Director Peter Hyams
Starring Justin Chambers, Catherine Deneuve, Mena Suvari
Rated M
Score 5/6

In 17th century Paris, a dashing swordsman named D’Artagnan finds himself at odds with the powerful forces taking over France. He sets out to avenge the murder of his parents and finds his country cleaved by chaos and civil unrest. His heart softens only for Francesca, a fiery peasant girl who claims D’Artagnan’s heart on sight.

I might have admitted it before but I’m a fan of the Three Musketeers movies. I’ve definitely reviewed more than a few adaptations, though I am not entirely certain if I’ve reviewed this for the movie boards (turns out I did back in 20212). Personally I see The Musketeer as being one of my top three favorite adaptations of the Three Musketeers tale while some of the other more recent adaptations of The Three Musketeers that I have reviewed seemed to pale in comparison. For those of you who might be wondering, yes I have vague memories of reading The Three Musketeers but that was back in the days when I was younger and more handsome then I am today. I suppose what has attracted me to movies like this over the years was the “fuck yeah” moments that they have. Now even if you don’t like the Action/Adventure genre I find that it’s important to have a bank of moments that movies like The Musketeer (the choice of movie and genre is entirely up to you) can easily provide on youtube playlist for when you’re feeling low.
In my opinion Stephen Rea might not have made the best Cardinal Richelieu, probably because the character seemed to be overshadowed by  Tim Roth’s performance as Febre, the Man in Black who might have been better (purely as a villain) when compared to Michael Wincott as Rochefort in the 1993 Disney movie. I loved the chemistry between d’Artagnan and Francesca Bonacieux (portrayed by Justin Chambers and Mena Suvari) while the moments Planchet had with The Queen were hilarious. Though unfortunately the relationship between  Athos, Porthos, Aramis and d’Artagnan (though it was there) wasn’t the driving force of the movie. The filmmakers made D’Artagnan the main character of the movie by changing his origin story. What really makes The Musketeer unique was its action sequences. I loved the sword fight D’Artagnan had while climbing up the tower wall.