The Three Musketeers (2011) is Paul W.S. Anderson, Resident Evil director, stab at the Alexandre Dumas tale with unfulfilled sequel ambitions and plenty of anachronistic fighting sequences, which is part of its appeal. If you are looking for empty, fun action, then check it out otherwise skip it unless you must see every film made by someone in the cast.
The Three Musketeers (2011) features some famous actors/former Bond villains, but mainly as supporting actors playing villains, Mads Mikkelsen and Christoph Waltz. The Three Musketeers (2011) has no starring role, but the closest famous Musketeer headliner is Luke Evans. While Evans is pleasing to the eye, a good actor and regularly gets cast in blockbuster mainstream commercial films, his projects are like Bambi’s newborn legs-shaky and difficult to find its footing. The best part of The Three Musketeers (2011) is Milla Jovovich, who has to don her empty action queen crown and some ridiculous period duds. While Jovovich plays a pivotal and fun character, sadly she is not in the majority of the film. It felt like they cast Axl from The Middle as D’Artagnan, but sadly they got a less comically gifted actor. I recognized the big guy from Rome, Ray Stevenson, as a Musketeer. Juno Temple is great and gets me to care for her character, but she freaks me out. I kept expecting some sinister twist coming after seeing her in Killer Joe, Cracks and Horns. Orlando Bloom appears in three scenes, chews the scenery then bounces so at least he paid a bill, but I would hardly call him a headliner.
The Three Musketeers (2011) is pretty forgettable. I am convinced that I saw it before, but I have no record of it. I know that I did not see it in the theaters. The Three Musketeers (2011) is infuriating because I don’t think that there is a single French actor in the film. Also why is the King acting like he has to get the Queen to like him as if they are dating? I thought they were married, but the story seemed to make it seem like he had not sealed the deal. The opening sets up The Three Musketeers (2011) as if the apocalypse is coming, but it is just the standard adventure get x before y happens or else z will occur, which would theoretically be really bad, but would it? I’m sorry, but there is no alternate reality where Waltz would make Mikkelsen cower. Nope. There was one action sequence that felt like it was actually supposed to be in a Spider-Man film, and not in a good way.
The Three Musketeers (2011) is a fun, empty film, but if you have something better to watch, do so because you will not be missing anything by skipping this attempt at starting a franchise. Maybe The Three Musketeers (2011) would make a good pilot for a TV series on the CW?