The Musketeer

Review by By Clint Morris

Like a dusty old hat sprinkled with gleam, The Musketeer is as vintage as sour cheese but with a modern-day wrapping.

Considerably different to the Three Musketeers tales of yesteryear, this matinee style adventure seems more interested in the colour green, than facts, figures or plausibility, replacing in-depth caricatures with awe-inspiring stunt choreography in The Matrix and Crouching Tiger mould.

Less concrete than even the recent Disney incarnation The Three Musketeers (1994), and far less rousing than The Man in the Iron Mask (1997), Peter Hyam's The Musketeer is popcorn-fare first and foremost.

It bypasses the plot, and turns the spectacle knob up to 11, in the meantime neglecting the substance the film needs. But as blunt as our lead swordsman's bludgeon is - it's still quite travelable.

D'Artagnan (Justin Chambers) seeks revenge. Straddled on a horse, armed with his stainless steel sword and crammed with comprehension of his late father's profession as a Musketeer, he heads straight into the tunnel of even-handedness, encountering danger every step of the way.

Enticing the lingering Musketeers to join him in a scrap against the evil Febre (Tim Roth) isn't as easy as he at first designed, after all the Musketeers are little more than a disheartened drinking club these days.

Enter the love interest. Constance (Mena Suvari) is the servant to the Queen (Catherine Denevue) - and just the kind of good-hearted soul to set a Musketeer's heart a flutter.

Sooner than he found her, D'Artganan losers her when she and the Queen are kidnapped by Febre's horde. Without a musketeer in sight, the lone swordsman sets off to save the day. Hi-Ho Silv… Oh, wrong movie.

The world needs another Musketeers movie like a punch in the face. Although entertaining enough, Hyam's version leaves a lot to be desired. Probably most notable are the stunts, particularly near the end as our hero scales a tower to rescue his love and take down the villain. But seriously… Can you imagine Peter Parker descendents in this day and age?

As the Musketeer, newcomer Chambers (The Wedding Singer) is capable and earnest, whilst Tim Roth simply sends up his almost clichéd position as film's token villain. It's definitely the time for Roth to try something different.

For a man that usually directs Van Damme movies, Peter Hyams has reached new heights with The Musketeer. But for everyone else involved, I'd think twice before being thrown a corset again.

2.5 out of 5

The Musketeer
Australian release: Commences Thursday 7th March across Australia
Cast: Justin Chambers, Mena Suvari, Tim Roth, Catherine Denevue, Stephen Rea.
Director: Peter Hyam.
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