reviewed by Charity Bishop
        

A vicious underground plot is underway to overthrow the young and impressionable King Louis by a most unexpected source -- his priest and advisor, Cardinal Richelue who has with the aid of his one-eyed former musketeer, Captain Rochefort, ordered the musketeers disbanded. "One for all, and all for one," has always been their motto and serving the king with their lives is their pleasure. Due to a forthcoming war with England, they are needed in the army ranks rather than patrolling the palace. Unfortunately for the Cardinal, three of the musketeers refuse to be disbanded. Aramis, Athos, and Porthos, the arch enemy of Rochefort and a threat to the Cardinal -- who orders their heads to be put on a pike -- are determined to prevent what they believe is a conspiracy and continue in their mission to protect the king.

At this same time, a young man named D'Artagnan, fleeing from a foppish individual who says he has wronged his sister's honor, has come to Paris to become a musketeer. Upon finding them disbanded, he picks a fight with Athos, who challenges him to a duel at noon outside the city. Accidentally picking another fight with Porthos (and intentionally mocking him in front of the ladies), he is challenged to another duel at one. And at two he will fight Aramis, of whom he insulted by not accepting an apology as the musketeer fled from an assailant. At noon, all four arrive and realize that their newfound enemy is not D'Artagnan but rather the Cardinal's guards, sent to bring them to the palace dead or alive. Preferably dead. D'Artagnan, who has the heart of a musketeer if not the uniform, promptly forgets his duels in order to help the three escape and becomes the forth musketeer as all strive to keep out of the reach of Rochefort's long arm and uncover a devious plot. 

Unfortunately D'Artagnan is arrested and thrown into prison as a traitor. Managing to escape, he comes across the truth of the Cardinal's plans along with a seductive envoy, Lady DeWinter. The Cardinal intends to create an alliance with England, assassinate the king, and rule France with the queen at his side. The Three Musketeers is a fairly good production with enough explosions and swordplay to keep the guys entertained and enough romance and gorgeous costuming to interest the girls. Queen Anne and Constance's costumes are breathtaking, and the effect of the Cardinal's cape is a never-ending source of comic relief, mingled with devious intentions. However there are some things to be wary of. This film is uncommonly violent for a PG rating. There are shootings, stabbings, impalings, fist fights and other forms of violence, the most disgusting of which being one scene where Porthos throws the prison keeper into a bed of spikes.

There's not a great deal of blood and the death of the bad guy at the end isn't particularly gruesome but definitely screen this film before letting kids watch it... particularly when you take into consideration the sensuality. Lady DeWinter has had many lovers, most of which have ended up dead and at one point is alone with D'Artagnan (not by his choice) in her bedchamber. She shows an excessive amount of cleavage in the aforementioned scene. She comes on to him with the intention of killing him. Aramis' first scene in the film is passionately kissing a young woman who then confesses that she is married and he splits with the husband on his heels. Porthos coaches D'Artagnan in the art of kissing. The Cardinal is anything but chaste, which is made apparent in his suggestive treatment of Lady DeWinter and later his veiled sexual proposition to Queen Anne. Unaware that he was in her chamber, she stands up after a bath and we're given a short glimpse of her bare back before he places a robe over her shoulders. They have a short interlude and she asks him to leave. Worthy of a PG13 rating, The Three Musketeers is definitely for the older crowd.