The Three Musketeers/The Four Musketeers

Rating:
Summary: Three Musketeers/Four Musketeers
Review: Two of my favorite adventure movies get a so-so treatment on DVD. The five stars go to the movies themselves and not the quality of the DVD. The aspect ratio seems off a bit which is a disappointment as I was hoping for a nice letterboxed experience of these two fine movies. Don't get me wrong, these films are worth owning no matter the quality.

Rating:
Summary: Great swashbuckling fun and adventure!
Review: Saw these movies when they first came out in the mid-1970's and they have been favorites of mine ever since. I'm glad to see they are out on video. The young Michael York is innocent yet determined and Raquel Welch has the most wonderful sense of comedic timing. Everyone in the cast was just terrific. The earthiness and humor in this movie is very close to the original works by Dumas, which is an excellent book.

Rating:
Summary: Two of the best adventure films ever made
Review: These films ranks as two of the greatest adventure films of all time. The cast is perfect with the late Oliver Reed particulary affecting as Athos with strong support from Michael York (D'Artangan),Richard Chamberlain (Aramis) and Frank Finlay (Porthos). Along with Faye Dunaway, Christopher Lee and Charlton Heston as the baddies and Richard Lester's brilliant direction. These films are a must have for any adventure fan. No other versions come close to these classics

Rating:
Summary: More true to Dumas than other movie versions, great fun!
Review: It took two movies to do justice to the Three Musketeers. These movies do it. They are historically detailed and sumptuously costumed, as well as both swashbuckling and irreverently slapstick. The acting is superb and depth of character exceptional for a historical action mive of this sort. These movies put the Disney version to shame.

Rating:
Summary: The best swashbuckling since Errol Flynn.
Review: This is THE Three Musketeers film. The two films were made back to back and play like one long movie. The humor in the films is really what makes them special. The director, Richard Lester, remembered that these films are supposed to be fun, not dark and gloomy. Check it out if you liked The Mask of Zorro, and check out the third film, Return of the Musketeers.

Rating:
Summary: Swachbuckling fun at its best!
Review: The 1974 production Alexander Dumas's novel of the three Muskateers, with Oliver Reed, Richard Chamberlain, Michael York, Rachel Welch and Faye Dunaway is just plain swashbuckling fun! Far superior to Disney's remake a few years ago. Rent and enjoy, then buy this for your collection.

Rating:
Summary: Totally enjoyable
Review: Except for the obvious (and deplorable) faux pas in Raquel Welch's personal changes to her character's costuming (evidently if she'd worn the correct costuming for the period her most important assets - her boobs - wouldn't have been as prominently featured) it's absolutely beautifully done.

Plus it's FUNNY! Turn UP the volume to make sure you catch all of the murmured asides cause they're worth hearing!

It's well worth buying.

Rating:
Summary: All for one and one for two discs
Review: Forget everything in that putrid "Three Musketeers" remake starring Chris O'Donnell. A lot closer to Alexandre Dumas's original novel is "The Complete Musketeers," a pair of movies that sparkle with humor, romance, swordplay and political plotting. It's a period piece with a wink and nudge.

At the beginning of "Three Musketeers," farm lad D'Artagnan (Michael York) arrives in Paris to try to become one of the king's elite Musketeers. After being challenged to three duels within five minutes, D'Artagnan ends up befriending three of the Musketeers: wry alcoholic Athos (Oliver Reed), naughty priest Aramis (Richard Chamberlain), and lovable fop Porthos (Frank Finlay). Even though D'Artagnan isn't a Musketeer yet, the three Musketeers take a liking to him -- as does his landlord's sexy wife, the queen's lady-in-waiting Constance (Raquel Welch).

However, the evil Cardinal Richelieu (Charlton Heston) is seeking to overthrow the queen, who is having an affair with the Duke of Buckingham. So he arranges for her infidelity to be exposed by a pair of ruthless assassins, Milady de Winter and Comte de Rocheforte (Faye Dunaway and Christopher Lee). But Constance gets D'Artagnan to go to England to retrieve the gems the queen gave the Duke, along with the help of the three Musketeers.

"The Four Musketeers" is the second half of the original novel, and appropriately called "Milady's Revenge." Milady is, unsurprisingly, very peeved that the Musketeers thwarted her in the previous film. So she gets a special pardon "in advance" from the Cardinal -- she wants to murder D'Artagnan and Constance, and be unscathed by any punishment.

D'Artagnan sends Constance to a convent, hoping that that will keep her safe. Then, idiotically, he starts an affair with Milady, only to discover the harlot's brand on her shoulder. Milady's machinations spread over the English channel to engulf the Duke of Buckingham. Now only the four Musketeers can hope to bring Milady to justice -- but not before a terrible price is paid.

The art of the action-comedy is pretty much lost -- making action funny. And "The Complete Musketeers" is a prime example of that. One good example is the fight with the Cardinal's guards, where Aramis gleefully dodges sword thrusts, and Porthos attacks with rocks and sticks. Another is the scene where the Musketeers use a fake fight to shoplift food.

But the film never quite descends to slapstick, and there is plenty of drama and even tragedy, as one of the important characters dies, and others reveal not-so-pleasant secrets. The sets are outstanding, lavish and full of detail. And the scripting is equally solid, getting across plenty of information in a series of solid one-liners.

All four of the Musketeers are outstanding: York has that naive Luke Skywalker vibe, while Finlay is a lovable hothead, Chamberlin a charming rogue priest, and Reed a tormented soul. Raquel Welch gets to play a fun, comedic character as the clumsy Constance (who, as soon as we see her, falls down the stairs). Heston seems to be relishing the role of a bad guy, and Christopher Lee exudes icy menace as the Comte. Faye Dunaway is also excellent, though she doesn't get to shine until "Four Musketeers."

The spirit of Alexandre Dumas seems to live on in the solid, entertaining, tragic, action-filled "Complete Musketeers." Just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Rating:
Summary: All for one - the true classic Musketeers in a fantastic set
Review: Anchor Bay deserves a great deal of credit for this informative and entertaining double feature of the two classic Musketeer films from the early 1970s.
Originally planned as one long epic movie (including a then standard intermission in the middle) the decision was made at some point during the production of THE THREE MUSKETEERS that they would either have one four hour movie or two separate movies. Rather than cut out some of the fantastic scenes that had been shot to make the movie more manageable the production company made the more sensible decision to cut the production in two releasing THE THREE MUSKETEER' one year and then THE FOUR MUSKETEERS shortly after.
Not everyone involved in the production of the movie was happy about the decision. Actress Faye Dunaway publicly stated that (had she known about the splitting of the movie into two) she would have refused to do it since her role in the first was so small. The move led to some litigation and was eventually settled but today movie contracts include what is termed "The Salkind Clause" (named after the Salkind's who produced the MUSKETEER movies) to protect actors from such moves.
It is perhaps for this reason that Faye Dunaway is one of the only still living members of the main cast who does not appear on camera for the excellent hour-long documentary THE SAGA OF THE MUSLETEERS that Anchor Bay has put together for this release.
Perhaps a deliberate reflection of the movie (or perhaps simply due to limited space on the DVDs) the documentary is split into two half-hour parts on each disc. Recounting their memories of the production are actors Charlton Heston, Raquel Welch, Michael York, Frank Finlay and Christopher Lee who cover nearly every aspect of the production from their casting to some of the close calls and injuries the actors sustained performing their own stunts and swordflighting with real, very lethal swords.
Lee, himself an expert swordsman, had to remind a rather over enthusiatic Oliver Reed (who abandoned the staged moves for a fight for some more improvised swings) that it was "only a movie."
Also on camera for interviews are producers Ilya Salkind and Pierre Spengler (who would both go on to produce SUPERMAN) who discuss not only the actual production of the movies but also where the initial idea came from and the recruiting of Director Richard Lester. Salkind recounts how Lester initially turned down the invitation to direct the movie, referring to it as "a children's book" (as it was seen at the time). It was not until Salkind actually sent him a copy of the actual Alexandre Dumas novel that Lester became excited by the prospect of directing the adaptation.
With a screenplay by George MacDonald Fraser (of the FLASHMAN novels and later of 1983's OCTOPUSSY) these two movies work remarkably well. Even though there are some surprising stylistic differences (surprising since it was originally meant as one movie). The first movie is definitely more comic in tone and the second darker and more dramatic. This is not to say the second movie is lacking in humor - just witness the Musketeers eating lunch as the prefer for battle with the Protestants.
Of the two I actually prefer the second movie much more because I feel the characters are more drawn out and the intrigue more involving, The climatic sword fight and Oliver Reed-Faye Dunaway subplot are both highlights in my opinion. The second movie also features the shocking deaths of two of the more likeable major characters.
Overall, a fantastic job by Anchor Bay. One can only hope that the third movie in the series, 1989's THE RETURN OF THE MUSKETEERS which was also directed by Richard Lester and included the majority of the original cast, will one day be released on DVD.
Well recommended.

Rating:
Summary: A CLASSIC....A TRUE ORIGINAL!
Review: D'Artagnan (Michael York), Athos (Oliver Reed), Aramis (Richard Chamberlain), and Porthos (Frank Finlay), make up the magnificent and greatly loved, THREE AND FOUR MUSKETEERS. This Alexandre Dumas classic, is one of the best loved, most action packed, timeless tales, to ever transfer to the screen. This outstanding period piece, filmed in France, has an all-star cast, which also includes: Christopher Lee, Charlton Heston, Geraldine Chaplain, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Faye Dunaway, and Raquel Welch. THE THREE MUSKETEERS is a rollicking, frolicking, swashbuckling, tongue-in-cheek, complex, exciting, tale of brash, mercenary soldiers, who were,"One for All and All for One," in their pursuit of pleasure, patriotism, and a good sword fight.

Everything about this film is classy: the stars, the costumes, the magnificent sets, the music, and the authenticity is remarkable, right down to the smallest detail. Each character endears himself to the story: Athos, a dark, melancholic, bully, who drinks too much, Porthos, clumsy, vain, and affected, Aramis, dashing, romantic, handsome and a cad, D'Artagnan, young, naive and anxious to please. When country bumpkin, D'Artagnan sets out to become a musketeer, and finally meets and befriends the trio, he never in his wildest dreams suspected he would become a hero, saving the honor of the Queen of France, from a wicked plot constructed by Cardinal Richelieu.

The second film, also known as MILADY'S REVENGE was less funny, but wove a rousing good yarn of the FOUR MUSKETEERS, supporting their King, in a power struggle against Cardinal Richelieu and Milady. The sword fights choreographed in these Dumas' films are the best ever done in film history. The actors were brilliant, especially the lithe and agile Richard Chamberlain, who gracefully, with noble straight posture, skillfully demonstrated his thrusts and parries. My favorite scene, is the sword fight Porthos and Aramis construct in the cafe, where they fake their dueling, and end up fueling the cafe food supply. I nearly laughed myself sick, as Athos stuffed his pockets with chunks of bread, wine, and vegetables, while the innocent D'Artagnan watched in utter disbelief. When the four magnificent actors, together ride their stately steeds, side by side, with plumes flying in the wind, chills literally run up my spine. Wonderful!

The story is true to history and the novel, and it has everything you could ever hope for in a film: adventure, intrigue, romance, comedy, and plenty of earthy realism. It doesn't get any better than this! No other film has ever captivated the reality of the 17th Century as magnificently. As a die-hard, Richard Chamberlain fan, the Dumas films are priceless. Richard Chamberlain is the perfect Aramis, and was born to play the handsome, imposing swashbuckler. My only criticism of this film, is that there was not enough Aramis, but Richard went on to star in the next two Alexandre Dumas classics, THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, and THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK. These are my favorite action classics of all time, and Richard Chamberlain delivered some of the most outstanding performances of his career. Richard Chamberlain is a classic....and always a true original!