Review of The Musketeer (2001) by Dakota L — 16 Apr 2013

Directed by Peter Hyams (Capricorn One (1978), Outland (1981) and 2010 (1984)), this was an attempt to re-imagine and re-market The Three Musketeers towards a younger market, focusing more on D'Artagnan .

It doesn't really work, and it's even more dumbed down than Paul W.S. Anderson's The Three Musketeers (2011) would end up being, (if that was possible), and this adds kung fu action, which looks good but is jarring.

In 17th Century France, hotheaded young swordsman D'Artagnan (Justin Chambers) goes out seeking revenge against Ferbe (Tim Roth), who killed his parents. He heads to Paris in the hope of becoming a Musketeer, so he can get close to Ferbe, however, the Musketeers were disbanded by Cardinal Richilieu (Stephen Rea), but he finds Aramis (Nick Moran), Athos (Jan Gregor Kremp) and Porthos (Steve Speirs), and joins them.

No sooner than he's with them and they get involved in a plot which involves an attempted assassination of the Queen of France (Catherine Deneuve), so that a war can be started between France and England, of which Ferbe is a part of.

It is a very silly film, and you can see that Hyams paid extra special attention to the costumes, the production design and especially the kung-fu action, trouble is, he forgot to pay attention to the story, and everyone acting is chewing the scenery as if they're ravenous.