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The Three Musketeers:

One is enough for all



Milla Jovovich as Milady


Orlando Bloom as Duke of Buckingham

Alexandre Dumas’ 1844 classic story The Three Musketeers has been adapted into many a production throughout history going far back as the silent era. Paul W S Anderson is the latest director in town to try his hand at the well loved tale. His adaptation is probably the biggest budget movie in the lineup but it is mainly noted for being the 3D version of the tale.

Anderson does not follow Dumas’ stories but inserts the characters into a new plot. The storyline involves a scheme to provoke war against England and France. Yet we realize that too much deception is going on between these villains themselves. Milady manages to trick both France’s Cardinal Richelieu and Britain’s Duke of Buckingham for her own gain and the other two are too hungry for power to note the deception taking place under their noses. The three musketeers: Athos, Aramis and Porthos along with their newest member, young D’Artagnan, join forces to save the two countries from disaster.

A plus point of the production is in how artfully the team had used 3D effects in creating a virtual world belonging to 17th century France. The swordfights, stunts and witty remarks are impressive yet strung together into a story that seems out of place. Some of the latest technical methods such as the guarding system of the queen’s jewellery chamber and the means in which Milady is brought abroad the musketeer’s airship are questionable because there were no modern gadgets of that nature during the era. These battle scenes on board vessels also remind you of the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ series.

One of the best features of the movie is the role played by Milla Jovovich. From making a brief appearance as the heroine of the tale, she turns vixen and is the object of mystery and excitement throughout the story. She carried Milady’s role with grace, alluring the audience with her presence from daringly running through a booby-trapped passage to daintily stepping over invisible anti-theft beams. All the attractive features and action scenes of ‘The Three Musketeers’ seem to be attributed to her and the other actors fade into the background in her presence.


D’Artagnan and the three musketeers

Though he tries to employ some serious acting into his role, Orlando Bloom fails to make a noticeable impact mainly due to his silly hair-do and attire. The handsome actor who is probably the only big name included in the cast, is not given a role worth his talents. He would certainly have been more suited for one of the musketeers’ roles for that is the kind of presence he sets off on screen. Camouflaging him in the role of the villain seems a waste of an opportunity to bring out the best in him.

Logan Lerman too does not impress because he seems more of a modern day youth than a daring young swordsman and apt sidekick for the musketeers. In the end apart from his sword skills, the youth hardly has anything worthy to label him as a hero. His romance with the queen’s lady in waiting, Constance, is unconvincing for there is hardly any chemistry between them. He does not have a charismatic screen presence and one cannot help wishing that the fate of the outcome would have been slightly altered if Bloom and Lerman had switched roles.

The movie provides good entertainments but hardly anything worthwhile or memorable. The ending signals clearly that a sequel will follow. If this is the nature which we are to expect in the sequel, then let it be not “All for one and one for all” as the three musketeers’ motto goes but “One is enough for all”.

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