Parents' Guide to

The Three Musketeers

By Terreece Clarke, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Frothy '90s Disney remake offers light amusement.

Movie PG 1993 105 minutes
The Three Musketeers Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 7 parent reviews

Stephanie E.
Stephanie E. Adult
July 19, 2020
age 17+

Not Appropriate for Children

Incorrectly rated PG. Should be PG -14, if that. Unfortunately, I chose this movie for family movie night without consulting Common Sense Media. Disney let us down with this one. The material is inappropriate for kids, including young teens. It promotes binge drinking, infidelity, seduction, and promiscuity, including kissing strangers, multiple partners, and several scenes with ridiculous cleavage. Some scenes suggest beheadings as well as suicide. A creepy cardinal harasses the young queen on numerous occasions, including when she steps out of the bath. I’m surprised Disney approved the final cut of this film. The Three Musketeers is not a family movie.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
ALGT
ALGT Adult
May 14, 2020
age 17+

Plenty of action but Disappointing hero

The main character, while on a noble quest to become a musketeer, is a hothead who gets in fights with everyone he meets. He calls himself a man of honor for following through with his commitments to duel each of the three musketeers, even after he learns who they are. He kisses every woman in sight as well, as do two of the other musketeers, one of whom is a priest. He is commended for these behaviors by one of them. And these are the good guys! There is an endearing side story about the young king and queen, and the musketeers do work against the scheming cardinal out of loyalty to the king, risking themselves to save his life. But other than these and the ability to make wisecracks, the main characters lack any redeeming qualities.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 7 parent reviews

What's the Story?

D'Artagnan (Chris O'Donnell) is a young wannabe Musketeer who arrives just as the famous group is disbanded. His quick temper soon draws the ire of three of the group's most famous members: Porthos, Athos, and Aramis (in order, Oliver Platt, Kiefer Sutherland, Charlie Sheen). Just before they all duel, d'Artagnan ends up helping the Musketeers fend off an evil cardinal's guard. Alliances follow along with witty banter, wanton wenches, and heroic sacrifices.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (7):
Kids say (4):

The heroes, sword fighting, and political intrigue are all front and center in Disney's retelling of THE THREE MUSKETEERS, but they definitely took some licenses with the original story. Specifically, they made the character the swashbucklers try to save -- Milady de Winter (Rebecca DeMornay) -- far more sympathetic than she is in Alexandre Dumas' book. Instead of a vicious spy who marries for money, she becomes a falsely accused woman who lost the love of her life and then became vile but redeemable.

It's lots of fun if you're in the right mood/mindset, but this adaptation is more like an MTV version than a true retelling of the classic story, gathering some popular '90s actors for light swashbuckling amusement. Accents come and go, the language is more modern American English than 17th-century French, and the acting and comedy are more slapstick than reverent theater.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about honor and duty. Of the four famed Musketeers, who's the most honorable? Even heroes make mistakes. What mistakes did D'Artagnan make?

  • What role does violence play in the movie? How does it compare to what you might see in an action/adventure movie set during modern times?

Movie Details

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