La Femme Musketeer [DVD] [2004]

This is a well told exciting and funfilled swashbuckler for those who like the "Musketeer's genre" of stories of which there are fewer than there should be. A good tale breathing life into a well known classic.

In this Hallmark TV production Louis XIV is still under the thumb of Cardinal Mazarin (Gerard Depardieu). It's 1660, and the Cardinal will brook no opposition. Mazarin sees personal advantage in continuing the war with Spain, but the callow Louis is beginning to think otherwise. Then there's the king's arranged marriage to the Spanish Princess Maria Theresa, the pesky possibility that Louis just might not be rightful king of France and the festering resentments of Mazarin's deadly creature, Francois Villeroi. A certain letter is all Mazarin needs to keep Louis under his control. Cardinal Mazarin doesn't hesitate to turn those who oppose him into angels.

All this has nothing to do -- yet -- with Valentine D'Artagnan (Susie Amy), who was taught to fight with a sword by her father and who is determined to be accepted as a Musketeer. D'Artagnan (Michael York) sends her off to Paris with his encouragement. "You've got two good reasons to be brave," he tells her. "First, you're a Gascon. Second, you're my daughter. Always fight at the least provocation and never submit to insults or edicts. Above all, remember who you are...a D'Artagnan!"

It's not long before Valentine is up to her pommel trying to save the king and to foil Mazarin's schemes. She is accused of murder by Mazarin's beautiful agent, Lady Bolton (Nastassja Kinski) and must rescue the Princess. Valentine often skewers members of the Cardinal's Guards. Even with the aid of the three sons of Porthos, Athos and Aramis, who have just been accepted as Musketeers themselves, all looks like France might be lost. But then the old men show up. With Valentine and their sons by their sides, they show how it's done. Although we're an hour into the 170 minute production before they appear and the movie isn't about them, there's something poignant, amusing and inspiring when we see the aging D'Artagnan, Athos (Christopher Cazenove), Aramis (Alan Corduner) and Porthos (John Rhys-Davies), heavier now, gray, a little slower and often used for comedy relief, answer the call to honor and arms. We don't see as much of the four as we'd like, but they help make the movie.

On the TV movie's plus side: Those actors who can actually act -- mainly the older ones -- do a fine job. The production values are high. The story, however drawn out it becomes, still contains enough of Dumas' great swashbuckling tales of derring-do, evil, honor and action to be entertaining. Bringing in the sons of those three musketeers, then their fathers plus D'Artagnan himself, gives a nice glow to the story.

On the minus side, too many of the under-30 actors have that wrinkleless, earnest and unexciting talent found in network television comedies. Depardieu, while one of the world's great actors, has never been at his best trying to act in English. This movie is no exception. And there are all those corny back flips, rollovers and sword twirling during fights, usually by Valentine. The great weakness, however, is the lack of style. The production is pleasant but, as Cyrano would say, it has no panache.

To see a first-class version of what the daughter of D'Artagnan, aided by her dad and his old comrades, can accomplish with great style, humor and adventure, watch Bernard Tavernier's La Fille de D'Artagnan, renamed Revenge of the Musketeers for the U.S. DVD release. Sophie Marceau plays an energetic Eloise D'Artagnan and Philippe Noiret is her father. When she recruits him and his three comrades to save Louis XIV, look out. Eloise is almost as good with a sword as they are. And they, although sometimes out of breath, are still the best around.

The DVD transfer is just fine. There are no extras. Is La Femme Musketeer worth four stars? Maybe not, but it means well.