Good concept, poorly executed.

Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

Don't listen to the negative reviews

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

I loved this movie when it came out. Went to the theaters to see it and believe me, when you go to the movies...this is the kind of movie that you pay every buck for. It's now 2016 and I just popped it into my Playstation 3 to watch. NEVER gets old. I love this movie now just as much as u did when I seen it in the theaters. The cast is incredible and my god...they were so YOUNG back then! Granted..it HAS been 23 years, but this is the kind of movie that earns it place as an instant classic. If you've never seen it...crawl out from under your rock and watch it. The humor and action are not to be missed and the whole movie from start to finish is just pure fun! Highly entertaining and I could watch it over and over.

Alexander Dumas' great book has been adapted to film numerous times. And for a good reason, for it is a great story, full of adventure, political intrigue, great characters and daring deeds. Yet I'd claim that it is not really suited for being a movie. Or at least I haven't seen a version yet that manages to capture the spirit and greatness of the original novel.That being said, despite its obvious flaws, this particular film is actually rather enjoyable. Charlie Sheen, Kiefer Sutherland and Oliver Platt portray Aramis, Athos and Porthos, respectively, while Chris O'Donnell plays D'Artagnan. D'Artagnan is a son of a musketeer, an elite guard of the king of France, and is all set out to become one himself. Unfortunately, just as he travels to Paris, Cardinal Richelieu (Tim Curry) has disbanded the musketeers as obsolete and outdated, all while vying for power over the young king. And thus all the musketeers have put down their swords. All except three, thus the title.What the movie gets right is the energy and the adventure. All the main characters are played by good actors and they give solid, entertaining performances. Curry is especially enjoyable as a completely over the top villain. The action scenes are also very good and the whole film looks very nice, having great production values. Definitely a film for all adventure fans.Where the film fails is as an adaptation. The events of the book are not followed all that closely and a lot of the story lines have been completely dropped. And even when they follow the book, it seems that they are in a rush. Like the scene where D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers meet for the first time. It is a classic scene that been imitated countless of times, but in this film it happens in under five minutes. Like they were in a terrible hurry, which is a real disservice to such a great scene.All in all, The Three Musketeers is at its best if you don't know all that much about the original story from the book. As a standalone film it is a fun little adventure film with good characters. Still, I've seen far worse adaptations.

Lightheaded and lighthearted this is the definition of escapist entertainment and that is meant as a compliment. Something to watch when you want to relax and not have to think about the plot of the movie. Chris O'Donnell is impish if a bit callow in the lead but the real show is musketeers anyway and there is where the movie excels. Keifer is suitably brooding as Athos and Charlie Sheen, before he became a surly twitchy mess, is a charming Aramis. The standout however is Oliver Platt going full on ham as Porthos giving a delightfully over the top performance and walking off with the picture whenever he is on screen. Rebecca De Mornay also seems to be having a good time enacting the villainous Milady de Winter, she's sexy and silky. Lastly there is Tim Curry positively consuming the scenery as Cardinal Richelieu, in his flowing red robes he and Oliver Platt are in a dead heat for biggest scene stealer. The production is high class with vibrant with color and beautiful settings, true it bears only a passing kinship with the source book but it is a fun time with lots of action and a carefree mood.

There are about 130+ reviews on this film and while I have not read every single one, I have read a handful. What I am about to say may have already been stated by someone else, but like I said, I have not read every single review. The reviews that I did happen to look through were quite critical of the film. The most popular critique was that it was not an accurate adaptation of Alexander Dumas' novel. I am hear to tell you that that's the point. This version of The Three Musketeers was never about being an accurate adaptation. While it highlights key components of the story and some history (like who the Musketeers were, etc) it was meant to focus more on (to quote Charlie Sheen on the Behind the Scenes on the DVD) "the camaraderie. the essence of brotherhood." I also noticed people complaining it's not a family film. Of course it's not. It's not just Disney it's also a Touchstone film. Yes, I know Disney (either owns or is merged with Touchstone. Something like that.) Either way, it doesn't have to be strictly the Disney we know.So if you're looking for a more accurate adaptation of the novel then this film is not for you. I would recommend one of the versions that was created before 1993. I think the one made sometime in the 40s is more accurate and I believe the one from the 70s may also be more accurate for certain people's tastes.