Review of Three Musketeers, The

Introduction

A young man decides to take his father`s sword and join the King`s Musketeers. `Fight a lot` says his Dad and so he does. Before he has been in town for more than an hour he has arranged to fight duels with each of the three musketeers.

Ambushed by the Cardinal`s guard young D`Artagnan rapidly decides which side his capon is buttered and fights `shoulder to shoulder` with his new comrades.

What follows is an engaging romp with Brit `boob` humour, fighting, slapstick and a bewildered Spike Milligan who cannot quite believe he is married to Raquel Welch-and neither can we.

All this, with an opportunity to admire the finely honed chest of Michael York, the 1973 beefcake, and a blowsy performance by Oliver Reed.

So just about an average plot:

1 a stupid clumsy attractive woman with a big chest is looked after by a most attractive man.

2 A stupid attractive and obviously slightly dim Queen of France -who is looked after by a most attractive man-the Duke of Buckingham.

3 Phew- a scheming bitch woman who is looked after by no man but gets to bed the most attractive men (whoops, I think that might be in the sequel for Mr York.)


This film has a great line up of acting talent including the voice of God himself, Charlton Heston, playing Richelieu, the power behind the French throne. The Queen, who risks everything for the Duke of Buckingham, is Geraldine Chaplin and her maid is Raquel Welch. Welch plays a woman who blunders into everything including bed with Michael York. Frank Findlay, Ollie Reed and (king of the mini-series) Richard Chamberlain give us a stirring performance as the three musketeers who survive on cheek and superb swordplay. A post Dracula and pre Sauroman Christopher Lee is also present. Comic relief is provided by an under used Roy Kinnear and Spike Milligan.

Sadly Roy Kinnear was killed during the filming of this and The Four Musketeers.

Video

This is an average transfer of a reasonably clean print. It is thirty years old and has stood up reasonably well.

France and England bear close resemblance to Spain.

Audio

Original mono with quite a stirring music soundtrack.

The script is a witty one-adapted from the Dumas novel by George MacDonald Fraser, no less, the creator of the Flashman novels.

Features

A trailer only sad to say. A where are they now feature is probably unnecessary

Conclusion

The story of The Three Musketeers has been made a few times but this is definitely the funniest, Still the superior model despite yet another version being made with the `brat pack`, this one is happy to laugh at itself. The action moves swiftly along and though the plot is slight it is made up for by the professionalism of its players. It is a fun movie with a lot of laughs, including many excellent sight gags and the cast happily throw themselves into it.

Great set pieces and some sumptuous costuming, no bare boobs or bottoms making it suitable for the kids and lots of swashes are buckled, oh and the hair is as good as Laurence Llewellyn Bowen`s!

This will be quite a cheap disc to purchase but with no extras the decision to purchase depends on whether you want to watch it more often than every Bank Holiday.