Sharpe's Enemy

An army of British, French, Spanish and Portuguese deserters, lead by Sharpe's arch-nemesis Obadiah Hakeswill, has kidnapped two English women and held them for ransom. Hakeswill demands that Sharpe deliver the ransom money himself. The husband of one of the women, Sir Augustus Farthingale, is a high-ranking diplomat and can make life difficult, not just for Sharpe but for Wellington.

Part 2 of the Sharpe-Hakeswill feud and this time Hakeswill has the upper hand, making for an intriguing clash. Plot is good, though with a few implausibilities and clumsinesses (which have become the usual and only blemish of Sharpe films), we have the rare event of a degree of cooperation with the French, the climactic battle scene is a tour de force of power and ruse and we have the stunning Elizabeth Hurley in a supporting role.

Highly entertaining.

Oncer again, Sharpe's Enemy allows our hero Richard Sharpe, along with his Rifles in support, to save the day.

A somewhat contrived plot does not help, but some excellent acting saves the day. Not, one might add, from a certain Liz Hurley! The tragic events towards the end add a poignancy to the Sharpe series that had not really been present before, although this is superbly counter-balanced by the humour of Sharpe's promotion.

Not the best episode, but definitely up there as a strong showing, before the ravages of Jane beguiled our hero.

This is my favorite of the Sharpe series. Why, you may ask? Obadiah Hakeswill; it's the perfect name for the most foul of villains. Pete Postlethwaite is wonderful as the evil deserter, rapist, thief and all-around bad egg. From his guttural language to his head twitch, he exudes the greatest villainy this side of Ian Mckellan's Richard III.

Sean Bean is the swashbuckling Sharpe, with Daragh O' Malley as the faithful Sgt. Harper. We have the "Chosen Men" and Captain "Sweet William" Frederickson. What's not to love? OK, Elizabeth Hurley doesn't distinguish herself, but the rest of the principles do, including Feodor Atkine as Major Ducos.

The whole series captures the flavor of the Cornwell books, although some of the battles are fought on smaller scales. Still, the productions make the most of their budgets and score points for character. If you like historical adventure, romance, swashbuckling, or just great character acting, watch these films.

Sharpes old enemy, Obadiah Hakeswill, is back and this time he's capture 2 high profile women for ransom. Sharpe maybe able to handle Hakeswill but can he win the battle with the new French Major Pierre Ducos?

7.5/10.