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The Three Musketeers (1974)
- Review Date: February 27, 2011
- PG
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- 1974
Common Sense Media says
Lively and bawdy retelling of the classic.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this version the Alexander Dumas saga has plentiful swordplay, with some fatalities and bloody wounds. There is sexual innuendo in the dialogue and various adultrous affairs. There is some drinking and a Catholic cardinal as a villain.
What's the story?
D'Artagnan of Gascony (Michael York) is an adventurous youth and swordfighter from the French countryside, sent by his ex-soldier father to Paris with recommendations to become a Musketeer, illustrious personal guard to the king. But not only does d'Artagnan get a dismissive reception, he manages to offend, individually, three veteran Musketeers, Athos (Oliver Reed), Porthos (Frank Finlay), and Aramis (Richard Chamberlain), who all determine to duel him the same afternoon. Fortunately they are interrupted to unite against a common foe, a rival group of guards and villains, led by Rochefort (Christopher Lee) who serves the King's powerful prime minister, Cardinal Richelieu (Charlton Heston). The cardinal wants to use a secret, dangerous extramarital affair between the queen and a British diplomat as a public scandal to undermine the royal family and increase his own power. D'Artagnan and his new friends must race to intercept the incriminating evidence.
Is it any good?
If you don't mind a heavy concentration of British and American actors playing French folk, this is a surprisingly faithful rendering of the oft-filmed Alexander Dumas novel. Relaxed studio censorship met up with the fun and occasional raunchiness of the classic prose, while very good stuntwork, charismatic acting, fleet direction, and exquisite 17th-century detail make it effortlessly enjoyable. The producers actually shot a super-sized movie, covering the entire Dumas novel, then released it split into two parts; the followup, The Four Musketeers, is also breezy and entertaining, though it concludes with deaths of some key characters.
Fun fact: It's alleged nobody told the actors involved that they were going to be in two movies, not one, and they sued for double payment. Which is still faithful to the book, as the fictional Musketeers are frequently squabbling about money.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the popularity of d'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers. Past generations of kids aspired to be like them. Can young viewers of today see why?
Talk about the effects of watching onscreen violence. How do production values and the tone of a movie make a difference in the viewing experience?
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AGE
The three musketeers
parents will like this,the kids will. this is the best film in a long
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AGE
............
it was pretty good. we went on a feild trip in french to see it
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AGE
Movie review
It show's teamwork: all 4 one and 1 for all!
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| Topics: | adventures, book characters |
| Studio: | Anchor Bay Entertainment |
| Director: | Richard Lester |
| Cast: | Faye Dunaway, Michael York, Raquel Welch, Richard Chamberlain |
| Genre: | Action/Adventure |
| Run time: | 106 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | October 31, 1974 |
| DVD release date: | August 12, 1998 |
| MPAA rating: | PG |
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