Jane Seymour and Anthony Andrews star in this remake of "The Scarlet Pimpernel". I haven't seen the original with Leslie Howard, but it's probably a good guess that it's notch above this made-for-TV version.
The film centres on a secret organisation of do-gooders, led by a man named Percy Blakeney (Anthony Andrews), who risk their own necks in order to help prisoners escape execution during the French Revolution. Apart from the name they go by, "The Scarlet Pimpernel", no one has any idea who they are. And to ensure that no one will ever suspect their true identity, they make themselves out to be idiots, weaklings, cowards, any trait that least resembles the heroic trademarks of "The Scarlet Pimpernel". Also to avoid recognition, they work under a range of disguises and are continually having to dodge a group led by the villain (who doesn't come across as all that bad), Chauvelin (Ian McKellen). Chauvelin and his men are determined to find out who they are and stop them. To complicate matters though, Percy meets Marguerite (Jane Seymour), falls in love with her and ends up marrying, which leads to all sorts of problems.
The script is incredibly ordinary at times and the acting in places is a bit stiff. It's also difficult to accept that Jane Seymour's classy character of Marguerite would fall for such a pompous idiot as Percy. Anthony Andrew's acting is a bit off in parts, especially during some of his disguises and the film never has a high point. It stays on an even keel and never really takes off.
Yet, oddly enough, there are shreds of likability to the film and a sense that there was organisation during production. But overall, the film is nothing special.
The film centres on a secret organisation of do-gooders, led by a man named Percy Blakeney (Anthony Andrews), who risk their own necks in order to help prisoners escape execution during the French Revolution. Apart from the name they go by, "The Scarlet Pimpernel", no one has any idea who they are. And to ensure that no one will ever suspect their true identity, they make themselves out to be idiots, weaklings, cowards, any trait that least resembles the heroic trademarks of "The Scarlet Pimpernel". Also to avoid recognition, they work under a range of disguises and are continually having to dodge a group led by the villain (who doesn't come across as all that bad), Chauvelin (Ian McKellen). Chauvelin and his men are determined to find out who they are and stop them. To complicate matters though, Percy meets Marguerite (Jane Seymour), falls in love with her and ends up marrying, which leads to all sorts of problems.
The script is incredibly ordinary at times and the acting in places is a bit stiff. It's also difficult to accept that Jane Seymour's classy character of Marguerite would fall for such a pompous idiot as Percy. Anthony Andrew's acting is a bit off in parts, especially during some of his disguises and the film never has a high point. It stays on an even keel and never really takes off.
Yet, oddly enough, there are shreds of likability to the film and a sense that there was organisation during production. But overall, the film is nothing special.