Sharpe's Waterloo (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)I became enchanted by the Sharpe series by watching the series on TV. The chemistry between Sharpe (Sean Bean) and Harper(Daragh O'Malley), the struggle of the compentent Sharpe to get recognition and authority within the rigid class structure of the British Army (makes you wonder how the British army could have been so successful in the 19th century), the wary relationship between the Spanish and the British, the fantastic luck that keeps Sharpe and Harper alive, and the characterization of even temporary characters all presented against the background of the peninsular campaign during the Napoleonic wars, I found fascinating and moving. Sean Bean plays a much more compelling character here than in any of his villianous movie roles (e.g. Bond).
Of course, I looked forward eagerly to the release of the series on DVD.
In the meantime, I read all of the books. Since the completion of the television series, Bernard Cornwell has extended the story of
Sharpe both before the peninsula campaign and after Waterloo. The books are far richer than the TV series, but this doesn't detract from the series at all. The series generally stands on its own but the books add considerable depth, background, and context.
The last episode in the series, Sharpe's Waterloo, suffers more in comparison with the book, because the underlying events are familiar. 100 minutes is hardly engough time to explain the manner in which the battle of Waterloo unfolded and to develop the several other story threads involving Sharpe. Still, it is fine culmination to the series.
As in all of the DVDs in this series, the video quality is poor. This has been mentioned by other reviewers but needs some explanation. The color is good, the video has little noise, and there are no surprizing artifacts. The problem is image resolution. The DVD is encoded at 4.35Mbites/sec with almost no variation responding to changes in scene or motion. This is low: the Abyss, a high-quality DVD transfer, is encoded at 5.79Mbites/sec with occasional bursts at over 7Mbits/sec. The difference is dramtic. All of the Sharpe DVDs are fuzzy and lack detail; they appear to be out of focus. There are not enough pixels in the image to provide a good image on even a small TV screen. And forget about watching these on a large screen.
Still I recommend this series. Buy the DVDs, put your chair across the room, and enjoy. At the end you'll want more. That's the time to buy the books.

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Life seems to have settled down for British Officer Richard Sharpe as he enjoys a much-deserved rest at a French chateau with his new love, Lucille. However, the news of Napoleon's return from exile drives Sharpe back to the army. He is placed on the staff of the incompetent British ally, the Prince of Orange. Reunited with his Chosen Men, Sharpe abandons his inept commander and organizes the defense at the farm of La Haie Sainte. It is here he plays a key role in one of Britain's most famous victories, the Battle of Waterloo.

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Sharpe's Siege (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)After mucking about in England during "Sharpe's Regiment", Sharpe and Harper are back in Spain, as Wellington dithers about which way to go to invade France. Along comes the Maquerre, a French aristocrat loyal to the Royalist cause who claims that Bordeaux is ripe for revolt against Napoleon. Sharpe and the South Essex are sent with his new and very green commanding officer, Colonel Bamfylde to take the Maquerre's ancestral castle, a simple mission which quickly becomes more complicated than not. In the meantime, Sharpe's new bride, Jane Gibbons is sick with malaria, and may not survive to see Sharpe return - if he manages at all to do so.
Well, it's back to blowing things up and firing upon the French for old Sharpie, and we're all the better for it. The Chosen Men return, as do the wonderfully grotesque "Sweet" William Frederickson and Sharpe's own nemesis, the French spymaster Ducos. This is a competently told Sharpe, almost by the numbers, with the only thing of note being a completely useless and idiotic Colonel Bamfylde, who shouldn't be entrusted with the command of a toilet brush, let alone a regiment. They overplay this quite a bit and it got annoying - surely nobody could be that stupid. However, having read the military history of that period, I could almost believe it.
The subplot of Jane on the verge of death had me pretty bored. I know that the ladies love the romance bits, but even then, Jane is a pretty useless character, with no real personality. But then, that was the purpose she served in the books, until.... ah, well, no spoilers.
The print on this DVD is suprisingly clear, better than some of the others in fact. Not as crisp as we spoilt viewers demand these days, but above the rest. Perhaps the film stock was improving as the series went on.
A formulaic Sharpe, but we're getting closer to the good stuff now, and right at the end of the road waits a small Belgian town called Waterloo...

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Sharpe's Gold (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)It give me no pleasure to write this review. After years of thoroughly enjoying Cornwell's Richard Sharpe novels I finally caved in and picked up one of the films. SHARPE'S GOLD is one of my favorite of the novels so I figured I'd chosen well.
I was wrong.
This movie is to the novel as MOONRAKER was to Ian Flemming's work.
Sharpe is indeed in the movie, and I think the word "gold" is uttered once or twice, but that's where the similarity ends.
Highly disappointing.
The only reason I gave it two stars is Sean Bean - who really does fullfil my image of Richard Sharpe.
Read the book. Don't waste time or money on this movie.

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Sharpe's Battle (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)Sharpe's Battle is significant because of a couple of things - it is based on the only Bernard Cornwell Sharpe novel to be written while the series was in production, and in it Sharpe not only doesn't get the girl, he turns her down! It is 1813, and when Wellington is assigned the Spanish Royal Irish Guards, a motely bunch who have never fired a musket, he decides to rid himself of them by assigning them the hardest taskmaster he knows - Major Richard Sharpe. However, there are a couple of complications with Wellington's plan: one, Sharpe gets to actually *like* the Irish guards and wants to turn them into soldiers, and Sharpe is also the target of a vendetta by the villanous General Guy Loup, a Frenchman with a wolf fetish. Add to this mix the teetering marriage of Lord Kiely, the guards' commander, his sinister mistress Juanita, and reports of English atrocities in Ireland threatening to start a mutiny and you have the makings of a classic Sharpe adventure.
My main problem with the Sharpe TV series as a whole is that the budget doesn't really allow for the huge battles Cornwell describes. Where in the novel the action takes place in 1811 around the battle for Fuentes de Onoro, the TV version places it in a little town with no real consequence to the war at large. However, this is forgiveable because the acting and the dialogue is top notch. Even if the plot elements are predictable, you get a set of great characters, and even Lord Kiely is more three-dimensional than you initially give him credit for. And if you're a follower of the series, be prepared - one regular is going to bite the dust.

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Sharpe's Justice (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)1814 - the war is over, and Sharpe, like many other unemployed soldiers, goes back to England to seek work. He is assigned to Yorkshire, where he was born, as head of local yeomen serving a corrupt cotton mill baron that oppresses the workers. As Sharpe discovers things are not as black and white as they seem, which side will he choose? The people he left 20 years ago, or the establishment that's fed him for all those years?
This is an original story, not based on any of the novels, but it's interesting for a couple of reasons. One is that it firmly establishes that the TV Sharpe at least is born in Yorkshire - a given, because of Sean Bean's accent, but in the books he was supposed to be a Londoner. Another, more historical reason, is that it deals with the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars in England, which Cornwell never did get around to doing. It is true that the countryside was filled with many now jobless soldiers, and also true that the Industrial Revolution was starting to make its presence felt. While the labour movement may not have started this early, it's still an interesting look at the times. But is it Sharpe?
As much as I'm not fond of Sharpe's previous return to England (see my review of "Sharpe's Regiment"), I find myself liking this one, just to see Sharpe's backstory being developed. We find out more about how he grew up, his regret at not knowing who his mother was, and how uncomfortable Sharpe is with the war hero image that he's earned. As an added bonus, we get to see the incredibly beautiful and sexy Caroline Langrishe back as Lady Anne Camoyne, whose skills at political intrigue pull Sharpe out of the fire yet again. I'll even forgive them for adding the estranged Jane Sharpe to the mix, as the little minx actually shows a little fire of her own (the last scene with Sharpe here is particularly harsh).
If the series had ended here it would have been a fine coda (albeit with a few loose ends). But we know it doesn't, not when there's the biggest of battles to fight. So it becomes just a little filler in between "Revenge" and that little contretemps at Waterloo...

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Sharpe is back in England with his reputation fully restored. He is ordered to the north where he is to command the local militia in a troubled town. It is here that Sharpe faces an agonizing decision - whether to side with the town's corrupt gentry or to support his own kind, the rough and tough of the world who are abused by their superiors.

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Hotel Babylon: Season 3 (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)I closed my review of Season Two with, "I can't wait for Season Three to reach the States." Sadly, I think I have to take those words back.
There's nothing inherently wrong with this 3rd season. It's just that, it's nothing that you didn't experience from Seasons 1 & 2. Simply put, the plots (as breezy and energetic as they are) aren't interesting enough to pull me through. Worse though is the cast changes that occur mid-season.
The performances are fine, with each actor giving their all (although Emma Pearson's Anna can be really tough to sit through sometimes). But they have nothing interesting to do? The romantic relationships get a bit more complicated, but it doesn't feel natural. I always worry when TV shows spice things up this way, because it always feels like the writers don't trust their product. I mean, among all the craziness in this 5-star hotel, why must I watch the series regulars flirt around?
Season Three is going to be notorious among series' fans for when two favorite cast members left the show. I won't say who leaves, and I won't speculate to the real-life reasons for this. All I'll say is that while it's handled relatively well, it definitely left an unforunate mark for the last few episodes. The new additions to the cast are decent enough, particularly with Alexandra Moen's Emily being introduced in a mysterious fashion. But once two lead actors leave the show, the remaining beloved characters can only do so much.
I suppose the cast changes weren't going to be the only problems with this 3rd season, as a couple of ideas from previous seasons are repeated, most notably a wedding scenario and a violent hostage situation. And as much as I love plot twists and surprises, it'd be nice if "Hotel Babylon" would try letting stories progress naturally, without the need to spice up everything. I know I'm contradicting what I loved so much about Season 1 & 2, but this show needs to try slowing down once in a while.
Season Three isn't a bad season, but there's no reason that you should go out of your way to watch it. It's more of the same, which is great news for diehard fans, and sad news for viewers who've tired of the constant escapism. I recommend renting it or using Netflix (which currently has the UK-exclusive Season Four) rather than buying this one. Sorry fans, but my stay at the "Hotel Babylon" this time wasn't my fondest memory.

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Indulge yourself at Hotel Babylon, a place where you can have whatever you want - for the right price. From a grand prix victory celebration to the perfect venue from which to launch a new fashion range, the staff at Hotel Babylon work tirelessly to meet the demands of the glamorous, image obsessed customers. This series also sees Charlie as the new manager and the arrival of Emily - the gorgeous, upper class English rose and new public relations expert for the hotel. But will Charlie and the team welcome her arrival? Especially when she's already had the opportunity to study their work methods in secret. And when the hotel gets poor reviews, could it spell disaster for the future - for both hotel and staff? But when Emily manages to secure the society event of the year - the wedding of a multimillionaire's daughter - could it get any better?

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Hotel Babylon: Season 2 (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)HOTEL BABYLON: SEASON TWO is an interesting 8 episodes to tackle. Rather than continue existing storylines --- which there weren't many to begin with --- "Series Two", as they call it in UK, ups the ante in almost every way. If you were unsure about whether HOTEL BABYLON was a comedy or a drama, you'll find out very quickly.
To me, the 1st Season was a fairly realistic portrayal of the insanity of luxury hotel work. Believe me, I work in a hotel, and there is no glamour in it whatsoever. But in true TV fashion, HOTEL BABYLON just exaggerated the details a bit, so that we could enjoy ourselves. Well, actually the show's VERY exaggerated, but there's a degree of truth and conviction underneath the silliness. The Second Season pretty much drops most of the dramatic arcs, and sort of becomes a parody of itself. If you can imagine this, think it like a British live-action SIMPSONS --- nothing is off limits, the comedy is both broad & subtle, and the attention to detail is in the background as much as the foreground.
Is this change of pace a good thing? To me, the season takes an episode or two to get off the ground. I never disliked HOTEL BABYLON's sudden turn to even wilder adventures or more outlandish scenarios. It's just that SEASON TWO's first few episodes are bit tame compared to rest of the incredible bunch. In other words, the concept was always spot on, but the greatest episodes are saved for last. We begin with silly stories like a college friends' reunion (you know where that one is going, right?). But later, we get some very touching stories. There's a betrayal from receptionist Ben's past, concierge Tony's desperation after a deal gone wrong, and Emma finally becomes less of a caricature. Oh, and if you thought the 1st Season's finale was too unbelievable for your tastes, I promise you this one is much more grounded and (in my opinion) stronger.
Once you accept how little HOTEL BABYLON takes itself serious, you can enjoy yourself a lot more. One of the best bits --- and don't worry, it's early in the Season --- is a poker game that's shot in a style that would make Sergio Leone laugh hysterically. Speaking of style, the photography, music, casting, and production remain absolutely perfect. The show's main theme is a tad silly, but again, so is the entire show.
So, does "Series Two" satisfy my needs, or do I feel its service was unsatisfactory? Like any vacation, HOTEL BABYLON: SEASON TWO gets off to a rough start, but then doubles its efforts to make me a happy guest. Sorry for the hotel cliches --- I figured since the series series threw traditions out the window that I could use them.
HOTEL BABYLON is on an excellent roll, 16 episodes and running. Can't wait for the Third Season to reach the States.

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Item Name: Hotel Babylon: Season 2; Studio:BBC Warner

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