I was glad to see this film again...after 41 years...because I remembered it being great fun. And it is, but...
...sometimes the great slapstick gets in the way of why things are happening in the plot...
...sometimes in the midst of swashbuckling, it's so obvious that one character is waiting for the other to make a certain movement before he makes his movement. A little sloppy.
But, as I said, it's great fun...and still my favorite movie adaption of Dumas' story.
Michael York heads the cast as d'Artagnan. I remember thinking back then how handsome he was, but now when I look at him he appeared to be bordering on anorexia. Nevertheless, he does a very nice job here as a slightly klutzy musketeer. Oliver Reed was a fine actor, but here as Athos I am afraid he did not put in his finest performance. Frank Finlay was decent as Porthos; most Americans probably won't recognize him, but he also played Jacob Marley in the George C. Scott version of "A Christmas Carol". Richard Chamberlain seems bright and lively as Aramis, although his screen-time seems less than it should be. Geraldine Chaplin is along as the Queen. Charlton Heston as Cardinal Richelieu (nice job). Faye Dunaway is mildly interesting as Milady de Winter, but again, this is hardly her best performance. Christopher Lee is decent as the Count De Rochefort. Simon Ward has one of the better roles as the Duke of Buckingham. Raquel Welch is shallow (perhaps ankle deep) as a lady in waiting...but she looks good.
Perhaps the biggest star here are the sets and costumes, which are, for the most part, rather lavish. Overall, it's a rather entertaining film, but I have a difficult time excusing them for making Dumas' characters into semi-buffoons.
...sometimes the great slapstick gets in the way of why things are happening in the plot...
...sometimes in the midst of swashbuckling, it's so obvious that one character is waiting for the other to make a certain movement before he makes his movement. A little sloppy.
But, as I said, it's great fun...and still my favorite movie adaption of Dumas' story.
Michael York heads the cast as d'Artagnan. I remember thinking back then how handsome he was, but now when I look at him he appeared to be bordering on anorexia. Nevertheless, he does a very nice job here as a slightly klutzy musketeer. Oliver Reed was a fine actor, but here as Athos I am afraid he did not put in his finest performance. Frank Finlay was decent as Porthos; most Americans probably won't recognize him, but he also played Jacob Marley in the George C. Scott version of "A Christmas Carol". Richard Chamberlain seems bright and lively as Aramis, although his screen-time seems less than it should be. Geraldine Chaplin is along as the Queen. Charlton Heston as Cardinal Richelieu (nice job). Faye Dunaway is mildly interesting as Milady de Winter, but again, this is hardly her best performance. Christopher Lee is decent as the Count De Rochefort. Simon Ward has one of the better roles as the Duke of Buckingham. Raquel Welch is shallow (perhaps ankle deep) as a lady in waiting...but she looks good.
Perhaps the biggest star here are the sets and costumes, which are, for the most part, rather lavish. Overall, it's a rather entertaining film, but I have a difficult time excusing them for making Dumas' characters into semi-buffoons.