Review: The Three Musketeers

The Three Musketeers gets another remake this weekend, this time in the 3D realm. With its basic storyline, D'Artagnan (Logan Lerman) heads to Paris to join up the Musketeers, who are actually almost obsolete since the Cardinal has really taken over. The 4 of them soon find themselves off on a new mission to recover the Queen's diamond necklace that was stolen as part of a plot to drive a wedge between the royal couple and allow the Cardinal take over.

The introduction to the musketeers is quite fun and snappy, setting up the battle plans for later on. Athos, Aramis and Porthos are in Venice after one of Leonardo Da Vinci's inventions that would add fire power to the French army, only to lose them when Milady betrays them. From there, it has good fun energy, but gets a bit too silly and reminiscent of Pirates of the Caribbean in the air, with flying ships and battles in the sky.

Orlando Bloom appears to briefly as Buckingham to really factor as a villain, and we don't buy him as one either, as his character is more like the snobby mean high school student than one that really hatches evil plots. The rest of the supporting cast doesn't hold well either as the king (Freddie Fox) is a pompous immature lad, who's only concern is fashion and whether his young bride is actually in love with him - allowing the cardinal to hatch his plan to begin with. One wonders why the musketeers, fun but character performances by Matthew Macfayden, Luke Evans and Ray Stevenson), continue to bid his and his queen's wishes.

All in all, definitely not one (movie) for all, but it could be all for one. Visual effects are generally well done, but more 3D effects could have added to this. Fight scenes are okay, Lady Winter's swordplay style feels out of place, and then you have a rehash of a Pirates battle. A sugar coated popcorn movie that thankfully isn't all that long.

3/5