The Scarlet Pimpernel Boxed Set

Product Description

A&E s lavish adaptation of the swashbuckling adventure stories, based on the books by Baroness Emmuska Orczy bring passion and intrigue into the sweeping world of the dashing SCARLET PIMPERNEL.It is the height of the French Revolution s reign of terror, and Sir Percy Blakeney (Richard E. Grant) has a secret. By day, he is just another foppish British aristocrat. By night, he becomes the legendary SCARLET PIMPERNEL, a caped crusader for the 18th century. With sparkling wit and brilliant disguises, he forms a secret league of followers which includes his wife, Lady Marguerite (Elizabeth McGovern), to fight against the tyrants of the French Revolution and to save the innocent from Chauvelin, the bloodthirsty leader of the French Revolution and Mademoiselle Guillotine. Each brilliantly adapted story leads to danger and intrigue culminating in a tale of secret identities where no one is who they appear to be.

System Requirements:

Running Time 294 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

Scarlet Pimpernel Book 3: Kidnapped King returns the series to the swashbuckling adventure of the first film. The dauphin has been kidnapped and both the Pimpernel and the Republicans are on his trail. Marguerite (Elizabeth McGovern) returns to France for a little undercover skullduggery while Percy (Richard E. Grant) travels to Paris and reunites his network of spies and secret agents. Grant plays the effete but snide Percy for all he's worth, a flamboyant snob with a tart tongue, while McGovern's Marguerite is the wayward daughter of the revolution come home for the cause. They're both covers, of course, but the play-acting becomes public theater when they hiss and spit a public breakup in front of the Republican government and Percy skulks out looking every inch the spineless fop. Free of suspicion from all but the cagey Republican agent Chauvelin (Martin Shaw), the Scarlet Pimpernel again rises to save the oppressed, shadow the suspicious, and track down the hiding place of the dauphin's captors. The plot of secret identities and murky alliances climaxes (in the best swashbuckling tradition) with crossed swords but concludes with a sneaky new conspiracy that opens the door for even more sequels. Suzanne Bertish guest stars as the theater star with a secret La Tourain. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

Wildly Entertaining.......2007-08-08

Although no mysteries of life will be revealed in this series, it was entertaining beyond belief. Mr. Grant added a dimension that was unique: he was all the Pimpernel should be and incredibly charismatic. All the acting was excellent, but his stood out in particular since he embodied the hero so well and was so charming. I will miss not being able to watch more of this excellent actor. Someone in an earlier review criticized him as not being their idea of a leading man. To me, he was one of the best leading men I have seen in ages. Granted, he does not have the perfect looks of a Tom Cruise, but he has an inner depth that gives him an appeal that far surpasses any Mr. Cruise or another pretty boy may possess. I highly recommend this series.

Very Entertaining.......2007-06-24

My mom and I loved this series. She is a fan of the Leslie Howard movie verision, but this one with Peter Jeffery (and I quote) "They did a GREAT job on this!" She wants more. The settings, costumes, the story were very well done. The script, acting, .. all of it together made the Pimpernel stories come to life. We enjoyed every minute of them all. The French Revolution came to life. Very well done.

alas the scarlet pimpernel.......2007-06-20

Ive read the many reviews, (opinions) about this particular version of the Scarlet Pimpernel, and having seen many of them and read the book..
I prefer the Richard E Grant version. The Andrews one left me cold.
I know a lot of people look at Mr Grant and only see and evil or as one put it, sniviling character.If you ever read the book you will see a rather unsexy story.Aristocrats in that day and age did not show a lot of emotion in public..in fact they kept seperate sleeping apts and a lot of times married not for love but for money and title. Ever since I rented this version ive wanted to own it.I finally found a like new, used, set and gobbled it up. A very welcome addition to my classics collection..
Pride and prejudice (4 versions)jane eyre (3 versions) wethering heights,emma,persuasion,etc,etc...
I also recommend Richard E Grant in Jack and Sarah. a sweet and enjoyable tale.

Disappointing.......2007-05-18

Don't get me wrong, I love Peter Jeffrey, so I was more than willing to give this a chance, even though he doesn't entirely fit the part. However, no matter how much I wanted him to be able to pull this off, poor Jeffrey was working with a terrible adaptation that ruined the best parts of his character. He was sort of a smash-and-grab type with fancy gadgets in this movie, which is the exact opposite of what made the scarlet pimpernel such a great character in the book and other adaptations. The main character (in script and action) lacked the grace, wit, and mystery of the book, which (let's be honest) is the whole point. Also, if memory serves correctly, they sort of butchered the story, which always seems to happen. I remember having very high expectations, on account of this being a longer film, because I assumed it was long because they were being really loyal to complexity of the original story. I was sadly mistaken. Forget this painful waste of 6 hours and opt for the glorious portrayal by Anthony Andrews opposite Jane Seymour. The plot is not exactly like the book in that one either, but the characters are handled magnificently.

We sek him here..........2006-11-03

Different from what I expected, being a fan of the Anthony Andrews and Leslie Howard versions. I liked it, but they made it seem like the Pimpernel didn't try to hide his identity at all.

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