The world needs legends and heroes and there are simply few stories more legendary or heroic than The Three Musketeers. I must say that I am pleased with what Hollywood is doing with their films, as of recently. For the last two years or more, the film industry has been suffering from a lack of originality. Even now we see constant redundancies in movies. This is acceptable, only because of the fact that there are few quality ideas left; most have been filmed already.
What I am pleased with, is the revival of classic stories that children of this era need to learn about. It may be a self-centred view, but I believe that the Marvel and DC Comics, as well as The Lion King and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (and so on), are shows that children need to see. Children need something besides video games with which to fill their time.
When I was scolded as a child for not doing my homework, it wasn’t because of a Gameboy in my hand, but because I was lost in imagination. The story of The Three Musketeers is one of the daydreams that I would slip myself into as a child.
This film was a remake of the 1993 film, with the same title. Although I really liked this version, I have to be honest and say that it just isn’t the same. Maybe, if given more time to sit down and examine and compare both films, I could give light to exactly what was missing. Since I cannot, I’ve narrowed it down to a smaller list. The 1993 all-star cast seemed to have more personality.
The 1993 film made me wish I was a musketeer. It inspired my imagination and rallied my spirits. Looking at it through a child’s eyes, I can’t picture this year’s Three Musketeers doing the same. The 1993 movie had parts, for example, when they called upon all the disbanded musketeers. The three heroes made frightened and scattered soldiers unite, pull uniforms out of their floor-boards and wield their rapiers; it just gave me goosebumps.
That feeling was only resurrected in the 2011 film because I had already seen the 1993 production. I think that the story is good enough for children of the new generation and probably more appropriate.
Utilising technology that wasn’t at their disposal in 1993, this year’s film has much better action scenes—something that appeals to children of this era, more than it did in mine. Overall, without comparing this year’s The Three Musketeers with any other, I rate it: seven out of ten. It was a must-see for me and I am certain that it should be for you and yours as well.
