Sharpe's Eagle (1993)

I never red the books, but by itself wt a great cast , the movies are rewarding!great soundtrack!epic , would also recommend Horatio Hornblower the series.Sean been was born to play Sharpe

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.

**SPOILER**I'm not sure if we're still supposed to like Sharpe, given that we aren't supposed to hate the French any more, but isn't he just wonderful? I defy any woman not to develop a thing for Sean Bean after watching one of these. He's such a hero! And it's not just for the girls. There's enough macho, gung ho do or die battling to please even the bloodthirstiest guy. Cornwell's descriptions of battle in the books are extremely vivid, and seeing them onscreen really brings home just how horrific battles were in those days. It's terrifying to see men being butchered by the incompetence of their leaders; and perhaps even more terrifying to realise just how constrictive the class system was at the time.Once again, Sean Bean smoulders his way through the film as the dangerous Sharpe ably supported by Teresa and Harper. I was a little disappointed with the depiction of Leroy in this one - I think he was betrayed a little and made out to be less noble than he really was. And I can only hope that the choice of the name Josefina was purely coincidental, because the Josefina of Sharpe's Eagle is vastly inferior to the Josefina of the books.

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.