 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The Three Musketeers
- Review Date: October 21, 2011
- PG-13
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- 2011
Common Sense Media says
Swashbuckler for tweens has tons of action but no heart.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' classic novel is packed with over-the-top action sequences of sword and musket battles, but there's no blood and most characters (save a few) escape fatal injury. The language is limited to "s--t," "damn," "bleeding," and "t-t" (those last two being British slang), and the sexuality includes corset-popping dresses, a few kisses, and some overt flirting. Although this is a classic tale, it's worth remembering that the Three Musketeers are courageous but flawed characters and that the moral of love above duty and country is a somewhat mixed message.
What's the story?
Penniless country boy D'Artagnan (Logan Lerman) travels to Paris to find the Musketeers -- angry Athos (Matthew Macfadyen), brawny Porthos (Ray Stevenson), and philosophical Aramis (Luke Evans). After a brush with Cardinal Richelieu's guards -- led by the villainous Rochefort (Mads Mikkelsen) -- D'Artagnan joins forces with the Musketeers, who are wanted by the scheming Richelieu (Christoph Waltz). The cardinal enlists manipulative mercenary Milady de Winter (Milla Jovovich) to make King Louis XIII (Freddie Fox) believe that Queen Anne (Juno Temple) is cheating on him with Duke Buckingham (Orlando Bloom) so that the young French monarch will declare war on England. But the Musketeers and D'Artagnan discover the plot and attempt to stop the cardinal from succeeding.
Is it any good?
For an epic swashbuckler, this classic adventure is disappointing and downright soporific. The extravagant set pieces may be grand and the air ships quite cool, but otherwise there's no oomph to this unnecessary adaptation. Despite the decent cast and all the rapid-fire editing of the fight sequences, the story doesn't come to life, and the actors just seem to be dialing in their performances. With all the blossoming romance between D'Artagnan and Constance and the king and queen, it's clear that the movie is actually made for action-loving boys and lovesick girls who won't care about the big picture.
Mikkelsen and Waltz, both of whom must be bored playing baddies at this point in their careers, need to find roles that don't typecast them as villains. The impressive spark from Lerman's performance in 3:10 to Yuma has been replaced by the smirk of a pretty young actor who's coasting on his good looks. As for the Three Musketeers themselves, they're forgettable and underdeveloped, a tragic combination for some of literature's most interesting warriors. Ultimately, this is a skippable movie that insults audiences with a cliffhanger ending that all but begs for a sequel. May the studio have enough sense to let this particular Musketeer adventure end.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the movie's violence and how it's portrayed. Is it casual and humorous or necessary and serious?
How does this adaptation differ from previous adaptations of The Three Musketeers?
Do you agree with Athos' advice to D'Artagnan to forget about king and country and save the woman he loves?
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AGE
Despite what everyone else is saying...
I think it's fine for kid's at least in middle school- I don't know what the people below were watching but it wasn't bad at all. There is hardly any kissing- but with the exception of quick alcohol consumption. If your kid isn't scared of a little fighting (not really any blood except shallow cuts from swords) then they should be fine.
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AGE
Of All The Three Musketeer Films, this is one of them.
Of All The Three Musketeer Films, this is one of them. That pretty much in a nut-shell sums up this film for me. If you loved the previous Musketeer films, you'll probably love this one, because, honestly, not much has changed. If you found the prior Musketeer films offensive and/or weak, this film will not be your cup of tea. I'd place this film above the martial arts film The Musketeer and the 90's film with Kiefer Sutherlald and Charlie Sheen, but below the Gene Kelly version (I'm an old movie fan, get over it!). It's got plenty of action and some decent lines and performances, but it's simply not an emotional film or one that stops to ponder anything of any lasting value. Logan Lerman drives me nuts (Sort of like Legolas in Lord of the Rings), so I won't talk about him, but Matthew MacFayden, Mila Kovich and Orlando Bloom all do fine jobs. The action is good, but nothing spectacular that stuck with me. Parents, this is not a BAD movie in my opinion, but I probably wouldn't bring it into my house for a few reasons. 1) There is too much cleavage on display. All the women in this film wear busty costumes that will start all the men in your house salivating and that's simply something I want to avoid for the young men in my house. 2) There are enough s-words and other profanity to be a problem. 3) The violence can be brutal. This is probably the least concern from my perspective, but it is still a concern. One scene in particular caused me to wince as one character grabs an opponent's sword and the blade turns red. SUMMARY: Not a bad film, but you can do better for your kids than this.
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AGE
Know your child's sensitivities
My 8 year old loved it and my wife and I were pleasantly surprised how well it was done. Other than a few bad words it was no different than watching any Star Wars lightsaber duel or ship to ship battles. If your child is sensitive to fight scenes then this is not for them because there is a lot of sword play. There is some blood shown toward the end, but not in a gory or gruesome manner. I'm sure that my son will insist that we own the DVD when it is released, of course with his money.
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Kid, 9 years old
October 29, 2011
AGE
OK for me
i am aloud watch it but i play M video games and watch pg-13 movies but this is a 12+ movie
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AGE
Great swashbuckling, great fun...
Some fantastic sword fighting (best ever choreographed?), and the story of a young country lad who seeks honor, fame and fortune in pre-revolutionary France.
The Musketeers are bawdy lads leading disolute lives until they find a 'cause'. They drink, but even little children know that alcohol is for grownups and makes them do silly things.
Reading other reviews, I'm trying to remember anything remotely sexual. Unless a kiss has become so, I don't recall anything.
Fab, swashbuckling fun - entirely appropriate for kids with non neurotic parents.
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AGE
The beginning was good and the action scenes were memorable and solid in slo-mo,it gets sick in the end,like the airship battle with alot of cannons and pumping flame thrower,this movie is clever,smart and worthy of an action movie,they might make a sequel because in the end they are preparing a war with alot of ships and airships.Decent epic action movie of the fall season.
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AGE
great.............just watch with your kids okay?
i watched this with my 11 and 14 year old and i admit some content was a little off but the rest was............FANTASTIC!
it was great, funny, and it kept at the edge of your seat. the only thing i didn't like was the swearing. i mean, of course there was swearing, it was PG-13. but im just saying that i had to cover my 11 year old's ears when the guy said "out there all night on the hamock with birds sh*tting on my head"
in the end, little iffy, but watch it! it was great.
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AGE
one for all, this film rocks!
an excellent action film, but most of the action is in small chunks and also showed in the previews. contains explosions, guns, swords, hand-crank flamethrowers, and other steampunk weaponry.
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| Studio: | Summit Entertainment |
| Director: | Paul W.S. Anderson |
| Cast: | Logan Lerman, Milla Jovovich, Orlando Bloom |
| Genre: | Action/Adventure |
| Run time: | 110 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | October 21, 2011 |
| DVD release date: | March 13, 2012 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | sequences of adventure action violence |
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