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The Three Musketeers -Review

Swashbuckling Musketeers featured in must-see film

Posted Nov 3, 2011 By Mark Haskins emcstlawrence.ca


MOVIE: The Three Musketeers

STARRING: Logan Lerman, Ray Stevenson, Luke Evans, Matthew Macfadyen, Mila Jovovich, Christopher Waltz, and Orlando Bloom

DIRECTOR: Paul W.S. Anderson

RATING: PG-13

EMC Entertainment - Intrigue, adventure, evil machinations, romance, sword fights, and just a hint of steampunk, The Three Musketeers has it all.

After a failed mission where they were betrayed by Milady de Winter (Mila Jovovich) the Three Musketeers, The King of France's elite warriors, find themselves out of favour. As it seems their country doesn't need them Porthos (Ray Stevenson), Aramis (Luke Evans) and Athos (Matthew Macfadyen) have found other pursuits. Mostly brawling with and embarrassing Cardinal Richelieu's (Christopher Waltz) guards. That is until they meet D'Artagnan (Logan Lerman).

D'Artagnan has come to Paris to become a Musketeer like his father. In the short time since he's left home D'Artagnan has had a run-in with The Cardinal's enforcer Rochefort (Mads Mikkelsen), and managed to insult each of the Three Musketeers. D'Artagnan was just about to duel Athos when 40 of the Cardinal's Guard showed up to arrest them. Unfortunately for the Cardinal's Guard they didn't bring quite enough men.

With the introductions out of the way The Musketeers take D'Artagnan under their wings. From there it isn't long before they find themselves embroiled in the intrigues of the court. The Cardinal, using Milady de Winter as his agent, hatches a plot to implicate improprieties between the Queen of France and England's Duke of Buckingham (Orlando Bloom). This would plunge both countries into war, and allow the Cardinal to seize the throne. It's up to The Musketeers to expose the plot, clear the good name of the Queen, and save France.

I absolutely loved The Three Musketeers. The wild gadgets, the costumes, the backdrops, the intricately-filmed sword fights, and the dazzling special effects were all gorgeous. It's a stunningly beautiful film, but it isn't all just eye candy. The story is tightly written full of wit and humour as well as action and adventure.

The cast is exceptional. Ray Stevenson, Luke Evans, and Matthew Macfadyen are perfect as the Three Musketeers. They give the kind of performances that makes it hard to imagine anyone else playing their roles. I was thoroughly impressed with Logan Lerman who, as D'Artagnan, has just the right blend of arrogance, heroism, and wit. As manipulative, power hungry villains go Cardinal Richelieu ranks near the top, and I can't think of a better actor than Christopher Waltz to step into the role.

Milady de Winter is perhaps the most dangerous double agent and assassin in Europe. She's a force to be reckoned with as much as she's an object of men's desires, and Jovovich plays the part like she was born to.

When I hear the name Orlando Bloom I don't think villain. However, Bloom is outstanding throwing himself into the role of Buckingham with an undisguised zeal.

While it is a little odd that no one in the film seemed to have a French accent The Three Musketeers is still very much a must-see film.

Mark Haskins' column is a regular feature of the EMC.

The Three Musketeers - My Review

THE THREE MUSKETEERS: MY REVIEW

By Patricia.

I first picked up the Alexandre Dumas classic when I started college, after putting up with my father’s pestering for years, telling me I should read it, it’s such a great book. But the sheer volume of it intimidated me to no end and after a few attempts to get into the story failed I put it aside for the nth time.

Finally one day, probably out of boredom, I decided to concentrate and read it. The initial part, I must say didn’t ‘grab’ me, it took a lot of effort to get into it, but once D’Artagnan arrives in Paris everything changed and I could not put it down!

Fast forward to 2010, when I heard that a 3D version of the Musketeers was being planned and no other than my favorite British actor, Matthew Macfadyen was playing my very favorite of the musketeers, Athos. Although, initial reports had him playing Aramis, that wouldn’t have worked, he is the perfect Athos.

I will start with the not so good. I am disappointed that Paul W.S. Anderson decided to leave out a very main character, Monsieur de Treville, the very wise and fatherly captain of the musketeers. The story is just not the same without him, the classic tale of the first meeting between D’Artagnan (Logan Lerman) and the three musketeers Athos, Porthos (Ray Stevenson) and Aramis (Luke Evans) is what sets the rest of the story.

I also disliked the fact that they put too much emphasis on Milady de Winter (Milla Jovovich), in the novel she is an important character, but not so important. Obviously, the fact that Milla is director Anderson’s wife weighs heavily. But in all I thought she got too much screen time.

When I first heard the words air ships, I thought, oh no! This is going to be a disaster. I must say, as far fetched as it sounded it works in this setting. I think Anderson said in an interview during the London press tour that it needed to be a 21st century version. Well, he shocked me, that’s for sure.

As far as the musketeers, Matthew Macfadyen doesn’t disappoint as Athos, he has that mysterious, haunted personality going for him and he is very refined at the same time, looks regal, which the character was supposed to be. The Count de la Fere was of noble lineage. He also displays a natural talent for sword fighting, very agile and elegant as well as being the undisputed leader of the group.

Luke Evans as Aramis is perfect in my opinion, he has that stylish air about him and mysterious as well. A cat-like swashbuckler, Luke could have much more screen time in my opinion, he is so talented and has a lovely voice. I also missed the part on him being confused with the Duque of Buckingham (Orlando Bloom), the actors do look alike. My favorite Luke scene, the parking ticket to D’Artagnan for not picking up the horse’s poop!

Now, Ray Stevenson as Porthos is the lovable, vain musketeer, who I love for different reasons. He is the funny one, the one that makes everyone laugh when the going gets tough. Ray Stevenson is great as Porthos. Very brute like in his fighting, he minces no words and is very flashy.

The funniest scenes were the ones that included Freddie Fox as the King acting like a complete spoiled brat, which is how I imagined him to be, but with his heart in the right place and of course all the scenes with James Corden. The sleeping in the terrace is very funny and elicited chuckles from the viewers as well as the constant shutting him down by the musketeers.

Logan Lerman as D’Artagnan did a good job as the fearless youth come to become a musketeer. I liked how he is the actual age of the character in the novel, and the others do seem much older, fatherly or brotherly if you like.

I wish Paul Anderson would have spent more time exploring the relationship and personalities of the musketeers, that is the richness in the novel, all their background stories, Athos’ heartbreak, Aramis’ dilemma and Porthos’ extravagance but good heart. Some of it comes through thanks to the brilliant actors portraying the trio, but quite a lot is also lost.

Of course Christoph Waltz as Richelieu and Mads Mikelsen as Rochefort are brilliant in their roles as baddies. Orlando Bloom is good as Buckingham, who was also a disappointment in regards to the original character, who is not really a ‘bad guy’, more misguided and arrogant than anything, in love with a married woman, who happens to be the Queen of England.

In general, I thought these musketeers are perfectly cast and now I can not think of any others playing their respective roles, I believe the boys talked about that in their press tour. They’re absolutely right.

The visual scenery is magnificent! It was very nice to see all those locations come to life, after following this movie all throughout the production process and looking at numerous stills during the last year.

I would definitely recommend this as a fun family movie, maybe with the exception of the last fight between D’Artagnan and Rochefort, where there is a little blood, but I appreciate the fact that they keep it clean in that regard, the fights are violent enough. Also, I though the scantily dressed Milady wasn’t necessary.

Clearly there is a hint of a sequel at the end of the movie and I, as a fan of all these wonderful actors, very much hope to see.

All for One and One for All!

The Three Musketeers (2011) [Review]

Widescreen Warrior

Posted by Nicole O'Connell on Oct 23, 2011  

The newest version of The Three Musketeers storms into theaters this weekend. Being a fan of the novel, I knew I needed to see this updated reimaging of the classic story, directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. Anderson previously directed two of the Resident Evil films and Alien Vs. Predator and he now brings some of his futuristic flavor to 17^th century France.

The film opens in Venice where a caper is afoot to steal da Vinci’s plans for a flying machine. The thieves turn out to be our beloved musketeers, Athos (Matthew MacFayden), Porthos (Ray Stevenson), Aramis (Luke Evans), and Milady de Winter (Milla Jovovich). But unfortunately, Milady betrays them and turns the plans over to the Duke of Buckingham (Orlando Bloom). Buckingham delights in beating out the musketeers. Jumping forward a year, we find D’Artagnan leaving home to join his heroic Musketeers.

When he arrives in Paris, he finds out that the musketeers were disbanded (budget cuts!). But he joins up with Athos, Porthos, and Aramis after he impresses them with his skills in a battle with Cardinal Richelieu’s guards. When the four come out on top of a four-on-forty battle, the king of France summons them to “punish” them for Richelieu, but he is too happy and impressed and the king grants them new outfits and a bag of gold. Richelieu hates being thwarted and has been working on a plan to overthrow the royals and install himself as King of France. The musketeers stumble unto his plot and set about spoiling it.

While the story takes its cues from the original novel, it is updated with things like the flying machine and other fight sequences that seem to be purely to add flash not substance. This brings about the film’s biggest problem: except for the moments that are straight from the novel, the story is jumbled and hard to follow. It’s the kind of movie where they added specific scenes in order to make it better in 3D, but these add nothing to the 2D story. The costumes are gorgeous and the sets were amazing, all creating a pretty dressing for the story and the cast.

Speaking of the casting, it is spot on. Each character is given life by an actor that breathes life and soul into their depiction. Christoph Waltz takes the evil, plotting Cardinal Richelieu to a new smarmy level. He is ambivalent and conniving all at once. Orlando Bloom plays the Duke of Buckingham as arrogant, ambitious, and in control. The Musketeers and D’Artagnan are all played with all the heroics and romantic power that we expect. However, Milla Jovovich is weaker than the cast around her. She comes across as very flat and falls back on the spectacles around her to bring life and movement to her performance, rather than supplying it herself.

The film breaks my heart, since I wanted to see a solid movie built on the grounds laid by the novel, but what we get is a pretty version with very little emotion to it. I would see it again for the cast, but not for the storyline, which is a sad place to be. I would recommend seeing this film if you are interested in the period, or the costumes, or the flashy sword fights, but not as an adaption of the book.

-Nicole O’Connell

 

Tags: christoph waltz, luke evans, matthew macfayden, milla jovovich, orlando bloom, paul w s anderson, ray stevenson, the three musketeers