The swashbuckling classic comes to rip-roaring life in this lavish production, filled with breathless romance and derring-do! In the eyes of high society, Sir Percy Blakeney (Brideshead Revisited’s Anthony Andrews) is a typical fop, surrounded by adoring ladies and clueless gentry. However, he is also a master of disguise and bears an infamous secret identity: the Scarlet Pimpernel, dashing and fearless rescuer of victims of the French Revolution! Sir Percy also falls head over heels for the beautiful Marguerite (Somewhere in Time’s Jane Seymour), who is also wooed by the villainous Paul Chauvelin (The Lord of the Rings’ Sir Ian McKellan), Robespierre’s Chief Agent for the Committee of National Security. Suave, stylish, and utterly irresistible, this dazzling adventure is sure to capture your heart!It’s tough trying to beat the 1934 version of the popular adventure-romance story, starring Leslie Howard as the 18th-century British hero who poses as a fop in London society but runs a secret mission to rescue the doomed in Robespierre’s Paris. But this 1982 television version, starring Anthony Andrews (Under the Volcano) as the Pimpernel and Jane Seymour as his beloved but estranged wife, is quite a treat. Andrews and Seymour expertly capture the essence of a relationship suffering from misunderstandings and elusive passion, and there is plenty of crackle to the action sequences. Clive Donner (What’s New, Pussycat?) brings some strong cinematic qualities to this television presentation. –Tom Keogh
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April 15, 2008
#1
I didn’t know what “Chick lit” was until I read this novel. Now I know to avoid it.
April 15, 2008
#2
Sadly, the wrong person was cast as the Scarlet Pimpernel, and it ruined the entire film for me. IMHO, Ian McKellan was more aptly suited to that role, and would have played it with pin-point accuracy. I thought the Pimpernel, as played by Anthony Andrews, was ridiculously unbelievable. He was too much of a fop to be taken seriously, and to label him as a “master of disguise” is a misnomer of vertiginous proportions. As a result, it was barely watchable. A shame, as it is certainly a wonderful story.
April 15, 2008
#3
I was forced to watch this movie in my French class at school, and enjoyed it to a degree, but found Percy utterly annoying. His way of speaking enrages me. In my opinion, the actors acted poorly, either that or there was a screenplay problem. You know those movies and times when you are just emberassed for the character? How you just want to yell at them and order them to do something to end the misery of other characters as well as yourself? This is one such movie.
April 15, 2008
#4
I gave this one star by mistake. If I could give it none, I would. This is so bad, I could hardly finish it. Come to think of it, I don’t think I did finish it. I had hoped it would be a nice remake of the original film, but, alas! NO SUCH LUCK! Stick to Oberon and Howard, trust me. Anthony Andrews lays it on with not just a trowel but a shovel, drawling and hamming, and Jane Seymour wasn’t much to write home about either. Sigh. Only Ian McKellen was at least in the right ballpark, though I still prefer Raymond Massey in this part. Absolutely save your money, and stick with the 1934 version. Seeing this one will just pollute your memories.
April 16, 2008
#5
Jane Seymour and Anthony Andrews star in this remake of “The Scarlet Pimpernel”. I haven’t seen the original with Leslie Howard, but it’s probably a good guess that it’s notch above this made-for-TV version.
The film centres on a secret organisation of do-gooders, led by a man named Percy Blakeney (Anthony Andrews), who risk their own necks in order to help prisoners escape execution during the French Revolution. Apart from the name they go by, “The Scarlet Pimpernel”, no one has any idea who they are. And to ensure that no one will ever suspect their true identity, they make themselves out to be idiots, weaklings, cowards, any trait that least resembles the heroic trademarks of “The Scarlet Pimpernel”. Also to avoid recognition, they work under a range of disguises and are continually having to dodge a group led by the villain (who doesn`t come across as all that bad), Chauvelin (Ian McKellen). Chauvelin and his men are determined to find out who they are and stop them. To complicate matters though, Percy meets Marguerite (Jane Seymour), falls in love with her and ends up marrying, which leads to all sorts of problems.
The script is incredibly ordinary at times and the acting in places is a bit stiff. It’s also difficult to accept that Jane Seymour’s classy character of Marguerite would fall for such a pompous idiot as Percy. Anthony Andrew’s acting is a bit off in parts, especially during some of his disguises and the film never has a high point. It stays on an even keel and never really takes off.
Yet, oddly enough, there are shreds of likeability to the film and a sense that there was organisation during production. But overall, the film is nothing special. Also, if it were an option, I would have given it a two and a half star rating.