Los Tres Mosqueteros: D'Artagnan

Only the French could come up with a swashbuckling boy's own adventure where the hero saves the day by covering up adultery, but I'm glad they did.

Whilst none of the versions of this come close to the Richard Lester classic (well, maybe Dog Tanian) this one is very good indeed.

The colour palette is the modern brown and grimy one we've gotten used to from the more recent Bond movies, which is quite appropriate since Eva Green features as the duplicitous Milady, will, why break the habit of a lifetime. She's probably the best one to play the part since Faye Dunaway, and I look forward to seeing more of her in the sequel, which is named after her character.

Anyway this is a lot of fun you'll care about the characters, and there is a breathtaking cliff edge horse chase. True, you'll miss Roy Kinnear's mumbling asides but there is plenty to enjoy here.

The story revolves around D'Artagnan who joins the Musketeers of the Guard and shows enough bravery when he clashes with the three musketeers - Athos, Porthos and Aramis, who take him under their wing. When Athos is falsely accused of murder, the other trio ensure to save Athos and time, while unraveling the larger conspiracy to harm the King and the Queen as well as instigating wide unrest planned by the baddie Milady and others. How D'Artagnan and three musketeers become a big hurdle to Milady and will they be able to save their King on time forms rest of the story, building up for a sequel.

Straight up, this was definitely a good watch and even if the action set pieces mostly with the sword didn't stand out but the story as well as the characters instantly connects. To simply put, the production is top notch. Be with the setting and the costumes, the era is set solidly and the director wastes no time in kickstarting with the action right from the introduction scene of D'Artagnan. It kept throwing enough entertaining scenes throughout, made memorable by the actor especially the multiple duel scene with the trio or even the flirting between the main lead and Constance. It definitely was an easy watch and to keep more of Eva Green to the sequel alone is worth waiting for it.

I just finished the film. Perhaps I should say, "Je viens de regarder le film" but I think I'll write this review for an anglophone audience. There may be a version with English subtitles but the one I watched did not have that option. I had to pause and listen again a few times, but the dialogue is generally not too hard to follow if your French is not too rusty.

For purists, it may be a disappointment, but for me it was a delight. The film was not exactly faithful to the original story by Alexandre Dumas, although overall it followed the same trajectory. For example, when Athos told the story of his wife to D'Artagnan, they were not drunk and sprawled across a table at an inn, but in the forest where Athos had just mocked D'Artagnan with a bit of friendly swordplay. Also, D'Artagnan was buried alive in the original story, but he was in a coffin and it was Athos who dug him out of the ground. In this film he dug himself out of an open-pit grave coughing and wheezing.

D'Artagnan's letter of introduction to M. De Tréville from his father was particularly annoying. An important part of the story was that it was in his doublet when it was stolen in Meung.

Also, where were Grimaud, Bazin, Mousqueton, and Planchet? They figured large in the original story, but weren't even a footnote in the film.

But the introduction of D'Artagnan to the trio was perfectly faithful to the original, and delightfully amusing. Within an hour of his arrival in Paris, D'Artagnan had managed to rile Athos, Porthos, and Aramis and he had agreed to fight them in duels, one after the other. He paid his rent four weeks in advance (4 livres) "au cas où." The humor was morbid, dry, and subtle, and I think it was faithful to the description by Dumas.

The actors chosen for the parts represented interesting choices. Porthos was not as portly as he should have been, in my mind, nor Athos as taciturn, nor Aramis as refined and beautiful, nor Richelieu as commanding. And none of them had particularly long hair (except for Athos before they cut it in anticipation of slicing through his neck.) Moreover, the actors portraying the mousquetaires were all a bit long in the tooth.

Still, after a bit it all came together with credible performances. I'm not very familiar with French actors, but the actors in this film all carried their characters brilliantly. (Ils ont crevé l'écran, as the French say. They "crushed" it.) The actress chosen for Constance Bonacieux was perfect. She was charming and pretty and young, but not beautiful or refined, just as Dumas painstakingly described her in the book.

However, it was jarring was when Constance was stitching the wound of D'Artagnan and she said something like "Quelques centimètres" meaning that it was lucky the shot wasn't just a bit to the left. But anything set in that period would have used "puces" (inches) and "pieds" (feet). To be sure, the French got so upset with the clergy and the nobility that they changed the names of the months of the year, the days of the week, the units of measurement, and the position of the head relative to the shoulders of 17 thousand aristocrats, but that wouldn't happen till 165 years after this story was set. (Would be interesting to see if, in the versions subtitled in English, the translation given was "a few inches to the left". I know they often use different units in translations meant for US consumption. Pounds, miles, etc.)

I really appreciated it when the king said, near the end, "Messieurs, voici les fameux trois mousquetaires, qui sont désormais quatre" (or something like that), even though it wasn't in the book. The complete lack of political correctness was refreshing as well. If he had said "mesdames et messieurs..." it would have lacked historical authenticity.

The fighting scenes were particularly stunning. There was plenty of violence and blood, just as in the novel, and the réalisateur chose to go with that quirky NYPD Blue-style camera angle, which I think gave it a gritty reality often missing from films set in the early 17th century. Combatants in close quarters do not have a drone's-eye view, and this is reflected in scenes of more recent battles (e.g., Thin Red Line). It was refreshing to see that treatment in a depiction of more ancient battles.

The locations were real, or so it seemed. The white cliffs of Dover are hard to simulate, and the château de Vincennes is probably also hard to replicate. I'd guess that all the places were filmed in situ.

Overall I can recommend it to--well, I'm going to borrow a Spanish word here because we don't have this one in English (nor, as far as I know, in French)--to aficionados of Les Trois Mousquetaires. Just keep an open mind regarding the small details, which will be different from the book.

Note that this film corresponds to Tome I of Les Trois Mousquetaires, roughly the first 30 chapters. Hopefully they'll make sequel. That was hinted after the credits with a small "à suivre" teaser featuring Milady and le Cardinal Richelieu in which she referenced "les mousquetaires".

For those who have not recently read the book and who might want to reference it, The Gutenberg Project has several versions in its excellent and free collection.

Again an intrepid young D'Artagnan along with three legendary Musketeers have to fight Milady of Winter and villainous Cardinal Richelieu. Lavish scenarios , spectacular action , court intrigue and exciting swordplay . Last version based on Alexandre Dumas' classic yarn of intrigue at the 17th century French court . Entertaining and fun version based on the classic Dumas novel with spectacular swordplay in nifty style , this is a modern version of the classic Dumas novel set in 17th Century France . Alexandre Dumas's source for his novel was a book by 19th-century writer Courtils de Sandraz, which was purporting to be D'Artagnan's biography ; the Musketeers were actually real people, not fictional characters created by Dumas . Director Martin Bourboulon presents Dumas' exciting story of love and adventure , ¨The three musketeers¨ including a lot of sword-play, and overwhelming fights . For this French rendition is adapted in the greatest splendor , the complete romance , the historical characters, the full novel by Alexandre Dumas though including important changes . It is packed with comedy , derring-do , intrigue , a love story , action , drama and moving swordplay . An awesome casting and big-budgeted production shot in real locations make for a fairly amusement swashbuckler . This is the recent recounting of the Dumas's novel with a fine cast headed by handsome François Civil as Charles d'Artagnan, Vincent Cassel as Armand de Sillègue d'Athos d'Hauteville, Romain Duris as Aramis and Pio Marmaï : Stars hot-headed D'Artagnan in a brave role as a young and handsome soldier of fortune , a dashing , audacious lover and nimble athlete. Charles d'Artagnan and the three musketeers must defeat a beautiful double agent and her villainous employer from seizing the French throne and engulfing Europe in war. At the beginning of the movie, the map of Europe shows several states and kingdoms of that era . This delightful adaptation based on Alexandre Dumas classic novel starts with the youngster D'Artagnan who arrives in Paris to find Mister Treville , chief of Musketeers. But he meets with three two-fisted Musketeers , rollicking adventurers , fighting to live and living to love . DÁrtagnan to be aware they are Musketeers and is invited to unite them in their objective to struggle against guards of Cardinal Richelieu and the astute Milady De Winter who is lovely as a jewel, deadly as a dagger the wickedest woman in all Christendom . Meanwhile, D'Artagnan falls in love with a gorgeous young , Constance, she is a golden-haired beauty entangled in a web of treachery and intrigue. Furthermore , there is developed an intrigue between Luis XIII : Louis Garrel, Queen Anne of Austria : Vicky Krieps, dazzling as her gilded palace for her, men dared a thousand perils , and Duke of Buckingham, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd; and of course the nasty Richelieu: Eric Ruf , as evil as ever . The musketeers join forces for royal vengeance with the shout : ¨One for all and all for one¨. Then , the musketeers whose friendship has become a legend to stir the hearts of men and shouting their slogan set out to help the Queen . Straightforward as well as gallant D'Artagnan and the three musketeers scheme a plan to save her , clashing against a malicious Richelieu .

It's a nice rendition from the immortal novel with pretty budget and breathtaking scenarios. The picture contains rousing action , intrigue , romantic adventure , romance , treachery , mayhem and a lot of fence . Amusing swashbuckling with lavish production , glamorous gowns and luxurious sets . Furthermore , a vein of humour is evident here , though sometimes falling flat . For this movie itself , though , energetic and frantic are the best adjectives you could think of to describe its attraction. Charming, attractive François Civil in the title role who performed his own stunts, as he bounds and leaps , fights , hits and run. Francois executes athletic feats , moving fencing and spectacular fights. He is accompanied by a good cast as veterans as newcomers.

It contains adequate and colorful cinematography by Nicolas Bolduc stunningly showed on the splendorous images being filmed in Paris and surroundings . Thrilling as well as evocative musical score by composer Guillaume Roussel. Glamorous production design is well reflected on the luxurious interiors, impressive sets and exteriors stunningly filmed .The motion picture was professionally realized by Martin Bourboulon .This cool filmmaker provided visual style , comedy , fencing , drama , clangorous action in equal proportions . Director Martin Bourboulon watched several films for inspiration during preparation, including Cyrano de Bergerac (1990), Queen Margot (1994), The Duellists(1977). Shot back to back with its sequel Three Musketeers: Milady (2023) for a total shoot of 150 days that started in 2021 and wrapped in 2022.

This classy story is subsequently remade on several versions: the MGM classic version in musical style by George Sidney with Gene Kelly , Paul Lukas , Gig Young , Vincent Price , Frank Morgan and Lana Turner as Milady . The 3 Musketeers (1961) directed by Bernard Borderie and Vengeance of Milady (1961) with Gérard Barray and Mylene Demongeot . Bertrand Tavernier's 1994 film D'Artagnan's daughter with Sophie Marceau, Philippe Noiret . 1973 amusing version by Richard Lester with Michael York, Oliver Reed, Raquel Welch, Faye Dunaway, Christopher Lee, Frank Finlay. 1993 modern adaptation by Stephen Herek with Charlie Sheen , Kiefer Sutherland, Oliver Platt and Chris O'Donnell. 2001 rendition by Peter Hyams with Justin Chambers, Mena Suvari and Tim Roth. The three musketeers (2011) by Paul Anderson with Matthew Macfadyen, Milla Jovovich, Christian Oliver, Luke Evans, Ray Stevenson, Til Schweiger, Orlando Bloom. ¨Les trois mousquetaires: D'Artagnan¨ is an outstanding and entertaining adaptation of the famous novel that will appeal to the costumer genre buffs and it results to be acceptable adaptation with big budget based on the vintage tale.

I will start by saying I'm a huge long time fan of Dumas and the books.

I have basically not liked any adaptations of it before.

I have loved this. It is a mix of exactly the book, and not the book at all. The atmosphere is dark, the action is excellent, I was never bored. It is easy to follow even if you don't know French history, but it is not dumbed down either.

The cast (as per real history and the novel) is FANTASTIC. The story is modernised and completely over the top which corresponds totally to the spirit of Dumas, if not to the actual book (it was way over the top for its time as well) .

You come out of there like you did as a child after watching a swashbuckling movie with Errol Flynn.

My brother cheered loudly like a child, a girl in the audience was crying, all in all, a roaring success in the vein of the very old action movies, but completely modernised with a certain dark steampunk flair.

Highly highly recommend. Especially with a good screen and sound which are worth it.