meghac23 Make no mistake-this is a very very bad adaptation of the classic novel. The 1982 version starring Antony Andrews and Jane Seymour was far more superior to this one. Lets start with the actors. In the book Sir Percy is 31 or 32, Maguerite is 25 and Chauvelin is close to 40. But in the movie each of these characters appear to have aged by two decades. In the novel Sir Percy is a good natured fop who speaks lazily, but Richard E Grant plays him with he energy of an adolescent in a basketball game. And he appears to recite his lines. And Elizabeth McGovern as Marguerite-the most beautiful and cleverest woman in Europe? Not happening. You really want to watch a great adaptation, go for the 1982 one of the same name.

Abedsbrother Okay, first off: I have read several of the books by Baroness Orczy.That, if you catch my meaning, is not THIS.THIS being the three episode set with Richard Grant. I thought some parts excellent, some cheesy - but good cheese. Grant himself I thought excellent as the Pimpernel. He plays the witty fop perfectly - not lazily, but one who travels, and seeks new things to be witty about. When the serious things begin, he sobers up, and you get to see the real Pimpernel. Grant rarely lets the drama of the situation weigh him down, consistently has fun with his role. Though not emphasized, his sword-play is quite passable, too.Elisabeth McGovern as Marguerite is the questionable one here. At some points, you think she is perfect for the role; at others, you wonder how they chose her to play the part. Her British accent is passable when she remembers it; and - my biggest gripe - I did not think her pretty enough for the role. She is an attractive actress, yes, but not the knockout Marguerite was supposed to be - The Most Beautiful Woman in France? I think not. Her acting is on the whole good, however, as is her stage presence, so much can and is overlooked.My biggest surprise was Martin Shaw as Chauvelin. Shaw took the role and made more of it than either Raymond Massey or Ian McKellen, combining the past lover with man striving to be in constant control of the situation. His gift for sarcasm, whether natural or invented for this role, is put to good use here. He actually seems almost human at times, trying to serve himself, and France (yes, I did get that feeling). By contrast, McKellen's Chauvelin cannot get his mind off Marguerite, and Massey's (excellent) portrayal seems one dimensional (not his fault). Martin Shaw was one of the strongest points of this production.The supporting cast was equally good. Emilia Fox (I think that's the right spelling) portrays an excellent bad girl in Episode I, While the bad guy of Episode III is superb - almost stole the show from Grant. EPisode II features another excellent bad girl who meets a surprising end. Sets and costuming are what befit a BBC production, and the camera work is excellent: frequent use of distance and panorama make it seem something other than a TV movie. Storyline and plot - it makes sense taken by itself, and provides a good, exciting romp through the world of Revolutionary France. Not close to the book, but it doesn't need to be close to the book to be effective. If you're an Orczy purist, don't bother with it. If, like me, you're looking for good period drama with a flair for action and comedy, this is excellent. And well-worth seeing, and re-seeing. Enjoy.

aleen_o I so thoroughly enjoyed this trio of vignettes by A&E with BBC that I went out & bought all three, unprecedented for me! (Egad, I'm rhyming like the Pimpernel!:) A long-time BBC/PBS aficionado, I've seen other Pimpernel versions but liked this trio the best. (One with Brit Leslie Howard was also good, but more formal/stylized & lacking modern film technology.) I looked up Richard E. Grant & Elizabeth McGovern's other films, too, after enjoying these so well. In the mood for courage with style? The Pimpernel is the original James Bond, from 1792.There's also a movie about the ahead-of-her-time female authoress, Baroness Emmuska Orczy, with a similar theme to Madame Marguerite/Lady Blakeny's traumatic childhood in those turbulent times of revolution in both America & Europe...so apparently her historical romantic action dramas had a touch of autobiography.

lionesss Just so you're not put out as so many who _have_ read the book seem to be. Sir Percy was wonderfully cast (Richard E. Graves! Can you believe he was Bob Cratchit in TNT's "A Christmas Carol"?) I started giggling helplessly every time he gave that I'm-no-fop grin, and he really was a lot of fun to watch. As for McGovern, well, she's all right, but some of the dialogue she has to say! Especially in the company of Chauvelin! What happened to Lord Tony made me want to spit nails, though Ffoulkes was quite nice....What was this Minette supposed to be? (Emilia Fox looks quite different from her bit part as Georgiana Darcy in A&E's Pride and Prejudice.) It had its moments, for sure, but-- where are all those disguises that the Pimpernel does so well? It wouldn't have been too hard to do. Oh, well.