ma-cortes This is a big production with lavish scenarios , spectacular action , court intrigue and exciting duels . Being based on Alexandre Dumas' classic yarn of intrigue at the 17th century French court . Entertaining and funny version based on the classic Dumas novel with overwhelming swordplay in nifty style , this is a modern version of the classic Dumas novel set in 17th Century France . Alexandre Dumas's source for his novel was a book by 19th-century writer Courtils Sandraz, which was purporting to be D'Artagnan's biography ; the Musketeers were actually real people, not fictional characters created by Dumas . For this filled with emotion recounting is adapted in the greatest splendor , the complete romance , the historical characters, the full novel by Alexandre Dumas though including important changes . It is packed with comedy , derring-do , intrigue , a love story , action , drama and moving fence . An awesome casting and big-budgeted production shot in Spain and location make for a fairly amusement swashbuckler . This is a luxurious recounting of the Dumas's novel with a fine cast headed by handsome Michael York as hot-headed D'Artagnan in a brave role as a young and handsome soldier of fortune , a dashing , audacious lover and nimble athlete . Musketeers must defeat a beautiful double agent and the villainous Rochefort from seizing the French throne and engulfing Europe in war . This delightful adaptation based on Alexandre Dumas classic novel deals with the youngster D'Artagnan and his three friends , the three two-fisted Musketeers , rollicking adventurers , fighting to live and living to love . All of them join in their objective to struggle against guards of Cardinal Richelieu well performed by Charlton Heston and the astute Milady De Winter , Faye Dunaway , who is lovely as a jewel, deadly as a dagger the wickedest woman in all Christendom . Meanwhile, D'Artagnan falls in love with the gorgeous young , Constance , Rachel Welch , she is a golden-haired beauty entangled in a web of treachery and intrigue . Furthermore , there is developed an intrigue between Luis XIII : Jean Pierre Cassel , Queen Anne of Austria : Geraldine Chaplin , dazzling as her gilded palace for her, men dared a thousand perils , and Duke of Buckingham , Simon Ward ; and of course the nasty Richelieu , as evil as ever . Protestants hold La Rochelle, and the Queen Anna loves Buckingham , who'll soon send ships to support the rebels ; then Milady of Winter is assigned a mission : to kill the Duke . The musketeers join forces for royal vengeance with the shout : ¨One for all and all for one¨. Then , the musketeers whose friendship has become a legend to stir the hearts of men and shouting their slogan set out to help the Queen and free Constance who has been kidnapped by Rochefort . Straightforward as well as gallant D'Artagnan and the three musketeers scheme a plan to save her , clashing against a malicious Milady De Winter .It's a nice rendition from the immortal novel with pretty budget and attractive scenarios . The picture contains rousing action , intrigue , romantic adventure , romance , treachery , mayhem and a lot of fence . Amusing swashbuckling with lavish production , glamorous gowns and lush scenarios . This is an entertaining swashbuckling, full of action, adventure , comedy with tongue-in-cheek , and broad slapdash and of course , lot of swordplay . Charming Michael York who bounds and leaps , fights , hits and run . Michael York executes athletic feats , moving sword-play and spectacular acrobatics , he performed most of the stunts in his films himself . He is accompanied by a very good cast . Sympathetic performances by main star cast and secondary cast such as Michael Gothard , Nicole Calfan , Angel Del Pozo , Eduardo Fajardo , among others . Faye Dunaway makes a stunning Milady De Winter . Furthermore , a vein of humour is evident here , though sometimes falling flat . Comic relief by Roy Kinnear who unfortunately died falling down horse in the second sequel . For this movie itself , though , energetic and frantic are the best adjectives you could think of to describe its attraction .Adequate and colorful cinematography stunningly showed on the splendorous images , being filmed in Spain , castle of Berlanga de Duero , Soriav, Royal Palace , Rome studios , Madrid and many other places well photographed by David Watkin . Thrilling as well as evocative musical score by Lalo Schifrin , including appropriate sounds for the time period . Lavish production by Alexander/Ilya Salkind and Pierre Spengler with excellent costumes by Oscar winning Ivonne Blake . However , producers were sued by the actors who claimed they were tricked into thinking the film was to be part of The three musketeers (1973), being filmed at the same time ; they won their case in court, but did not receive as much money as they would have if they were paid separately for both films. The motion picture was professionally realized by Richard Lester . This cool filmmaker provided visual style , comedy , fencing , drama , clangorous action in equal proportions . Twenty years later Richard Lester directed the third part titled ¨The return of the Musketeers¨(1989) with similar artist and technician team . This classy story is remade on several versions ,as the MGM classic version in musical style by George Sidney with Gene Kelly ; 1993 modern adaptation by Stephen Herek with Charlie Sheen and 2001 rendition by Peter Hyams with Justin Chambers, among others. ¨The four Musketeers¨ is an outstanding and entertaining adaptation of the classy that will appeal to the costumer genre buffs and it results to be acceptable adaptation with big budget based on the classic

jbirtel FINALLY...a DVD release called 'The Complete Musketeers' that does justice to a proper transfer, in widescreen and looking better than when I saw it in the theater.Watching 'The Three Musketeers' without seeing the 'The Four...' is like reading the Alexander Dumas novel; and stopping halfway through. It's a shame that it wasn't released as a roadshow 3 and a half hour film because that was the way it was originally meant to be experienced.Phenomenal DVD package that contains both films...just the way it should be. And some very informative documentaries with the surviving cast.9 out of 10! (Same as my rating for 'Three Musketeers')

Poseidon-3 This "sequel" (actually filmed along with "The Three Musketeers" but released separately later--much to the consternation of its cast who had intended to do one film and were paid for one, but who later sued for compensation! That would make a movie in itself!) brings all the elements of the first film together for a shattering finale. The films play MUCH better back to back so that the interest and emotion carry through from the beginning to the end. Still, this is quite effective and a more thorough fleshing out of the second tier of the story than what has ever been shown before (even though many elements and even characters have been eliminated.) Rising to the forefront this time around is the fiendish, dangerous, glamorous Dunaway as Milady de Winter. Fans of "Mommie Dearest" will see the groundwork she laid here when she mistreats her servant girl, Kitty. Dressed up to the hilt in satin, feathers, beads and ruffles she is a towering presence, as striking to watch as she is deadly. She displays some truly menacing expressions along with some high comedy. It will be a long time before a viewer will forget Dunaway's scream as she is branded a harlot (in flashback.) Reed gets to show more range in this half as well and he's excellent. They make for an unusual and intriguing pairing. Some of the stars of the first film get shorter shrift here (Chaplin, Ward, Welch), but all are still around and have their moments. Then underused actors from part one (Lee, Dunaway) get their turn here. Welch is actually funnier in this half than in the first with her mishaps after she is held captive. Certain images linger in the memory...Dunaway's encounter with some Indians in England, her use of a rosary in the convent, Welch's safekeeping of the key to her shackles, Lee's final sword duel, flashbacks of Reed and Dunaway as a couple and the sequence with the executioner. These are just a few of the many vivid scenes in the film which also include sword fights on the ice and in a burning barn. Though certainly a companion piece to "The Three Musketeers", this is a magnificent piece of film on its own and was inexplicably ignored at most awards ceremonies.

André-7 One of the opening scenes depicts the musketeers having a pic-nic in the middle of a battlefield and under fire for the sheer bravado of the act. This is taken straight from the novel and is one of my favorite scenes from Dumas. It shows the frivolous attitude that men at this time had towards the likelyhood of their death. The only chance of advancement, fortune and glory most younger sons had was to hang it all out and prove their worthiness in battle.Please note that this is the only Musketeer film that ever showed Athos, Aramis, D'Artagnan and Porthos exercising their trade as soldiers. These are not superheroes. They are men serving their country, caught up in politically charged situations.