I have watched three movies based on The Scarlet Pimpernel, only one of them good.  The most recent version, made by A&E and the BBC is horrible!  And trust me, I'm not the only one that thinks so.  I know that movies are usually different from the books, but such a huge difference should be illegal!  I have three major complaints.  First and foremost, they killed Lord Tony.  In the whole series of books, Lord Tony remained alive.  And what does Percy say when they kill Tony? -He knew the consequences.-  Horrible!  Percy would never say that!  He has too much noblesse oblige!  Next, how did the French not suspect him?  If I were French, I would be very insulted.  I mean, they were walking around with black capes as a disguise.  Talk about a disguise, hmm.  I mean, let's see, we're looking for someone saving aristocrats, but it is definately not the guys walking around in the black capes and black hats and breaking into the prison.  Nope, not them.  Finally, what makes the Scarlet Pimpernel such a good hero, unlike Superman, is the fact that his power is in his brain, not really his fists.  I don't recall Sir Percy fighting in any of the novels, at least not just to get away from Chauvelin.  Yet, in this movie, instead of using ingenuity like he did in the Cap Gris Nez  - where he put pepper in Chauvelin's snuff box -, he just jumped out of a window.  I ask you?  Is that something Percy would do?

Next, is The Scarlet Pimpernel, starring Leslie Howard.  I didn't really like this movie, but I'm not sure if it was because it was in black in white or if I just didn't like Leslie Howard.  Nevertheless, this would be an okay movie to watch.

Finally, the movie that puts all other movies to shame: The Scarlet Pimpernel, starring Anthony Andrews, Jane Seymour, and Ian McKellen.  Wonderful movie.  Even though it did not fit with the plot of the book, the acting in it was so marvelous that it didn't matter.  Talk about a fop!  Anthony Andrews was the perfect Sir Percy.  Not mention Ian McKellen who played a convinceing tyrant as Chauvelin.  Jane Seymour made a wonderful Marguerite!  If there is only one movie that you can watch, this version of  The Scarlet Pimpernel should be it!