Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Movie--Disastrous DVD
Review: Although several other reviewers have pointed out the aspect ratio problems with the Fox-Lorber version of this DVD, I wanted to add my own comments on the off chance that it will convince others to avoid buying, or even renting, this version.This is one of my favorite movies, and after seeing it hacked to pieces on network TV, I couldn't wait to show my kids a classic treatment of a classic book. Initially we were disappointed in the sparseness of the DVD itself: No subtitles; what seemed to be a monaural soundtrack; and no commentary or additional features such as trailers, promos, or background on the film. But then we started watching and even my kids realized that we were watching a widescreen movie with the left and right portions of the image cut off. This wasn't even pan-and-scan. This was an outrageously lazy transfer from widescreen to standard format showing only the center of the horizontal image. And there are these mysterious black bars above and below, as if someone meant us to think that we were watching the widescreen version. But they merely cut off parts of the image on the top and the bottom of the screen. What were they thinking? The movie is still great. Everyone in the family enjoyed it. But everyone was also very disappointed that a movie studio would do something so inept and insensitive to its customers. I was more than disappointed. I was stunned and angry. For now, buy the VHS version. The DVD is an unmitigated disaster.
Rating:
Summary: Avoid this horribly cropped DVD
Review: As much as I love Richard Lester's delightful telling of "The Three Musketeers," I have to warn all who care about a decent image to avoid this DVD like the plague. At first glance, it appears to be nicely letterboxed, but after a while you might notice a lot of foreheads and feet getting cut off at the top and bottom of frame. This is due to the absurd placement of "letterbox" bars over the top and bottom of a standard tv-ratio "Pan and Scan" image. So not only are you losing the sides of the image as you always do with widescreen films reformatted to TV, you lose the top and bottom as well! That seemed impossibly incompetent to me, so I compared the same frame from a Pan&Scan VHS and from the DVD, and my fears were confirmed. If that wasn't shoddy enough, there's an annoying one-pixel jag in the superfluous top bar. This movie is terrific, but this DVD realease is the worst I've seen yet. Avoid at all costs.
Rating: 
Summary: Not the definitive version of this title.
Review: Collectors have wanted The Three Musketeers (1974) and The Four Musketeers (1975) on disc for years, so it's nice that these titles are finally available, but this Fox-Lorber release is not up to the standards of the best DVDs. This 2-part version of the classic Dumas tale was directed by Richard Lester (A Hard Day's Night) and includes a lot of his trademark slapstick, along with elegant production design, lots of action and a truly all-star cast. The Three Musketeers is the breezier of the two films, with an outstanding performance by Raquel Welch as a klutzy heroine. Although this title is priced at $29.95, it is presented in a bare-bones format, without even a listing of the chapter numbers. The video quality is inconsistent, ranging from very good to fair. The image is letterboxed at 1.66:1, but it appears to have been cropped from 1.85:1, causing people to disappear from the edges of the screen. It has not been enhanced for 16:9 TVs. The monaural audio is average. If you like The Three Musketeers, you'll have to decide whether to go with this somewhat inferior version or hope that a better version comes along later.
Rating:
Summary: Avoid this DVD Version! Get the newer release
Review: Filmed in 1973, the one that began it all. The book was actually split into two movies to fit all the plot! This is the first half of the book. An amazing, star-studded cast, great attention to detail and it's funny to boot! Let's see. Oliver Reed as Athos, Richard Chamberlain as Aramis, Frank Finlay as Porthos, Michael York as D'Artagnan. Christopher Lee, Raquel Welch, Geraldine Chaplin, Faye Dunaway. Just about every performance is amazing. This has the REAL plot - not the entirely made-up one Disney foisted on us. D'Artagnan is cheating on his landlord with his landlord's wife. The Queen of France is cheating on her husband, the King, with the Duke of Buckingham. The cardinal is trying to gain power of France. The Musketeers gladly steal food and cheat when necessary. It's a rough world out there! The attention to detail in the film is simply amazing. From the stunning costumes, to the silver-and-white ball at the end, to the interiors of the buildings, to the food they eat, wine they drink, games they play - it's all fully authentic. You could watch this in a history class and learn quite a bit. And the swordfighting!! None of this pretentious sword-waving and back-flipping. These guys were professional soldiers. They fought to win. This involved rough-and-tumble brawl tactics at times. I compare Athos' fighting style to Aragorn's in Lord of the Rings. His aim was to stay alive and to keep his comerades alive, not to look pretty when he fought. Now for the BIG WARNING. I wore out several copies of the video tape before getting this on the first DVD available. Fox Lorber put out the DVD version. I was thrilled to have it on DVD. I was less thrilled when I saw what they did to the movie!! They literally cut off ALL FOUR EDGES of the movie, losing quite a lot of the picture. The special features are completely missing. There is a new DVD version out which is a two-pack of "The Three Musketeers" and "The Four Musketeers" that has the special features and has the full version of both movies without missing content. AVOID THE FOX LORBER VERSION and get the other one.
Rating: 
Summary: All For Fun!
Review: Forget Disney, forget the Hong Kong-ified "Musketeer." This version of Alexandre Dumas' book is the best, and closest to the source material, without taking it too seriously. Directed by Richard Lester ("Hard Day's Night") and exuberantly acted by a fantastic cast, "The Three Musketeers" is actually the first part of the story. For the entire thing, you'll need to also watch "The Four Musketeers."
Michael York plays D'Artagnan, a would-be musketeer who quickly runs afoul of, then befriends Athos, Porthos and Aramis, portrayed respectively by Oliver Reed (one of his best performances), Frank Finlay, and once-and-future miniseries king Richard Chamberlain. Sword fights and brawls ensue, along with some political intrigue. It seems the Cardinal Richelieu (an excellent, subtly menacing, and all-together statesman-like Charlton Heston) has it in for the Queen (Geraldine Chaplin) and her lover, the Duke of Buckingham (Simon Ward). Well, no wonder- she's married to the King of France, and he's the Prime Minister of England, France's Number One enemy!
Aiding Richelieu are one-eyed swordsman/spy Rochefort (Christopher Lee... yeah!) and Lady De Winter (an icy Faye Dunaway, at the height of her gorgeousity). On D'Artagnan's side are his trusty and much-abused servant Planchet (Roy Kinnear) and Constance (Raquel Welch... man, this movie just gets better and better!).
Lester and his cast have a rollicking good time, and although the emphasis is on humor (some of the background bits are a little stale after all these years) and satire, there's plenty of high adventure, swashbuckly-type stuff. The sets are very impressive, and it all seems to have been filmed with natural light. The cinematography gives many scenes the look of a Rembrandt painting. Docked a star for not including extras, but "The Three Musketeers" and its follow-up are DVDs well-worth viewing.
Look for comedian Spike Milligan as Welch's devious husband, Sybill Danning, Finlay in a second role, and Honor Blackman.
Rating:
Summary: All For Fun!
Review: Forget Disney, forget the Hong Kong-ified "Musketeer." This version of Alexandre Dumas' book is the best, and closest to the source material, without taking it too seriously. Directed by Richard Lester ("Hard Day's Night") and exuberantly acted by a fantastic cast, "The Three Musketeers" is actually the first part of the story. For the entire thing, you'll need to also watch "The Four Musketeers."
Michael York plays D'Artagnan, a would-be musketeer who quickly runs afoul of, then befriends Athos, Porthos and Aramis, portrayed respectively by Oliver Reed (one of his best performances), Frank Finlay, and once-and-future miniseries king Richard Chamberlain. Sword fights and brawls ensue, along with some political intrigue. It seems the Cardinal Richelieu (an excellent, subtly menacing, and all-together statesman-like Charlton Heston) has it in for the Queen (Geraldine Chaplin) and her lover, the Duke of Buckingham (Simon Ward). Well, no wonder- she's married to the King of France, and he's the Prime Minister of England, France's Number One enemy!
Aiding Richelieu are one-eyed swordsman/spy Rochefort (Christopher Lee... yeah!) and Lady De Winter (an icy Faye Dunaway, at the height of her gorgeousity). On D'Artagnan's side are his trusty and much-abused servant Planchet (Roy Kinnear) and Constance (Raquel Welch... man, this movie just gets better and better!).
Lester and his cast have a rollicking good time, and although the emphasis is on humor (some of the background bits are a little stale after all these years) and satire, there's plenty of high adventure, swashbuckly-type stuff. The sets are very impressive, and it all seems to have been filmed with natural light. The cinematography gives many scenes the look of a Rembrandt painting. Docked a star for not including extras, but "The Three Musketeers" and its follow-up are DVDs well-worth viewing.
Look for comedian Spike Milligan as Welch's devious husband, Sybill Danning, Finlay in a second role, and Honor Blackman.
Rating:
Summary: All For Fun!
Review: Forget Disney, forget the Hong Kong-ified "Musketeer." This version of Alexandre Dumas' book is the best, and closest to the source material, without taking it too seriously. Directed by Richard Lester ("Hard Day's Night") and exuberantly acted by a fantastic cast, "The Three Musketeers" is actually the first part of the story. For the entire thing, you'll need to also watch "The Four Musketeers."
Michael York plays D'Artagnan, a would-be musketeer who quickly runs afoul of, then befriends Athos, Porthos and Aramis, portrayed respectively by Oliver Reed (one of his best performances), Frank Finlay, and once-and-future miniseries king Richard Chamberlain. Sword fights and brawls ensue, along with some political intrigue. It seems the Cardinal Richelieu (an excellent, subtly menacing, and all-together statesman-like Charlton Heston) has it in for the Queen (Geraldine Chaplin) and her lover, the Duke of Buckingham (Simon Ward). Well, no wonder- she's married to the King of France, and he's the Prime Minister of England, France's Number One enemy!
Aiding Richelieu are one-eyed swordsman/spy Rochefort (Christopher Lee... yeah!) and Lady De Winter (an icy Faye Dunaway, at the height of her gorgeousity). On D'Artagnan's side are his trusty and much-abused servant Planchet (Roy Kinnear) and Constance (Raquel Welch... man, this movie just gets better and better!).
Lester and his cast have a rollicking good time, and although the emphasis is on humor (some of the background bits are a little stale after all these years) and satire, there's plenty of high adventure, swashbuckly-type stuff. The sets are very impressive, and it all seems to have been filmed with natural light. The cinematography gives many scenes the look of a Rembrandt painting. Docked a star for not including extras, but "The Three Musketeers" and its follow-up are DVDs well-worth viewing.
Look for comedian Spike Milligan as Welch's devious husband, Sybill Danning, Finlay in a second role, and Honor Blackman.
Rating: 
Summary: Best cinematic treatment of Dumas
Review: I have loved Lester's 3 and 4 Musketeers films ever since their first theatrical release. The long delay in their home video release (presumably due to the legal hassles over Salkind's decision to make 2 movies out of the footage) has been very irritating, and I'm thrilled that these gems are finally back in print. While the budget for these films was not huge and there are a few clumsy moments, I freely forgive any and all minor flaws because of their charm and general excellence. The cast is outrageously distinguished and the casting exceptionally well done (I might quibble over the choice of Ms Welch for Constance Bonacieux, but that's all). And the actors, from the big names down to the fight scene extras, seem to be having FUN. There is an exuberance about the whole production, a festive, playful, rich atmosphere that makes these films a delight to watch over and over. The movies score high as eye candy alone; many actors are in the bloom of their best looks and style, and the costumes are lavish and faultless. Plenty of historical dramas look as luscious, but then disappoint in terms of content: not these! The dialogue is witty, dramatic, and delivered with confidence and gusto. Swordplay and battle scenes are beautifully choreographed and authentic. Years after my first viewing I still enjoy every moment of these lovingly crafted movies, and I recommend them with armwaving enthusiasm to all my cinematic friends. Seldom has a cinema adaptation come so very close to the spirit and mood of the original text. Other makes of the Musketeers strike me as offences against Dumas' memory; these are a loving tribute to his literary achievement, and a gift to us all.
Rating:
Summary: Great film, lousy video
Review: I loved this film and couldn't wait for it to be released in video. I was very disappointed, though, by the quality. The sound is off and the picture quality varies from fair to lousy.
Rating: 
Summary: I thought they over-did it with the fight scenes...
Review: I mean, I can only take SO MUCH sword-fighting before it starts getting repetitive, and these films (I'm including "The Four Musketeers") REALLY over-did it! When they made both movies there was a scandal of sorts, as the producers NEVER said they were making a MOVIE (singular), instead calling it "the PROJECT". So, when they later released TWO films ("The Three Musketeers" and "The Four Musketeers"), several cast members sued, only to be shown that they'd been paid for their PROJECT, not a MOVIE. The casting was good, and stretching this LONG book into two movies was probably a good idea --- not that they stuck very closely to the book. Still, it's probably the best telling of that story on film, assuming you can put up with the endless sword-fighting. I couldn't. It just got stupid!
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