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Friday, October 21, 2011

[7.25/10] The Three Musketeers [3D] (2011)


The Three Musketeers [3D] (2011)

Full review: Let's face it, Paul W.S. Anderson's take on "The Three Musketeers" is nothing special in terms of script and plot, as the story has been done countless times before and the premise just can't get more hackneyed than that. Having said that, Anderson's spot-on execution and great choice of cast compensate for the complete lack of originality. From the action-packed opening sequence to the spectacular finale, "The Three Musketeers" is a pure popcorn entertainment at its best! The film moves along at a brisk pace and there aren't many lulls during its two hour duration - the dialogue is fresh and witty, the characters are engaging, and there's a lot to be seen and enjoyed. The visuals are definitely one of the film's main strengths, as those are slick and absolutely dazzling! The cinematography is vividly colorful, and the production design is so posh and lavish, you'll often find yourself mesmerized by the stunning beauty of it. Rich in texture, detail and color, the costumes are mind-blowingly beautiful and a true fest for the eyes. If costume designer Pierre-Yves Gayraud do not get nominated for Oscar in this category next year, I honestly don't know who will. Paul W.S. Anderson may not be one of the best directors working today, but one thing is for sure - he definitely knows how to shoot great action scenes. Some of the stunts are absolutely spectacular, the swordplay is thrilling and nicely-choreographed, and there are a few fantastically-shot slow motion sequences, that will wow you, if not blow you away. The action looks even better in 3D, as the film has been shot in one, even if the 3D itself is not that impressive or particularly necessary. Anderson's direction has its flaws, however, he tries to be as versatile and creative as possible, and the end result is rather satisfying. For better or worse, "The Three Musketeers" is overstuffed with characters. On one hand, too many characters equals a lack of character development, but on the other hand, all of these characters are either memorable, or likable, or incredibly appealing. Matthew Macfadyen plays the tough Athos, and he does a good job in portraying his interesting character. Luke Evans appears a bit bland and dull as Aramis, but at least he looks good, and the masculine Ray Stevenson gives a stellar and incredibly charismatic performance as the cheeky and temperamental Porthos. Logan Lerman is often the center of attention, and he delivers as the cocky , yet clever and feisty D'Artagnan. The beautiful Milla Jovovich once again plays a bad-ass killer chick, but here she does it with finesse and grace. The one and only Christoph Waltz turns in another great villain as the crafty cardinal Richelieu, James Corden brings most of the laughs as the super-funny Planchetand, and even the always stiff and wooden Orlando Bloom does a good job as the narcissistic Duke of Buckingham.

Overall summary: Its premise may be way overused, hence lacking in originality, but "The Three Musketeers" is a fun, enjoyable and delightfully adventurous swashbuckler, that fascinates with its fantastic cast, and stuns the viewer with its exquisite visuals breathtakingly beautiful costumes and thrilling set-pieces.

22 comments:

Maynard Morrissey said...

Hey, great to see that you liked it!
Saw it in September and had a blast watching it. Fabulous actors, fabulous action, beautiful set-pieces, great humor and some stunning 3D - thumbs up!!

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Harry, I definitely did. It was a brainless fun and I thoroughly enjoyed it. he visuals were absolutely amazing, and the costumes were WOW, and yet, I have to disagree about the 3D. For me, it was just okay.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I'm all for a good popcorn flick now and then! Not sure if I'll get out to see it or not this weekend. I think the wife has plans...

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Alex, you should definitely check it out then. I bet your wife will love it too. Go see it together! I couldn't believe how fun it was. Just don't listen to the grumpy critics. They suck, not the movie. LOL.

Mel Chesley said...

This is one I want to see. I guess mainly because of the cast. But this has been done and done just like King Arthur and Robin Hood. Both classics that every film maker thinks he can do better. Meh. But I will see this. Good review!

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Caledonia, you should give it a shot, it pure entertainment and so cool visually. The entire cast delivered with Ray Stevenson and Christoph Waltz being the standouts.

Thanks, glad you liked my review.

Dan O. said...

It spits on Alexandre Dumas' grave, it's over the top, ludicrous, stupid, ham and cheesy and confusing but it's a guilty pleasure and I was entertained. Good review. Check out mine when you get a chance.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

C'mon, Dan, it's just a contemporary version of the story. I bet the good old Dumas would have enjoyed it as well. It was a bit silly and over-the=top, but in that case that's not a bad thing at all. I was surprised how much I actually liked it.

Mel Chesley said...

Nah if you want cheesy and over the top, the one Disney did was worse. Only reason why I liked THAT one was because of Tim Curry. I lurve him being the bad guy. XD

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Caledonia, this version was over-the-top, but no cheesy. I actually loved the entire cast in THIS version. And that's coming from an Orlando Bloom hater. :)

Mel Chesley said...

Haha! Well, being I woman, I think he's adorable. But looking at this cast, I actually like the majority of them. I don't know, Kiefer Sutherland just didn't do much for his role, neither did what's his face, batman boy... Charlie Sheen was all right but my favorite was (augh! Why am I forgetting names??) the one who played Porthos, because he was a pirate and I love the actor. ;)

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

OMG, I barely remember the version you're talking about. LOL. Kiefer Sutherland has never been a good actor in my book and same goes for Sheen. I should check out who played Porthos in that Disney version...

Ricky said...

Glad to hear that this is pretty good. I was worried it'd be terrible.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Ricky, according to the critics, it's mediocre-to-awful. According to me, it's super-duper entertaining. :)

Pat Hatt said...

Sounds good I will check it out, always enjoy a good entertaining movie and not some critic loved little piece where they cry and moan for 90% of the film...haha...yeah the Disney one wasn't that great, Kiefer was great as Jack Bauer, everything else, not so much.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Pat, believe me, it's just as good as it sounds. :)
Same case here. I'm a bit sick and tired of award-winning boring tearjerkers, and I'm hungry for pure entertainment, an The Three Musketeers is exactly that!

Thanks again for the comment, you're so consistent! :)

Unknown said...

I so want to see this as I adore Milla and Christoph. It looks like a hellagood time. I mean steampunk and musketeers?! That's like a dream come true for me. Awesome review, sweetie and you should check my blog today. I think you'll like today's feature.

Maurice Mitchell said...

The minute I heard there was another 3 Musketeer film coming out I lost interest. It sounds like fun, but it doesn't sound like there was anything over the last remake. On the other hand, the 3D trailer for "Star Wars" is worth the price of admission so I'm going to see it. :)

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Mel, I love them to bits, too. It's over-the-top and a bit silly at times, but who cares, since it's sooo bloody entertaining! :)

Thank you so much, sweetheart. I'll check out your latest post now.. ;)

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Maurice, at first I wasn't sold either, but I decided to give it a shot nonetheless. Well, my risk paid off. It was pure awesomeness! :)
Not a big Star Wars saga fan, so I don't give a damn about the 3D trailer. But if that's a good reason to you to give Musketeers a shot, go see this trailer. :) Thanks for the comment, buddy.

Dempsey Sanders said...

I have never been really excited over the three muskateers, the only time I have really enjoyed there characters was in The man in the iron mask.

Though it seems this could really change my mind.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Demps, do not listen to the grumpy critics, it's so funny and enjoyable, I'm sure you're gonna love it. And the cast is brilliant! :)