The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan review: Offers right mix of drama, humour, exhilarating sword fights

Director Martin Bourboulon ensures that the audience are glued to the screen throughout the 120-minute outing and there is not a boring moment in the movie

Hyderabad: There would be but a few who are not familiar with the call “One for all. All for one”. Made famous by Alexander Dumas in his 1844 classic, The Three Musketeers, the tale is no longer new. There have been multiple adaptations of the classic across forms, languages, and time. However, there is something in the camaraderie in the musketeers that makes this outing standalone from the rest.

Way back in 1627, a lone rider rides into town and stumbles upon a kidnapping. He tries to save the victim but is shot and presumed dead. He wakes up from his grave and continues on his journey to meet the French monarch Louis XIII (Louis Garrel) to join his musketeers.

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After finally arriving in Paris, and within the few hours he’s there, he picks up a quarrel with Athos (Vincent Cassel), Porthos(Pio Marmaï), and Aramis (Romain Duris) and reveals that he is D’Artagnan (François Civil). One thing leads to another and D’Artagnan joins the Three Musketeers. Athos is accused of murdering Isabelle de Valcour (Charlotte Ranson). D’Artagnan travels to the house of the Valcour and runs into Milady de Winter (Eva Green) posing to be Isabelle. The musketeers with the help of Constance Bonacieux (LynaKhoudri) stumble upon the plot of assassination of King Louis. Will the assassination happen or will the musketeers, as always, protect their King is what the rest of the movie is all about.

Director Martin Bourboulon ensures that the audience are glued to the screen throughout the 120-minute outing. He offers a right mix of dramatic sequences, humour, exhilarating sword fights, and intricate conspiracies. There is not a boring moment. However, the main drawback of the movie is the sub-par English dubbing. The dubbing artists do not do justice to the happenings on the screen. Having heard Eva Green in multiple movies, it does not make sense in not using her own voice.

There is not much for Vincent Cassel to do. Hopefully, the veteran actor would get more screen space and exposure in the promised sequel. The film belongs to François Civil and he delivers. Nicolas Bolduc’s cinematography is breath-taking. One is transported back to the 17th of England and France. This is almost as good as Richard Lester’s 1973 classic. This could well be the best ode to Dumas provided the sequel is handled in a similar fashion.

Do watch this ode to camaraderie. One for all, all for one!!