The Return of the Musketeers (1989)

In France in 1649, the services of the Four Musketeers are needed again, and they run into some old foes from twenty years before.

Director:

Richard Lester

Writers:

George MacDonald Fraser (screenplay) (as George Macdonald Fraser), Alexandre Dumas (book)

Stars:

Michael York, Oliver Reed, Frank Finlay

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael York	...	D'Artagnan
Oliver Reed	...	Athos
Frank Finlay	...	Porthos
C. Thomas Howell	...	Raoul
Kim Cattrall	...	Justine de Winter
Geraldine Chaplin	...	Queen Anne
Roy Kinnear	...	Planchet
Christopher Lee	...	Rochefort
Philippe Noiret	...	Cardinal Mazarin
Richard Chamberlain	...	Aramis
Eusebio Lázaro	...	Duke of Beaufort (as Eusebio Lazaro)
Alan Howard	...	Oliver Cromwell
David Birkin	...	Louis XIV
Bill Paterson	...	Charles I
Jean-Pierre Cassel	...	Cyrano de Bergerac (as Jean Pierre Cassel)

Storyline

It's 1649: Cardinal Mazarin (Philippe Noiret) hires the impoverished D'Artagnan (Michael York) to find the other Musketeers: Oliver Cromwell (Alan Howard) has overthrown the English King, so Cardinal Mazarin fears revolt, particularly from the popular Duke of Beaufort (Eusebio Lázaro). Porthos (Frank Finlay), bored with riches and wanting a title, signs on, but Aramis (Richard Chamberlain), an abbé, and Athos (Oliver Reed), a brawler raising an intellectual son, assist the Duke of Beaufort in secret. When they fail to halt the Duke's escape from prison, the Musketeers are expendable, and Cardinal Mazarin sends them to London to rescue Charles I (Bill Paterson). They are also pursued by Justine de Winter (Kim Cattrall), the avenging daughter of Milady de Winter, their enemy twenty years ago. They must escape England, avoid Justine, serve Queen Anne (Geraldine Chaplin), and secure Beauford's political reforms.

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Plot Keywords:

horseback chase | held at swordpoint | cyrano | cyrano de bergerac character | musketeer | 

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Taglines:

Swashbuckling action, comedy capers and rollicking adventures, bigger and better than ever. They're back... all for one and one for all!

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Justine de Winter (Kim Cattrall) introduces her father, Rochefort (Sir Christopher Lee), she tells Oliver Cromwell (Alan Howard) that he is called "Monsieur de Batz". This is a reference to Charles Ogier de Batz de Castelmore, the real-life Comte d'Artagnan, who was the inspiration for the heroic character at the heart of Dumas' Musketeer stories.

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Goofs

Cyrano de Bergerac's balloon is much too small to support the men it is seen to carry.

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Quotes

Cardinal Mazarin: The people of England will permit anything - except cruelty to horses and a rise in the price of beer.

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Alternate Versions

The (2009) French DVD edition differs from the earlier UK VHS (and cinema) version. Both Philip Noiret and Jean Pierre Cassel had their voices re-dubbed in the VHS version, but here - on the English language option - their own voices are heard in English. Also several scenes are cut including the scene where D'Artangan gets his assignment from Mazarin to look up his old friends The Three Musketeers and the later scene where King Charles I is playing golf while being arrested by Oliver Cromwell's forces (likewise Michael York's narration of these scenes have been omitted).

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Connections

Version of The Man in the Iron Mask (1939)

User Reviews

One for all for one last time

This fun instalment of the Musketeers series (fifteen years after 'The Four Musketeers' was released) reunites the original four cast members (Michael York still looking impossibly young as D'Artagnan, now in the King's army; Oliver Reed on good form as Athos, now with a weedy son Raoul (C Thomas Howell) who really doesn't need to be there; Frank Finlay in a very silly wig as Porthos and still accident prone; and Richard Chamberlain as Aramis, now an Abbe and the Queen's confessor, but ready (eventually) to join in the swordsplay).

Kim Cattrall appears as Justine de Winter, daughter of Milady, and is completely inadequate. Making a return are Christopher Lee as Rochefort, and Roy Kinnear (who died during filming) as long-suffering servant Planchet; and fine additions to the cast include Alan Howard as Oliver Cromwell, Bill Paterson as Charles I, Jean-Pierre Cassell as Cyrano de Bergerac (an idiot who thinks geese will help him fly in a balloon to the moon) and Philippe Noiret as Mazarin.

Is it as good as the 1970s instalments, also directed by Lester? The sword fights are there (and also an hilarious scene involving trapdoors in the rooms of Justine de Winter); there's the usual set of stunts and slapstick; and there's the darker sections - Athos remembering Milady, the execution of Charles I, the young French king imprisoned in the Tower, the gunpowder-laden ship.

For me the cast member who is most memorable (as in the earlier films) is Oliver Reed, in a perfect part which gives him chance to get lots of references to alcohol in there (in one bit son Raoul offers him tea 'a new infusion', which Athos sprays out after a swig when being told there's no alcohol in it!), has him stuck in a castle window, and plummeting into a water tank from the punctured balloon. Aside from the funny bits, he's at home with the serious stuff too - proving yet again that he could act when he wanted to.

There's lots in 'Return of the Musketeers' to brighten your day and it was great to see the boys back for one last fling.

Details

Country:

UK France Spain

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

19 April 1989 (France)

Also Known As:

The Return of the Musketeers

Filming Locations:

Twickenham Film Studios, St Margarets, Twickenham, Middlesex, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fildebroc, Ciné 5, Sofica Sofinergie

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1