Oliver Reed, Richard Chamberlain and Frank Finlay star as the titular musketeers, with Michael York taking the lead as a new young recruit who has to prove himself. York romances a spy for the queen (Raquel Welch) while a trio of villains (Charlton Heston, Faye Dunaway and Christopher Lee) conspire to exert their power over the throne.
There’s more swashbuckling and comedy in this one than romance, though the villain’s plots and heroe’s motivations do hinge on romantic entanglements. York is great in the lead, both impudent and sincere, and Reed stands out as the only Musketeer who really has any presence or memorable moments. Lee is the best of the villains, with Heston miscast and Dunaway underused, although I’m guessing she has a bigger role in the sequel.
Most of the best moments of the film are in the first half in which York is either offended by or accidentally offends each Musketeer and Christopher Lee, and ends up in various different duels and confrontations with each of them by virtue of his plucky devotion to honor and tradition. As the plot intrigue begins to pile up, things get a little murky, but there’s lots of sword fighting and horse riding to keep viewers distracted.
The main thing is the Musketeers seem like a group of guys it’d be fun to hang out with. The adventure, romance and intrigue is just icing on the cake.
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