The Three Musketeers 3D (12A) ***

The Three Musketeers 3D (12A) ***

Dir: Paul W.S Anderson

Starring: Matthew Macfadyen, Luke Evans, Logan Lerman, Milla Jovovich.

Synopsis: The Three Musketeers are down on their luck after a botched mission, leaving them a group of drunken brawlers in Paris. Until, that is, young D'Artagnan comes to join their ranks, and they find themselves embarking on a thrilling mission to stop France and England going to war.

Verdict: It may just be me harking back to the good old days of my childhood, but throughout The Three Musketeers I couldn't stop thinking about the old cartoon from my youth, Albert: The Fifth Musketeer, as well as the old video game from my youth, Final Fantasy 9. This aside, however, the film is an enjoyable watch with plenty of bang for your buck.

Lets get the big question out of the way first: the 3D. I think that the little niggle I have with 3D stands, and that is that people still haven't been able to sort out writing without their being a translucent image of the word slightly off to one side (whether it be right or left). However, the effect works in many other parts of the film. For example, the flyover of a war map, complete with figures of ships, horses and soldiers is good, as is one particular scene that caught my attention of an aerial view of Paris with clouds in frame which looked very good.

On the subject of other special effects, the CGI was very good, with the (to me) Final Fantasy inspired airships being very impressive. Alongside these are the good old fashioned pyrotechnics which no self respecting Hollywood action flick would be without. Again, though, I find myself noticing too much when the scene is filmed before a green screen which, unfortunately, detracts from the experience a little bit.

 To stop myself going off on a rant about special effects, lets now discuss the acting side of the film. The original Three Musketeers, Athos, Porthos and Aramis (played by Matthew Macfadyen, Ray Stevenson and Luke Evans respectively) are very good, ranging from the all serious heroes they are, to very comical. The comedy is enhanced somewhat by their servant Planchett, played by James Corden. His style of comedy suits the film very well, and gives the main characters of The Musketeers something to bounce off too make the audience laugh.

Then, of course, there is the cocksure, arrogant D'Artagnon (Lerman). He, more than the rest of the Musketeers, is the focus of the film, as it charts his progress from picking fights with each of the original Musketeers in turn, to becoming a part of them (The Four Musketeers being the inevitable sequel? or something more inventive?) and, inevitably, getting the girl.

Milady de Winter (Jovovich) is also very good, intelligent, evil and constantly changing sides. This is quite a juxtaposition to King Louis (Freddie Fox) who is as dense as they come, and only worried about whether his fashion is the same as Orlando Blooms' Buckingham, the evil from across the channel. This stupidity is highlighted even more by the Queen (Juno Temple), another intelligent woman who is the driving force behind getting the Musketeers to go on their mission. I think, above everything, this is what made me think so much of Albert when watching it, the similarities between the dense King Louis, the Queen, the Cardinal and Milady (although Milady was missing a quacking duck tattoo, which was a pity)