The Three Musketeers/The Four Musketeers

Rating:
Summary: Great movies, average DVD release
Review: Just FYI, the previous reviewer from London commented on the Fox-Lorber releases of "The Three Musketeers" and "The Four Musketeers". I purchased the two movie set as a gift for my brother as we had seen these in the theaters together when we were, well, much younger! The two movies were the same as the individual copies I purchased seperately for myself. It is possible that Fox-Lorber has issued another edition of "The Three Musketeers" with "The Four Musketeers" in Fullscreen, but this edition of "The Four Musketeers had a slight letterboxing of about 1:66:1, non-anamorphic, yet indeed still seemed virtually identical to full-screen TV/cable editions I have seen.
For the bargain price I paid for both films I am satisfied and my brother was thrilled to get the set which likewise was very inexpensive. The retail had been much higher and had I shelled out that much I would also have been unhappy as there are no extras on the Fox-Lorber editions, not even a trailer. To be fair, I would point out that they were also very early (1997) DVD releases. However, The two films are being re-released in a new two movie set by Anchor Bay in Feb 2003. As Anchor Bay has steadily improved their DVD product it should be a nice edition. I hope, at the very least, it contains the correct Widescreen edition for each film. Even better would be a dual Widescreen/Fullscreen edition for each film (like their THX edition of Halloween) because I would love to compare the correct Widescreen and Pan and Scan formats after reading all the interesting reviews here. Well, we shall see. Thanks, CAL

Rating:
Summary: Unbridled joy, rousing spirits
Review: I first saw Richard Lester's "The Three Musketeers" during a very
troubled period in my life (during the film's initial release). When I walked out of the theatre, I felt at least 10 feet tall--I had experienced one of the great "uplifts" of my adult life.

Maybe it was just the emotional circumstances of that particular time, but I have treasured this film ever since. The absolute perfection of the cast, and the finely balanced direction are the film's chief assets, along with the awesome, detailed AUTHENTICITY of the settings- the costumes, props, and sets.

None of the actors playing the title characters were in the prime of their youth when this film was made, but they are amazingly virile, agile, and powerful in their fight scenes, and
fantastic actors to boot. Frank Finlay, greatly respected for his "legit" theatre work in England, is especially energetic.
(Watch for his double-role as the befuddled jeweler in Buckinham's court).

Simon Ward is breathtakingly regal as the Duke of Buckingham, the amazingly off-beat Spike Milligan is a joy to watch as Raquel Welch's buffoonish husband, Christopher Lee is a terrifying presence as Rochefort, and Roy Kinnear, another fine
actor and comedian, is an engaging Planchet. And the internationally renowned cast goes on and on! Welch, York, Dunaway, Heston, Chaplin, the Frenchmen Cassel and Georges Wilson....

And the action! Imaginatively designed and superbly staged---
swordfights in a convent courtyard, a laundry, a tavern, near a huge water-wheel, etc----all of these settings beautifully intergrated into the plot. This is a harsh, gritty world full of blood, sweat, mud----the Musketeers are not supernatural creatures, but very real men who grunt and gasp under the strain of hand-to-hand combat.

But, after one particluarly vigorous fight is concluded, the first line we hear is Porthos' "My hair...!" Yes, Richard Lester's wacky sense of humor pervades the entire film, balancing witty asides along with the visceral intensity of this violent and dangerous period in history.

Finally---the music---one of the great soundtracks of all time, and that's NOT an overstatement. Michel Legrand's score is one of power, briliance, and, in spots, an unearthly sort of beauty, combining elements of authentic Renaissance music with his own
robust and sensuous style. The fight in the inn underscore is
a true gem, and the music for the final scene in the sunlit courtyard (when heard in its entirety on the soundtrack recording) is nearly overwhelming, and really takes me back to the dynamic experience of my first encounter with this film in April of 1974.

It's a pity that "The Four Musketeers" is such an incredible emotional downer---but the unbridled joy and rousing spirits of "The Three Musketeers" is something that I will always treasure.

Rating:
Summary: Good but not faithful to the book..but what is?
Review: Don't listen to the reviewers who say these films are faithful to the book. I am reading the book right now and while there are a lot of similarities these films ARE NOT faithful to the book!
The comedic aspect of these films is way over the top and is not so extreme in the book. Aramis is a different character and D'Artagnan and Constance are not so damn silly!
Anyway that having been said these are still great films!
Excellent casting of our favorite swashbucklers and very funny.
It would be nice to have the third film out as well even if it doesn't measure up to the first two as well.
If you want other interesting versions check out The Man In The Iron Mask with Jeremy Irons, Gabriel Burn etc... not a bad film and the Disney Three Musketeers, while also a severe departure from the book is very funny and the ages of the actors are actually closer to the ages of the characters in the book.
Yes it would be nice to see more faithful versions of all of Dumas books but then again these are still good films and worth seeing!

Rating:
Summary: All For Fun And Fun For All
Review: Two years ago I became literally addicted to the Musketeers after I barrowed the book from my school library. Since then I have watched some 10-15 different Musketeer Movies (The Three Musketeers, The Four Musketeers, The Return of the Musketeers, The Revenge of the Musketeers...) And these two are the best. The swordfights look extermemly authentic and the films are filled with little touches of humor. I personally think that Athos, Porthos and Rochefort were especially well-played in this. It's a must-have for any Musketeer addict.

Rating:
Summary: All for This One and This One for All
Review: After watching several more recent version of the Musketeer stories, I thought I had finally been bored by and outgrown them all. Then, I stumbled across the 1973 Michael York version of The Three Musketeers on cable. I realized it wasn't the story, it was the lousy new versions that could not hold my interest.

Of all the movies based on Dumas' Musketeers, these two are, by far, the best. Maybe not by today's special effects standards, but for excellent storytelling and cinematography.

And, most importantly, Raquel Welsh!

Anyone with an interest in history or fencing or even Raquel Welsh will want to watch these movies over and over again.

Rating:
Summary: Wait!
Review: In response to previous comments, Anchor Bay is scheduled to release these two films on DVD sometime next year I think. details are not in yet, but I assume Anchor Bay will release both films in the original aspect ratio, high quality, and with bonus features. Worth the waut!

Rating:
Summary: Don't buy this version!! The good set comes out in Feb 2003
Review: Thank God for Anchor Bay Entertainment which is releasing this set in Feb 2003 as Widescreen with the types of extras you expect on DVD. You can check their website for details under "Future Releases". I've loved these 2 movies since I was a kid and I'd hate to think that this lousy DVD set would be my only option.

Rating:
Summary: Aspect Ratio Update
Review: I would just like to add a footnote to the DVD aspect ratio observations made by other contributors shown here. It appears that the first DVD 'The Three Musketeers' has been originally taken from a full screen (1.33:1) high quality digitised master used for international television broadcast. The second film 'The Four Musketeers' does not appear to have a digitised master and so has been taken from a decent, though nowhere near as good, a print of the French version that has had the original English dialogue put back with some syncing problems. This second DVD has been made semi-letterbox (1.66:1) with full image height but some loss of picture to the sides.
In an attempt to make both films of this set appear similar Fox Lorber have taken the dubious decision to cut off the top and bottom of the image of the first film to match the black bars of the second. You can verify the cut off by comparing the opening credits of 'The Four Musketeers' with the key scenes from the first film that it reprises.
At the time of writing (September 2002) amazon.com appears to have for sale a newer (February 2001 release) full screen version of both films separately on DVD, again through Fox Lober (according to the amazon.com technical information -if you buy it would you please add a review to confirm this is correct). The customer reviews made here and elsewhere may have led to FL's change of heart. I presume the first film to be taken from the same digital master but with the daft cut offs removed and guess the second has more removed from the sides to fill the screen top and bottom. So if you have the cash and want the best possible versions of both films it seems you will have to buy both this first films single DVD and the set to use the second DVD! This may seem steep (too steep for me as I have to add UK delivery) but its the only way to get maximum image. You may also care to know that the customers reviews to the single DVD's are different from those shown here so you may like to read them also; so long as they are still available on amazon.com. that is.
I would not advise waiting for better versions to become available as they may never appear. Marvellous as these films are, (and the reviews here confirm) the fact that Fox Lorber have not released either 'The Return of the Musketeers' or an earlier offshoot 'The Prince and the Pauper' on DVD and have only released these first two films as region 0 DVD's indicates that the apparent market for these classics is made up of a small but enthusiastic bunch that is unlikely to grow with time. Hence I suggest you get these flawed transcriptions while they are available rather than live in hope.

P.S. I was surprised no one else has mentioned the score to 'The Three Musketeers' by Michael Legrand. I have the L.P. Album of this and its great fun; far better than the workmanlike but uninspiring score to 'The Four Musketeers' by Lalo Schifrin. You can tell precisely how good it is by the fact that it keeps on popping up in TV and radio adverts to this day. Especially the short recorders & strings theme to D'Artagnan's seduction of Constance. It starts as a simple woodwind chant, spills into the pastoral and builds to a gloriously overblown thousand stringed wave of emotion.

Rating:
Summary: This put the 'Family' in 'Entertainment'
Review: Spike Milligan playing of all things the cuckold husband of Raquel Welch (as if) is what makes this film for me. He is gut-crunch funny. As if he wasn't enough of a laugh look...it's Roy Kinnear...the man who makes laziness look like the hardest job in the world. Oliver Reed is audible (for once), Raquel gorgeous, as too is the villainous Milady De Winter (Faye Dunaway). But wait there's more...the eternal youth Michael York, a foppish Frank Finlay, a debonair Richard Chamberlain, a hapless Rochefort is Chistopher Lee and for heavens sake...the scheming Cardinal Richelieu is only Charlton Heston. Plus it's so funny. Plus there are international conspiracies afoot and deeds to be done with daring-do and hullaballoo. Plus it's all so suspenseful. Plus they sell it with 'The Four Musketeers'. Plus...plus...plus!

Rating:
Summary: Still a joyous romp!
Review: Despite Richard Lester's attempts ad nauseum to reproduce the gaiety of these two films, they're still tremendous fun even after thirty years. Extraordinarily, neither film is available on DVD in the UK, so hooray for multi-region DVD players!