The Musketeer Review
by Tim Wick
When simmered down to it's core, what makes a good swashbuckler movie?
Until I saw The Musketeer, I would have said that as long as you nail the
swordfighting, the rest of the movie can pretty much do fine on it's own.
I guess I was wrong.
The final duel of The Musketeer is a wonderfully improbable duel on
ladders. The hero (D'Artagnan) and the villain (Febre) dance across,
through and around dozens of ladders as they try to kill each other. Had
the rest of the film been in a similar vein, I would be telling you to rush
out and see the film as soon as possible.
I can't do that because the rest of the film is one flat cliche after
another joined together by less than wonderful action scenes.
In my review of Kiss the Dragon, I bemoaned the fact that Hollywood
directors seem incapable of filming Hong Kong action correctly. The
Musketeer, which is choreographed by Xin-Xin Xiong (a top Hong Kong fight
choreographer), has fantastic fight choreography. Unfortunately, the camera
is unwilling to watch the action rather than creating the action by cutting
from one angle to anther, just when we are getting the idea what is
happening.
Part of this is because Justin Chambers (D'Artagnan) is clearly not the
person executing the majority of his fight choreography. Stuntmen can get
easy to spot if you dwell on their face for too long. In my opinion, they
should have then cast someone who could execute the moves.
Let me use another (well done) example of Hollywood martial arts. The dojo
scene in The Matrix uses sweeping camera shots and long shots to ensure we
don't lose the action. Hong Kong directors know the best thing to do with a
fight is to sit back and let it happen. That doesn't happen here.
I love swashbuckler movies. Heck, I even went to Cutthroat Island on
opening weekend. I've seen most every version of the Three Musketeer story
including the dismal Disney version. That this film takes huge liberties
with the story is forgivable.
That it's fights are poorly shot and it's script is banal and lifeless is
not.
Harry Knowles of Aint-it-cool-news loved this film. Now he loved some stuff
I think is at best pretty plain (Jurassic Park III) and at worst a piece of
crap (The Mummy Returns). But when he talks up a little known film that he
thinks people should see, we agree most of the time. (Moulin Rouge and
The Others are good recent examples). I went to see this film on his
personal recommendation, though I would have seen it eventually, no matter
what.
But Harry and I don't agree on this one. I missed Hedwig and the Angry
Itch to watch this film! Ah, well, there is still that scene on the
ladders.
Pity it took so long to get there.
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