The Musketeer (2001)

Alexander Dumas' novel is updated with an eastern influence as D'Artagnan attempts to join the king's elite guards, the Royal Musketeers, and find the man who killed his parents.

Director:

Peter Hyams

Writers:

Alexandre Dumas père (novels), Gene Quintano (screenplay)

Stars:

Catherine Deneuve, Mena Suvari, Stephen Rea

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Catherine Deneuve	...	The Queen
Mena Suvari	...	Francesca Bonacieux
Stephen Rea	...	Cardinal Richelieu
Tim Roth	...	Febre the Man in Black
Justin Chambers	...	D'Artagnan
Bill Treacher	...	Bonacieux
Daniel Mesguich	...	King Louis XIII
David Schofield	...	Rochefort, Richelieu Henchman
Nick Moran	...	Aramis
Steve Speirs	...	Porthos
Jan-Gregor Kremp	...	Athos
Jeremy Clyde	...	Lord Buckingham
Michael Byrne	...	Treville, Head of the Musketeers
Jean-Pierre Castaldi	...	Planchet
Tsilla Chelton	...	Madame Lacross

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

17th century | swordsman | king | guard | musketeer | 

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Taglines:

As you've never seen it before.

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Adventure | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for intense action violence and some sexual material

Details

Official Sites:

Media 8 Entertainment Official site

Country:

Germany Luxembourg UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 September 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

D'Artagnan

Filming Locations:

Midi-Pyrénées, France

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£131,338 (UK) (21 June 2002)

Gross:

£131,338 (UK) (21 June 2002)

Company Credits

Production Co:

MDP Worldwide, Crystal Sky Worldwide, Signature Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

When d'Artagnan scales the tower wall, heavy foot steps are heard when he's only scraping his toes against the wall.

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Quotes

Cardinal Richelieu: You've gone too far. I wish to scare the Spaniards, embarrass the King. I want political tension, not war.
Febre the Man in Black: The Spaniards *were* scared. You could see it in their faces just before died. And I'm certain King Louis feels embarrassed.

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Connections

Version of The Three Musketeers (1953)

User Reviews

Has its highs and lows

This is a movie that really doesn't know what it is. For one thing, it seems to try and hang on to some parts of the story by Dumas, and yet it also is an entirely different story. Seemingly, the only real similarities are the names of the characters. This movie would be much more effective if it was entirely its own story, and not using the names of the famous characters. The reason? This movie totally dashes the names of those characters.

The most unsettling part for me was the fact that the Three Musketeers are nothing like themselves. Porthos is not the least bit arrogant or over-the-top. Aramis isn't religious at all. And Athos does not even remotely resemble the character in the book. Sadly, Justin Chambers makes a better d'Artagnan than Chris O' Donnell, but only because he doesn't do any acting at all, which is better than the profuse overacting of O' Donnell. And Stephen Rea is a good actor, but his character isn't remotely as menacing as Richelieu should be.

With all of that said, if you just view it as a movie, and try to block the actual story out of your mind, it can be entertaining. The fight scenes are very well done, and the pacing keeps the viewer interested. Perhaps this movie could have been really good if it was about the story of a musketeer NOT named d'Artagnan, and his unique adventure. But since it tries to be an interpretation of Dumas, it falls miserably short. As a movie, it is so-so, but as far as an interpretation of the famous story, it is absolutely terrible.