The Three Musketeers

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Myself

Paul W.S. Anderson takes a classic novel and Pirates of the Caribbeans it up. The end result is a film that aims to be modern and entertaining first and foremost, regardless of the adherence to period or source material. It is the glossiest production we've ever seen from him and it definitely delivers on the action, fantastic as it may be. His nack for shooting in 3D with real locations rather than post converting helps a great deal with the lavish look. As do the delightfully outrageous production design. The costumes are simply gob smacking. Comically stylised period costumes I'd call it. The end result is something that looks far more expensive than what it probably cost, knowing Anderson's penchant to stretch his dollar, which seams to make him so popular with the film studios, regardless of whether he can for coherent or satisfying plots and characters.

If I had a dollar for every time Da Vinci's secret works were used as macguffins in films these days I'd have enough to finance the sequel the film so desperately tries to set up. Truth be told I don't know the novel or indeed any of the other adaptations that well, my knowledge of the Thee Musketeers extends only as far as that Brian Adams song, however I highly doubt that Da Vinci's plans for a hot air ballon pirate ship were part of it. Nor were Milady de Winter's Mission Impossible style action. But who's to let that get in the way of entertainment?

Truth be told there are some amusing performances, I particularly liked Freddie Fox as the King. And if you're willing to put aside logic and history and all that kind of stuff you can still have a good time. It's pretty light stuff.