Les trois mousquetaires

I not only liked this movie, but I feel a need to defend it and the Walt Disney company.

Walt Disney movies are notorious for plot changes. Almost no movie touched by them is safe from this process. From cartoon production to live action films, any adaptation by Disney is going to have plot changes to suit there vision of the final product. For example, their cartoon The Sword in the Stone bears almost no resemblance to the original story of King Arthur.

To say that Disney does not stick to the original plot is like saying an elephant does not ride a bicycle. It is obvious, even before you see it, that this is not going to happen. This is why they are adaptations. The definition of adaptation is "The condition of being made suitable to an end." Disney sets what they want the end product to be and adapt the story line to meet that goal. They did, however, remain close enough to the original story line that one who had not read the original might be intrigued enough to do so.

This movie was made for one reason... to entertain. Sure money was a motive, but if it does not entertain, it does not make money. And, as with most Disney adaptations, if you approach it with the understanding that liberties have been taken, it not only can entertain, but can be downright enjoyable as well. Disney will never fully stick to an original story line for any adaptation they produce. This is how they make it "theirs". This is how they give it that twist that a lot of people have come to expect from a Disney film. And once this IS expected going into the movie, you can watch it in the spirit in which it was released.

And remember this, the cast all had the opportunity to read the script BEFORE they agreed to make the movie. If they had any qualms about the quality of the writing, you can be assured they would not have put their reputations on the line.

This film is but a true fun adventure. It's not to be taken absolutely serious. Nor a direct adaption of the classic book. Has quite notable performances by Kiefer Sutherland, Michael Wincott, Rebecca De Mornay, Gabrielle Anwar, and Paul Mcgann. The cinematography as well is noteworthy, two shots that stand out, that i always use in compilations, the shot of them riding across the plains, and when they charge the castle at the end, with an army of musketeers behind them; always takes my breath away. This is a fun movie! Watch for an escape of reality.

Produced by Walt Disney Studios and loosely based on the Alexandre Dumas père epic 'cloak and sword' romance novel, "The Three Musketeers" is a lighthearted action / adventure flick plenty of humor with a good cast of (then) young stars, some of them coming from previous collaborations such as "Young Guns" or "Flatliners".

Director Stephen Herek ("Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure"; "The Mighty Ducks") and the screenwriter David Loughery ("Dreamscape"; "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier") gave it a modern twist to some of the dialogue and situations and the result is a fresh take on an all time classic, a 'popcorn flick' that entertains without insulting the audience.

The characters are colorful enough; the humor works; the pace is frantic and the action sequences are mostly, well done, the movie never gets boring and the cast delivers appropriate performances, from the over the top cheesy villain of "Mr. Rocky Horror Picture Show", Tim Curry as the malevolent Cardinal Richelieu to the more serious in tone, but way effective, Rebecca De Mornay as Milady de Winter.

Chris O'Donnell & Gabrielle Anwar, fresh from their breakthrough roles alongside Al Pacino in Martin Brest's "Scent of a Woman", play respectively D'Artagnan and Queen Anne of Austria, with Hugh O'Connor (the young Christy Brown in "My Left Foot") as her husband, King Louis XIII of France. O'Donnell displays well on-screen the reckless Gascon who dreams to be an honored Musketeer like his late father.

Charlie Sheen and Kiefer Sutherland, together again after "Young Guns", play the (not so) religious Aramis and the regretful Athos, with Oliver Platt stealing all the Three Musketeers' scenes as the flamboyant 'bon-vivant', Porthos. Sheen got the top billing due to his star status back in '93, but his character is the emptiest in story arc and the Musketeer with less screentime (and less memorable, too).

Michael Wincott, forever the 'baddie' ("Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves"; "The Crow"; "1492 - Conquest of Paradise") is once again, excellent portraying an evil character as Captain Rochefort.

Julie Delpy's role as Constance is too small for even get some consideration and Paul McGann in the dual role of the D'Artagnan's fellow Gascon with a feud, Girard and one of the Cardinal's guards, De Jussac plays both differently as if it were not the same actor.

In short, if a viewer wants to watch a more sober, closer to the book and much longer adaptation of this all time classic, should check the Salkind's produced epics of the 70's directed by Richard Lester and starred by Michael York as D'Artagnan; Oliver Reed as Athos; Richard Chamberlain as Aramis; Faye Dunaway as Milady De Winter and Charlton Heston as the Cardinal, if not, and just want to spend less than 2 hours of pure escapism, this version is the one to get.

Fans of movies such as "Young Guns", "The Rocketeer", "The Mummy" or "The Mask of Zorro" will appreciate this unpretentious, but entertaining flick.

Just saw this film for the first time in 10 years and I still really enjoyed it. The characters are funny, the actors are perfect for the roles they were given and the story, as often as it has been told, was well executed. The three musketeers is a story I have grown up with. I've seen and read pretty much every version out there, but this is still one of the most enjoyable versions. It is a film that you can enjoy at any time of the day. It is not a popcorn kind of film and you don't have to pay endless amounts of attention either. It is not a brain teaser. Just kick back and enjoy. You will not regret watching it if you are looking for a light hearted comedy with a pinch of drama.

One thing people who write reviews about this movie are forgetting is that this is a family movie. I love this movie. Its fun to watch. It has cool sword fights and all that good stuff. In my opinion this is my favorite version of the movie. The soundtrack was awesome. I recommend this movie to anyone who loves the Three Musketeers or just a family movie.