A One Mann’s Movies review of “The Three Musketeers: Milady” (2023).
Out now, “Milady” is the sequel to “The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan” which came out in April. Both movies were filmed back-to-back over 150 days from August 2021 to June 2022 with an average budget of $39 million each. Will they make their money back? Well, the first film has to date only made $32 million back so far and, from the sparse attendance at the Cineworld preview screening I attended mid-week, I’m not convinced this one will do better. Which is a great shame, because they are both fine examples of rambunctious swashbuckling that we see far too little in cinemas anymore.
By the way, although there is a brief ‘recap’ of Part 1 at the beginning of the film, I appreciated reading the Synopsis of the film on IMDB (here) before returning to Dumas’s world. I also understand (and thanks to my Flickering Dreams colleague Emma for this info) that “D’Artagnan” has just this week started showing on Sky Movies / NOW TV so you can catch up on the action.
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
Plot Summary:
Both Constance (Lyna Khoudri) and her love D’Artagnan (François Civil) has been kidnapped by the evil forces of the Cardinal Richelieu (Eric Ruf) and Milady (Eva Green). After escaping, D’Artagnan desperately tries to determine the whereabouts of Constance against a backdrop of the siege of La Rochelle in the ongoing battle between the Catholics and the English-supported Protestent uprising.
Certification:
UK: 12; US: NR. (From the BBFC web site: “Moderate violence, threat, injury detail, sex references”).
Talent:
Starring: Eva Green, François Civil, Lyna Khoudri, Vincent Cassel, Vicky Krieps, Romain Duris, Pio Marmaï, Camille Rutherford, Eric Ruf, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, Louis Garrel.
Directed by: Martin Bourboulon.
Written by: Matthieu Delaporte & Alexandre de La Patellière. (Based on the novels by Alexandre Dumas.)
Twitter Handle: #Thethreemusketeersmilady .
Running Time: 1h 55m.
Constance’s life is hanging in the balance and D’Artagnan has to save her. (Source: Pathé).
“The Three Musketeers: Milady” Review:
Positives:
- It’s a teriffic action blockbuster. Unencumbered by the need for lots of introductory exposition (though we do get a recap on Part 1) we plunge straight into sword-fights and battle scenes which are pretty much non-stop. As in the first film, the camera is placed right in the middle of all of the action and swoops around the fights as if in a single unedited shot. It’s dizzying but exhilarating at the same time.
- While we are on the cinematography (by Nicolas Bolduc) there are some fabulous drone shots. One in particular, where D’Artagnan is galloping his horse along a lane to Guillaume Roussel’s bombastic music, is brilliant. The long drone shots also emphasise the scale of the production: they used 9,000 extras and 650 horses!
- Fans of Eva Green will not be disappointed. Flawlessly switching from French to English, she gets into full bodice-ripping action as she tries to seduce D’Artagnan…. not once (Yes Milady… get those wet clothes off before you catch cold!) but twice. Green adds real star-power to the piece, chewing the scenary wonderfully as the evil manipulator.
- The script is dense and requires your utmost attention to follow what’s happening and who is doing what to who. There are also some neat surprises. There is a wonderful twist I didn’t see coming (my reactions went “What??? But haven’t they…? Oh, perhaps they haven’t! Oooh… juicy drama!”). There are also some surprising turns to the story that again left me wrong-footed and surprised.
Negatives:
- Given that it is a complex story and you are having to follow sub-titles for 99% of the film, it is all a bit exhausting. The illustrious Mrs Movie Man, although enjoying the film, declared it to be “overly fighty”.
- A prison-based act of mercy comes across as ludicrously improbable and the outcome of that event stretched my credibility to breaking point.
D’Artagnan (François Civil) inexplicably needs to be forced to have sex with Milady (Eva Green). The boy needs his head examining! (Source: Pathé).
Triggers
For animal lovers…. “Does the dog die?”. Yes, it does… horribly… near the beginning of the film.
Summary Thoughts on “The Three Musketeers: Milady”
I really enjoyed the first film and enjoyed this one even more. A really great rollicking adventure yarn. Recommended.
Given the way the film ended, it looks like we may get a third installment, finances permitting. Bring it on, I say.
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Trailer for “The Three Musketeers: Milady”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1HfovIccgw .
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I am fan of Eva Green. “she gets into full bodice-ripping action as she tries to seduce D’Artagnan”… How of her body does she show for us? and What are the scenes she is very steam?
Sadly, it is only a 12-rated film, so we see very little of Ms Green’s body….but the scenes are still suitably steamy within the constrains of the certificate. There are two scenes where we see Milady trying to seduce D’Artagnan.