoever. The pivotal scene where Sharpe is shot is also something of a disappointment, nowhere near as dramatic as in the book. Still, the direction is assured and the character interaction kept frothy, so it's not all bad; just not what it could have been, given a Hollywood-style budget.

I totally agree with the in-depth review already submitted. This episode of the Sharpe series is my all-time favorite and the character of Lord Jack and the performance by James Purefoy have become a must -see every few months or so! I own all fourteen of the Sharpe series and annually play them in sequence. James Purefoy's portrayal of the tragic figure of Lord Jack and the tension-fraught scene in the library are worthy of any first-line production in the theater. You can tell I am a huge Sharpe fan (Sean Bean being the ultimate action hero of all time!) and I really feel sorry for people who have missed this engrossing and intelligently researched and produced series! Bernard Cornwell, author of the novels from which Sharpe is taken, is an outstanding writer and I recommend his other works to all. If you are a reader, try one of his many engrossing historical novels.

i loved the books, but found the character of Sean Bean gives a great visual of the hard nosed sharp, not putting up with anything, angry and bitter, he does it great. the video series is of course a low budget show, but i think they did their best during this time to reveal some great historical events. my only disappointment is now that i live in Mexico i want to share this series with everybody i know, but i cant find the video series or DVD with Spanish subtitles. it viewed once here in Mexico on cable, either wit BBC or HALLMARK, i cant remember now, so i know it must exist somewhere, if anybody knows how i can get the series with subtitles so i can share it with a Spanish speaking nation, please let me know, its funny most of the series is in Spain, and where are the Spanish subtitles?

Sharpe's Sword has three main faults.1. The dialogue. Not as good as in some of the others. Unrealistic at times, even leaning towards slapstick. The scene where Sharpe is being briefed by Munro is funny, but not in line with the more strained relationship we see in Sharpe's Battle. Equally, Pat's relationship with Sharpe seems inconsistent.2. The woman. OK, I've got used to a lot of other women lusting after Sean Bean by now, but this one is oh-so-annoying. The only time she's good is when she rejects Sir Henry Simmerson's disgusting offer so well, but other than that I find her infuriating. She just mopes around, whimpering, feeling sorry for herself and trying to get Sharpe to fall in love with her, which thankfully he does not.3. The bad guy. By this I mean the Frenchie, not Sir Henry. You see a lot of him pretending to be good, but not much of him actually being bad; he's not a figure I ended up hating all that much. There was good swordplay in the last fight scene, and the injuries of both him and Sharpe added excitement and desperation, but it wasn't as intense as, say, the priest's encounter with Simmerson.The good things were the priest (naturally), and Sean Bean's all-redeeming presence. Watch it, by all means, but it isn't the best. 7 out of 10. Ko, Izzy.