Film Review - The Three Musketeers: D'Artagnan (2023)

The works of Alexandre Dumas have been adapted for the big and small screen for decades now and that shows no signs of slowing down with another retread of his most iconic work, Les Trois Mousquetaires. Since it was first brought to life in 1921 with Douglas Fairbanks, The Three Musketeers – or, of course, The Four Musketeers as it soon becomes – there’s been classic interpretations, Matrix-influenced versions, comedies, animations, and much more in between. Just about any genre you can think of has probably been used to find a new pathway into Dumas’ text with varying degrees of success. And, like with many famous works of fiction, the time has come for a new adaptation and one that, for the first time in a while, mostly gets its spot on.

Now, of course, no Musketeers adaptation can outdo the far superior Disney one from 1993 that starred Kiefer Sutherland, Charlie Sheen, Chris O’Donnell, and a pitch-perfect, smarmy, moustache-twirling Tim Curry as Richelieu but Martin Bourboulon’s grounded, gritty yet effervescent version is almost as good and is easily the best we’ve seen in the new millennia. Moulding Dumas‘ text to please both fans of its origins and place in time while still pulling into something more modern, it takes the best of both worlds and weaves its own deviations on the story for more thrust and presence, inspired by more recent political, social and economic unrest and conspiracies while still keeping it firmly grounded in the 17th century.

If there’s a benchmark that Bourboulon and co have aimed for it is perhaps Christopher Nolan‘s The Dark Knight Trilogy, with its footprints delicately nestled into his Musketeers, from the bruising action fight sequences – many filmed in camera and for long takes – to its all-encompassing visual splendour that’s only amplified by some IMAX sequences to its Hans Zimmer-fuelled score that, at moments, sounds both familiar and original. The scope here is enormous and, while there may be some computer-generated help along the way, much like his previous film Eiffel, Bourboulon isn’t looking beyond his cameras which elevates everything above the norm. You can feel the architecture, the environments, the tension, and the impending doom of war, all beautifully captured with a grace and ferocity that’s as thrilling as it is timely.

Indeed, it’s further underlined by his ensemble who are uniformly excellent from top to bottom: Vincent Cassel, as always, brings his power and assertive strength to Athos while frequent Bourboulon collaborator Romain Duris’ charm and charisma infuse Aramis with calm and dignity. Eva Green, meanwhile, can play characters like Milady in her sleep but here, more than ever, her mysterious, alluring nature finds its perfect home, while Vicky Krieps, Louis Garrel, and The French Dispatch breakout star Lyna Khoudri provide solid support. The star, as the title suggests, is D’Artagnan, and Francois Civil shines brightest here, fresh from his brilliant turn in the television sensation Call My Agent.

While its plotting gets a little misguided and muddled towards its final act – issues you suspect may well make sense this Christmas when Part Two arrives – the new Musketeers is as energetic, thrilling, and sexy as anybody could have hoped for, with its mix of the classic leanings and modern storytelling beautifully merged together for a rip-roaring, thrilling action-adventure that’s as exciting as anything set to open in 2023. Bring on Part Deux.