I regret that I must strike a discordant note here. All the other reviews of 'Sharpe's Company' are highly positive, but the film left me feeling uneasy.

It certainly has many strengths. The photography is good, as are the action scenes. The period feel is effective, and the history accurate. Sean Bean provides an impressive screen presence, ably supported by a good cast.

And yet...Several things stick in the gullet. How does the evil Sgt Hakeswill character get away with so much? Sharpe is an officer, and so can outrank him at every turn, but he only seeks to thwart Hakeswill from time to time, when it suits him. This allows Hakeswill to get away with - literally - murder, several times.

Why didn't Sharpe make more effort to protect the charming and likable Sally Clayton (Louise Germaine)? Hakeswill made his designs on her clear from an early stage, but no-one stopped him raping and murdering her at the end.

I realise that it is only fiction. Nonetheless, drama like this requires belief, empathy with the characters and a sense of poetic justice - and none of this was fulfilled by the Hakeswill parts of the plot.

Allowing Hakeswill to get away with so much also resulted in enormous holes in the plot. Why was Hakeswill not punished for shooting the boy ensign in the back? There were no French around at the time whom he could have claimed to be shooting at, and the weapon used could be easily traced to him, as it was an unusual weapon used by very few.

How did Hakeswill manage to rape and murder Sally Clayton when the camp would be full of other camp followers and sentries? Why didn't Sharpe chase after him after their fight in the city house at the end? (and thus prevent him from going on to commit the rape and murder). The film shows Sharpe giving up because a few redcoats were in the way - but they didn't stop him racing up to save his 'wife' moments before. He just barged them out of the way then - why not again?.

Since Hakeswill was shot and wounded by Harper, why did the last scene of him by Sally Clayton's body - chronologically very shortly after - show him fully fit and unwounded? And so on.

These aspects could easily have been resolved with a bit more thought and attention to detail - and a bit more compassion and desire for poetic justice from the writers.

It may not have spoilt the film for the other reviewers - but it did for me.

Shape's enemy of the past comes back to get revenge but Sharpe has other plans for him. Meanwhile, Sharpe gets to see and hold his daughter for the first time. Sharpe is also given command of the Light Company again.

8/10.

Sean Bean returns as Napoleonic hero Richard Sharpe. This time the action takes place in 1812 around the historical Battle and siege at Badajoz.

Sharpe has been demoted to no more than a quartermaster to make a place for an aristocratic fop who has bought Sharpe's captaincy of the light company at horseguards.

Sharpe realises that there is only one act of bravery that will help him regain his captaincy and keep it, and that it to lead the the 'Forlorn Hope' the first company that will storm the walls of badajoz when the assault finally begins... in short a suicide mission.

Sharpe also has personal reasons to get inside the city, and that is because his wife Teresa and his newborn daughter Antonia, are trapped inside and are in danger of being discovered by the French.

Also to add to Sharpes worries, a demon from his past, Sergeant Obidiah Hakeswell has returned to the ranks and is determined to rape, pillage and flog as many people as possible.

Pete Postlethwaite gives the performance of the movie as the evil, twitchy Obidiah, and the character of Patrick Harper is brought to the forefront a lot more and Daragh O' Malley really shines.

Another great Swashbuckling Sharpe adventure