Sophie Marceau Movie:

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		MPAA Rating: R (Restricted) Media: DVD

Revenge of the Musketeers [Region 2] Reviews:
French with subtitles
2009-10-31 - Contrary to what you would believe from seeing the jacket and reading the editorial review, this movie is only in French but with English subtitles. If you don't speak French, forget about it. If you're learning French, the subtitles are really useful. It seems to be a fun, well done movie, although Sophie Marceau should have been taught to fence.

great flick
2008-10-15 - i really enjoyed this movie. it stays true to the musketeer genre with out totally rehashing the story. the fight scenes are great and there are lots of funny bits. it is in french so you have to read subtitles but it isnt that bad. if you like a good swashbuckeling flick you need this one.

OK, nothing great
2008-03-21 - I collect a lot of "swashbuckling" movies and considering the cast and the subject matter, I guess this was a required addition.

It was enjoyable enough and Sophie Marceau's visual charms are not to be ignored. However, pacing-wise and fight choreography-wise, I expected more from a French team. Compared to a couple of my recent acquisitions: Le Bossu and Cyrano de Bergerac (w/Depardieu), it's really not in the same league.

A pleasant enough diversion, but not really a keeper.

"What's nice about hemorrhoids is, you forget the rheumatism."
2006-10-09 - I've only ever seen Sophie Marceau in English-speaking roles before, and, while I thought she was a fine actress, it wasn't until I saw her in her native French milieu that I duly became impressed. REVENGE OF THE MUSKETEERS is a Sophie Marceau vehicle all the way; the scenes are never more delightful than when she graces the screen. I enjoyed her infectious enthusiasm as she threw herself fully into the role of the headstrong, adventurous Eloise D'Artagnan. Philippe Noiret was also noteworthy as the grizzled D'Artagnan, father of Eloise, now retired in disgrace from the ranks of the Musketeers. The rest of the cast was excellent, as well, with special mention going out to Sami Frey (Aramis), Gigi Proietti (Cardinal Mazarin), and Claude Rich (Duke of Crassac).

The convent in which the young Eloise D'Artagnan is being fostered is assaulted by swordsmen led by a woman in red. The Mother Superior is murdered and, in the aftermath of the attack, Eloise finds a blooded document, which she believes is the key to uncovering a deadly plot. She goes to Paris in search of her famous father, D'Artagnan, whom she hadn't seen in years, and finds him happy to see her but disinclined to believe her tale. However, certain events occur which alter D'Artagnan's thinking, who then decides to involve his old comrades. When you add to that mix a lovestruck but combat-ignorant poet, a one-eyed spy, a duplicitous femme fatale, an ambitious duke, a conniving cardinal, a slave ring, and coffee, well, somewhere in there, there just HAS to be a conspiracy in the offing, right? Right. There is a conspiracy and it's that same old conspiracy again, namely, to assassinate the monarch of France. But, thanks to the not-quite-decrepit ex-Musketeers and the resolute Eloise - who is powered by a sense of honor and justice, even if she's a bit lacking in the finer points of fencing - the King of France is in good hands.

A bit reminiscent of Richard Lester's THE THREE MUSKETEERS (1973), the lighthearted storyline proficiently toes the line between swashbuckling and comedy. The sword fights aren't that exemplary, but the film does have an out in that the main protagonists consist of a girl raw with the sword and four curmudgeonly, even arthritic, blades. But, what they lack in speed and dexterity, they make up for in enthusiasm and elderly flair. The comedy is superb and is nicely meshed within the story. I got a kick out of the fact that each of the opposing parties come upon innocuous messages (one a laundry list, the other a poem) that they think are in secret code and end up wasting much of the movie attempting to decode them. One of the verbal high points is when Aramis is apprised of yet another plot to kill the king; he remarks with an offended "But that's so dated!" Another is when, after Sophie has the frustrated villain, Crassac, at an impasse in their deadly swordfight, he asks her if her blade was longer than his. And then, of course, there's all those elderly jokes, as offered by the aged D'Artagnan and his cohorts.

So, here's what we got: misunderstandings, behind-the-throne machinations, high adventure and swordplays, low and high-brow comedy, a father-daughter relationship, the return of classic Dumas characters, and the introduction of a lovely and fiery heroine - Eloise D'Artagnan. Which brings us full circle to Sophie Marceau. As I've said, this is her vehicle. She displays full commitment and brings beauty, unaffected charm, and unfettered zest to the table. Her Eloise doesn't mind getting muddy or physically exerting herself; she athletically jumps on and rides horses, leaps on tables, violently slings furniture, and recklessly brandishes a sword. The only thing she doesn't do is swing on chandeliers, though I have no doubt she would've done that with gusto, as well.



A Blade With No Edge
2005-05-19 - Note: French with English subtitles.

There's a conspiracy afoot in France that has inadvertantly spread from the Royal Court of the King into the surrounding countryside, bringing death and destruction to a distant convent. One of the residence of this religious community happens to be Eloise (Sophie Marceau), the daughter of the famous musketeer D'Artagan.

After the murder of the Reverend Mother, Eloise leaves the convent, returning to Paris to find her Father (Philippe Noiret) in the hope of convincing him to use his fighting skills to bring the culprits to justice. As you might have guessed, this turns out to be a job that will require more than one musketeer. Soon D'Artagan and Eloise are joined by Porthos (Raoul Billerey), Aramis (Sami Frey) and Athos (Jean-Luc Bideau) and the battle is on.

This was a boring movie. Instead of making an action / adventure film directors Travernier and Blossier opted for a comedy. What's worse, it wasn't funny. Watching four old men who could barely walk pretend to fight off large numbers of younger and faster foes was a real stretch of the imagination. It just didn't work at all. Too bad, because the production values were first rate.

The only real energy in this production was generated by the charming Sophie Marceau. If not for her presence this film would have been impossible for me to finish. Thanks for being there Sophie.