The Three Musketeers (1993)

 

Funny how I forgot that this one is a Disney film, in actuality. Well, considering the overall light and adventurous tone, maybe that was to be expected. But then again, the version with Michael York and Oliver Reed also had a lighter tone, so maybe this is more of a new take on that instead of a new version based on the book by Alexandre Dumas. 

Does it actually matter? Not really.

Things are not all well in the kingdom of France: the king is a little too young to be a statesman of importance, so his Cardinal (Richelieu) plans to wrest control from the king's hands once and for all. He has disbanded the musketeers and replaced them with his own guard under the command of Rochefort. He also plans to have an alliance with England, as both countries are on the brink of war. 

Into all this rides D'Artagnan, a young man who wishes nothing more than to become a musketeer. Unfortunately, he arrives too late and subsequently picks a fight with three men, who turn out to be the last of the musketeers: Athos, Porthos and Aramis. Through shenanigans they discover the plot that Richelieu has put in motion and decide to stop him once and for all. 

Of course, this film takes an enormous amount of liberty with the source material, but that was to be expected. The story is concise and simple enough to follow and even though it can be fairly predictable at times, it still is enjoyable to watch. You're actually not watching this for the perfunctory story.

No, you're watching this for the performances. 

Right off the bat: Chris O'Donnell as D'Artagnan is a bit of a whoopsie. He doesn't feel right for the role, because he lacks the confidence that the character is supposed to portray. Also, I'm not a fan of him as an actor, he is too sleek, to much molded in the cliché of the all American pretty boy. Luckily, most of the rest do a fine job. 

Whoever came up with the idea to cast Kiefer Sutherland, Oliver Platt and Charlie Sheen as the three musketeers, deserves a medal, because they are a lot of fun to watch. Sutherland is the brooding one, Platt is the silly one and Sheen is by far the funniest because he's so stoic. They work well off each other and that is precisely what you need. 

As for the ladies, Gabrielle Anwar does her best as the queen, but she isn't given a lot to do. Julie Delpy is totally wasted as a shoehorned love interest for D'Artagnan. She's only about two minutes in this film anyway. But Rebecca DeMornay as Lady De Winter is a choice that works out well. She was always a beautiful woman, but here she has that much needed air of mystery and lethality about her. Sure, she occasionally hams it up a little, but never so much as to be distracting. 

But the one actor that steals every scene he's in, has to be the incomparable Tim Curry as Richelieu. He is just so riveting and captivating to watch. He is the main reason this film is such a hoot. Curry can go from sinister to funny, to scenery chewing over the top to understated at the blink of an eye and he pulls it all off without it ever becoming too silly. It feels as though he always has fun with whatever role he is given, and here he is given plenty of time to shine and he is lovin every second of it. Seriously, you could watch this guy read a legal document and it would still be entertaining as hell. 

But I could have done without the character of Paul McGann, who adds absolutely nothing and is so cartoonish it grates on the nerves. 

In the end, this is a fun adventure for the whole family. It is entertaining and light, but has some fun action scenes and good performances from several of the cast. It may not be as much fun as the earlier adaptation I mentioned starring Michael York, but it is a close second.