Sharpe's Regiment

Synopsis

Sharpe's Regiment (1996) follows Major Richard Sharpe as he returns to Britain from the Peninsular War to investigate a troubling mystery: men of his regiment are disappearing without explanation. Determined to get to the bottom of the matter, Sharpe navigates army bureaucracy, political maneuvering, and entrenched corruption in the recruiting system. The film balances hallmarks of the Sharpe series — gritty battlefield experience, close comradeship (notably with Sergeant Patrick Harper), and Sharpe's blunt, pragmatic leadership — with scenes of intrigue and courtroom-style confrontation on home soil. Adapted from Bernard Cornwell's novel, this installment emphasizes the costs of war beyond the battlefield and shows Sharpe fighting to protect his men and the honour of the regiment while exposing schemes that threaten the army itself. The production combines period detail, tense drama and action without revealing key plot developments or surprises.

Cast

• 

  Sean Bean

  Richard Sharpe

• 

  Daragh O'Malley

  Patrick Harper

• 

  Abigail Cruttenden

  Jane Gibbons

• 

  Michael Cochrane

  Sir Henry Simmerson

• 

  Caroline Langrishe

  Lady Anne Camoynes

• 

  James Laurenson

  Major General Ross

Reviews

Overall reception for Sharpe's Regiment is mixed-to-positive among critics and strongly positive among fans of the series. On IMDb the title is rated 7.9/10 (user rating), reflecting solid audience approval. There is no Tomatometer (no aggregated critic score) listed on Rotten Tomatoes for this specific TV film, and Metacritic does not have a Metascore for it — both sites lack comprehensive critic aggregation for many of the Sharpe television adaptations.

Critics and viewers commonly praise Sean Bean's performance as Richard Sharpe and the chemistry with Daragh O'Malley's Sergeant Patrick Harper, noting that Bean brings the protagonist's toughness and moral urgency to life. Many reviews highlight the production values — authentic costumes, convincing sets, and well-staged action sequences — and applaud the way the film shifts the action from continental battlefields to political and social conflicts at home.

Less favorable commentary centers on the teleplay's condensation of Bernard Cornwell's novel: some reviewers find the pacing uneven and feel that the complexity of the recruiting-and-corruption subplot is sometimes sacrificed to runtime, producing a few melodramatic or rushed scenes. A common balanced summary from press and fan commentary is that Sharpe's Regiment is "well-acted and engaging" but occasionally constrained by its television format. Fans often call it "one of the stronger entries in the later Sharpe films," while critics note that viewers who prefer tightly plotted, single-issue dramas may find some narrative threads underdeveloped.

Representative audience sentiments (as reflected in user reviews and fan discussion) include praise such as "Sean Bean is excellent as always" and remarks about the film's successful mix of action and intrigue. At the same time, more critical viewers point out a tendency toward formula and an occasionally heavy-handed treatment of the political material. For viewers who appreciate character-driven historical drama with authentic period detail, Sharpe's Regiment is widely regarded as worth watching; those seeking a more polished, cinematic feature film experience may find it uneven.