A story that seems to be retold at least once a decade, from George Sidney’s 1948 classic to 1993’s Disney update, it’s a classic adventure that’s made for cinema. It’s a shame then that Paul W.S. Anderson’s take on Alexandre Dumas’ tale is more Mehsketeers, than Musketeers.
Set in 17th Century in a France on the brink of war, The Three Musketeers tells the story of D’Artagnan (Logan Lerman), a young man desperate to follow in his father’s footsteps and join the King’s Musketeers. However, on his arrival in Paris, D’Artagnan finds the Musketeers ‘obsolete’, superseded by the evil Cardinal Richelieu’s (Christopher Waltz) personal guard in his secret quest for the throne. Before long, D’Artagnan finds himself fighting alongside the last remaining musketeers Athos, Porthos and Aramis to protect the King once again.
Down the years a variety of talented actors have played the titular heroes, from Oliver Reed to Kiefer Sutherland, the characters of Athos, Porthos and Aramis have been well represented. Thankfully this instalment is no different with Stevenson, Evans and MacFadyen all solid, and while there might not be any Oscar nods next year, they certainly do their best with the limited script. The same can be said for the majority of the cast, with Lerman making a good, if slightly irritating, D’Artagnan and Jovovich a manipulative, sultry Milady. Waltz’s Richelieu is the pick of the bunch however, and provides the ideal blend of charming and conniving as he weasels his way to power.
The Three Musketeers should be the ideal movie to sit back and enjoy, a classic tale of daring deeds and heroism, but ultimately in their rush to show off, it seems they forgot to pay attention to a script.
Set in 17th Century in a France on the brink of war, The Three Musketeers tells the story of D’Artagnan (Logan Lerman), a young man desperate to follow in his father’s footsteps and join the King’s Musketeers. However, on his arrival in Paris, D’Artagnan finds the Musketeers ‘obsolete’, superseded by the evil Cardinal Richelieu’s (Christopher Waltz) personal guard in his secret quest for the throne. Before long, D’Artagnan finds himself fighting alongside the last remaining musketeers Athos, Porthos and Aramis to protect the King once again.
Down the years a variety of talented actors have played the titular heroes, from Oliver Reed to Kiefer Sutherland, the characters of Athos, Porthos and Aramis have been well represented. Thankfully this instalment is no different with Stevenson, Evans and MacFadyen all solid, and while there might not be any Oscar nods next year, they certainly do their best with the limited script. The same can be said for the majority of the cast, with Lerman making a good, if slightly irritating, D’Artagnan and Jovovich a manipulative, sultry Milady. Waltz’s Richelieu is the pick of the bunch however, and provides the ideal blend of charming and conniving as he weasels his way to power.
However, while the cast do their best to leave an impression, they are badly let down by a script that is almost completely devoid of plot or substance. There is no hint of backstory, with character development and coherence dropped in favour of another unnecessary setpiece. It’s great to see a director take a different approach with a remake, but the introduction of airships, underwater suits, flamethrowers and various other weapons and gadgets, ensures that whatever story was being told is sacrificed for another toy. It’s telling that the best sequences are the ones that are unmolested by GCI or pointless concessions to 3D. The sword fights in the market and on the cathedral roof easily rank as some of the most impressive of the last few months. That they’re bookended by Matrix style acrobatics and chronic overuse of slowmotion is unfortunate.
