MUSKETEERS AT IT AGAIN:
When France is in trouble it’s the Musketeers that will come to her aid no matter what the cost might be to themselves. While going after instructions on how to be a war machine created by Leonardo da Vinci, three of the most famous Musketeers Athos (played by Matthew Macfadyen), Porthos (played by Ray Stevenson), and Aramis (played byLuke Evans), are betrayed by a trusted and loved one. Because of this betrayal the Musketeers are disbanded by the Cardinal Richelieu (played by Christoph Waltz), the Three Musketeers are left to wondering around as drunk warriors with no cause to fight for. A year later the young and brash D'Artagnan (played by Logan Lerman) goes to France to set out on his own path in life to only find caught in a duel with Captain Rochefort (played by Mads Mikkelsen) when his horse is insulted. It’s not too soon after that D’Artagnan finds himself in even more duels with the Three Musketeers, men who he knew to be heroes. But before the 4 of them can fight, France once more calls upon the Musketeers to save her from a traitor within who conspires with the evil Duke of Buckingham (played by Orlando Bloom) and his spy Milady de Winter (played by Milla Jovovich).

ALL FOR ONE AND ONE MORE MUSKETEER MOVIE:
Here’s yet another incarnation of the Three Musketeers but one that was not of my favorites. Nearly everything about this movie was taken from all the other movies done on the story of the most famous of the Musketeers with only one real spin on it. That is the explosions and some of the fighting, which was put in to show that the movie that lots of intense scenes. For the rest of the movie it’s already been done just with different actors only not as well. I was hoping for something new or at least a different spin on the tale of these three fighters, or I should say the four when you add in D’Artagnan.

I liked the way this movie opens up with the Three Musketeers and the lover of Athos, Milady de Winter going to steal secret plans that da Vinci created. It’s a fun opening for introducing the heroes of the movie while also giving the antagonist of the story in the Duke of Buckingham. It’s after this that I lost interest in the movie because it didn’t do anything that was creative, interesting, or new except for having some flying ships and machine gun like canons. I think it’s because of how much of this movie depends on the special effects and the way over the top, unbelievable fight scenes that I didn’t much care for this incarnation of the Three Musketeers.

I would have much rather seen a movie that has a more realistic feel to it with some added in moments that might not be so authentic. Such as the sword fight at the beginning when the Three Musketeers and D’Artagnan fight together for the first time where it’s 40 men against 4. Oh I know that there is no way that these 4 men would survive in those odds but that was fun to watch. I did enjoy watching them jumping around taking on so many others while not coming to any harm. But when there are two hot air balloon ships in a battle high above the kingdom where there is a quick fire canon set going off was just too over the top and took away from the movie. Though the actors do a decent job with their characters, more so with King Louis XIII (played by Freddie Fox) and his wife, Queen Anne (played by Juno Temple), who made their characters look like two people who are carefully working around their love for each other, I found that there are moments in the movie that are left open.

One scene that just bugged me to no end was the chess scene where Milady de Winter talks to the Cardinal Richelieu about the game. This scene led me to think that de Winter was going to make a move in the game that would checkmate Richelieu but all that happens is the short mention of how he can’t find a worthy opponent, she makes a move that does nothing, and then it was dropped. I also found it annoying how the Three Musketeers treated Planchet (played by James Corden). These men are supposed to be heroes, men that fight for the ones that can’t fight for themselves, yet they treat the guy that works for them like he’s a dog and with horrible disrespect. At no time did I find it funny when this happened to the character and would have rather seen him bumbling around not able to do anything while them helping him than what was done with the character. Though the movie was fun to watch because it is about the Three Musketeers, there are some fun sword fights, and the female leads in this movie are very beautiful to look at, the overall movie just didn’t make a good telling of the tale of the Musketeers. Worst of all is how the movie ends with leaving it open for a sequel. This might be good if there is an actual sequel made but if none is ever made than I just watched a movie with no closure at all.

THE THREE MUSKETEERS ON BLU RAY:
Again I was disappointed with this movie but on the Blu Ray side of it. Right on the front slipcase cover to this movie written in capital letters at the top is, special edition. Seeing this of course I figure that it will contain all kinds of added features along with the DVD and/or digital download of it. I was completely wrong in thinking this. I saw nothing included on this Blu Ray to classify it as a special edition. What bonus features it comes with are the typical deleted scenes, some featurettes, and commentary while not including the DVD or digital copy. Aside from that the quality of the Blu Ray looks alright, nothing spectacular or making it stand out. The colors are sharp, there’s no grain or noise in the picture, and the audio levels make everything loud without being too loud or low.