Being a huge fan of Sean Bean, I was surprised to discover, just a few weeks ago, that he had done this 14-movie series which I had never heard of. Now I've seen the premiere installment, and while it was okay, I must say I'm a bit disappointed, esp. after hearing everyone else praise this so much.The story was simple and not very clearly told. Only a couple of characters were interestingly portrayed, and Sean Bean's part, though the main one, wasn't that big, nor that much in focus. There was much about this that could have been done better - much better. Bean should have carried the show to a much greater degree, i.e. the producers should have made much greater use of him. What we got here was largely pedestrian, but I'm going to give the series a chance and watch the next few installments. Hopefully things will improve, and the story will become more interesting.6 out of 10.

When I first saw the "Sharpe's Rifles" series here in the United States on Public Broadcasting I was very much enamored with it. A few years later the series became available on VHS, but I didn't want to spend all that money on a format that I knew was going to be phased out in a few years.Ho boy, how I wish I had.I just recently purchased the Region 1 NTSC five-episode DVD set for North America, and I have to say that I've rarely come across a poorer video transfer than has been done by BFS Entertainment.BFS Entertainment somehow managed to wrangle an exclusive license for the United States and Canada for the video distribution rights to this series, and, as usual, we the customers are paying for a lack of quality control on behalf of the producer's and owners of the property.BFS Entertainment's other claim to fame was their DVD release of another British mini series drama entitled "Flambards." And, given the extremely poor video transfer I saw of that series my heart sank when I saw BFS's logo and public domain music scroll across my TV screen.In short the few five episodes that have been released for North America have a grainy image due to poor video compression, bleed color (if you can believe that from optical media), and have equally poor sound quality to match the video.If you must purchase this magnificent series on video then try to find an old VHS from PBS/Mobile Masterpiece Theatre, or invest in a region 2 DVD player and buy the series from an online store in England.Don't waste your money on the BFS release.*EDIT* I bought a set of Region 2 DVDs from the UK, and they are superior in every way to the US Region 1 release.

What red-blooded girl could argue with 102 minutes of a mud-smeared Sean Bean swashbuckling in tight breeches? (Excuse me while I have an attack of the vapors...) It's a fun movie with a lot of action and great costumes, acting, and production values. BUT. . . I think the strong point of this series of movies is that it's likely to make you want to read the series of novels by Bernard Cornwell. Even for people who don't normally like to read historical/military fiction, they're a rollicking great read and packed with fascinating detail and character development. The movie is a tasty appetizer; the book is a satisfying meal. In this case, watching the movie won't ruin the book for you, and vice versa. Differences aside, they're done in the same spirit.

For those of you who AREN'T hearing impaired, this is a great series. The DVDs aren't exactly laden with exclusive features, but the Sharpe series is a compelling retelling of an exciting period of world history. And Sean Bean is, as always, great. Check them out!