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Hollywood is famous for reinventing itself, but is rarely
successful in doing so. There are movies like "The Mask
of Zorro," which bleeds of the charm and charisma of films
gone by, and then there are films like "The Musketeer,"
a desperate, flat attempt to cash in on the onslaught of action
thrills and period pieces. The movie feels rushed and
detached, with little emotion in any of the characters or little
excitement to offer in its action.
Based on Alexandre Dumas’ novel "The Three
Musketeers," the film is a reimagining of sorts, and strays
many times from the source material. It takes place during a
dark period in France's history, when Spain and England were
beginning to converge on the country. King Louis XIII takes
little action in upholding his kingdom, yet the Queen (Catherine
Deneuve) seems determined to take matters into her own hands.
Her
intention: to negotiate peace with Buckingham and stop England and
France from going to war, all the while keeping these negotiations
secret from all of France, including the King. To do this,
she attains the help of D'Artagnan (Justin Chambers), who has made
his way to Paris in hopes of rejuvenating the King's
musketeers. His ideas of bringing them back to glory stem
from witnessing the murder of his parents at the hand of Febre
(Tim Roth), a French soldier whose lust for battle and blood are
the talk of the town.
And
the plot moves on to a search and rescue, as the Queen is
kidnapped by Febre, who also takes Francesca (Mena Suvari),
D'Artagnan's new love interest. He then returns to Paris and
pleads with his comrades for help; this is the film's biggest
folly. Choosing to cast D'Artagnan in an heroic light while
portraying the original three musketeers as blithering drunkards,
there is little emotion or energy behind their collaboration, and
when they are shouting "All for one, and one for all,"
is barely seems to muster any emotion or intensity.
The
action sequences also suffer from a lack of intensity, going
through motions that we're all too familiar with from previous
films. The fight choreography is the work of Hong Kong
choreographer Xin-Xin Xiong, a name that the movie's marketing
campaign uses profusely in hopes of generating interest. In
truth, there is little to gain interest in: swordfights that pit
one man against three, great escapes and flying capes, clashing
swords and galloping horses...we've seen it all before.
The
actors are a hit and miss. Justin Chambers has the looks of
a swarthy, dashing swordsman, but his dialogue and emotion leave a
lot to be desired. He and Mena Suvari generate little chemistry,
though Suvari is commendably strong and witty as Francesca.
Many of the other actors, including the original musketeers,
suffer from lack of good dialogue, or even little to no
dialogue. The one bright spot in all of this is Tim Roth,
who fills his character with so much contempt and hatred that he
becomes the ultimate bad guy who got lost in a Hollywood mistake.
The
overall effect of "The Musketeer" is a tragic misfire,
one that left me disappointed. I enjoy films of this nature,
period pieces with some rousing action and dazzling effects.
But the story behind all of this mayhem is surprisingly bland,
providing us with all the glitz and stardom Hollywood can dish up,
but giving it almost no backbone on which to support itself.
Kids will love the action and humor, no doubt; perhaps that says
something about the film's own mentality in regards to its source
material.
-- David Litton, Guest Junkie ( 1
1/2 out of 4 pops )
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