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According to most reviews, fans of slick, well-choreographed action will probably enjoy a Musketeer matinee. Director Peter Hyams adds a generous helping of martial-arts-styled combat to his adaptation of Alexander Dumas' famous adventure story. But those more interested in a movie that mines the meaningful depths of the classic story will probably leave disappointed.

Critics in the religious media were as mixed in their reviews as the mainstream press. Several were grateful to find the admirable ethical standards of the hero D'Artagnan intact, but there were many complaints of tepid artistry.

Bob Smithouser (Focus on the Family) says, "Except for a few genre-busting action sequences … The Musketeer is nothing more than a dimly lit, frenetically edited seventeenth-century travelogue full of swashbuckling clichés." But he still gives it some credit: "In spite of the movie's overall mediocrity, TheMusketeer deserves applause. It esteems loyalty, compassion, self-sacrifice, patriotism, chivalry and modesty."

The U.S. Catholic Conference declares that the story "pathetically limps along, interrupted occasionally by an imaginatively choreographed fighting sequence."

Michael Elliott (Movie Parables) sees something significant in this recurrence of Musketeers at the movies. "[D'Artagnan's] integrity, purity, and righteousness is immediately recognizable and appealing. A man with integrity … a man with no personal agenda except to serve a higher cause is a formidable man. It is D'Artagnan's sense of duty and unfailing faithfulness to do what is right that gives the Musketeers renewed life. Seeing him as a Christ figure lends special meaning to their stirring motto: 'All for one and one for all.'" The movie, however, disappoints him. "While [the action scenes] are somewhat entertaining to watch, they quickly become tiresome. If only the filmmakers had spent a bit more time developing the characters and relationships."

Other Christian critics registered complaints that the movie allows audiences to see unethical behavior. Preview's Paul Bicking "Some sexually suggestive material along with frequent violence makes The Musketeer an extremely questionable choice." Ted Baehr's Movieguide review faults "a solid revenge motif" and argues that "the movie's moral and Christian elements should have been made stronger." The review also claims that The Musketeer "suffers from an overly serious hero, whose earnest lines are delivered with little panache or character by Justin Chambers."

The mainstream's most popular film connoisseur, Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times, has seen a great deal of swashbuckling in his career. "I cannot in strict accuracy recommend this film," he concludes. "It's such a jumble of action and motivation, ill-defined characters and action howlers. [But] the banquet scene is a marvel of art design. The action scenes are wonders to behold. And when Tim Roth vows vengeance on the man who blinded him, I for one believe him." He adds, "Roth already holds the crown for the single best swashbuckling scene in modern film history (in Rob Roy). This time, where most of the action is special effects, stunts, rope-flies and animation, he focuses on being hateful."

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September (Web-only) 2001, Vol. 45