The Three Musketeers Part II movie review: A classic adventure that serves up old-fashioned thrills

The Three Musketeers Part II: Milady movie review

Film: The Three Musketeers Part II : Milady
Cast: François Civil, Vincent Cassel, Romain Duris, Eva Green, Lyna Khoudri, Louis Garrel, Pio Marmaï
Director:Martin Bourboulon
Rating: 3/5
Runtime: 114 min

This historical action-adventure adapted from Alexander Dumas' stories, is authentic enough and continues gung-ho on an enjoyable romp with old-fashioned swash-buckling Dumas characters. ‘D'Artagnan' was first off the block, now it's the turn of the second part, ‘Milady.'

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Constance (Lyna Khoudri) has been kidnapped and D'Artagnan (François Civil) is determined to get her back. But the almost fatal attack on King Louis XIII (Louis Garrel) has caused an upheaval. The musketeers are determined to catch the ringleader of that plot before Constance can be rescued. In the meanwhile, the kingdom is plunged into a chaotic internal war. The malevolent Cardinal Richelieu (Eric Ruf) is a suspect and so are the the Queen (Vicky Krieps), her not-so-secret English lover Buckingham (Jacob Fortune-Lloyd), and maybe, other disgruntled noblemen. D'Artagnan gets his first clue when he inadvertently rescues Milady (Eva Green) from a prison, armed with a secret, coded letter.

The enigmatic Milady de Winter is caught up in a back-story with Athos (Vincent Cassel) whilst his two pals Aramis (Romain Duris) and the affable Porthos (Pio Marmaï) go about doing their bit for the country.

It's a period-appropriate, costume drama with realistic combat scenes and settings that fit in. The authentic-looking, captivating 17th-century setting forms the backdrop for nihilistic political intrigues, thrilling duels, and secret romance. The rapidly evolving scenarios keep the interest going while the continuous spurts of action (much more than in the book) help ratchet up the tempo and adrenaline. The freshness is missing though. Seriousness has taken over. The story which is in search of a lover and traitors doesn't allow for much opportunity for the musketeers to be seen together as a bunch. So we never get to experience their playful camaraderie as showcased in the first film. The humor has depleted considerably and a solemn tone takes center stage.

This second part of an intended trilogy led by Martin Bourboulon is less frivolous, intent on intrigue and action but the vibrancy is missing. The carousing, romancing, and swashbuckling derring-do get economised while twists, turns, thrills, spills, mistaken identities, and duels front this adventure. The narrative rhythm falters as the story cobbles up add-on sub-plots while racing to its intended finish. The screenplay by Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière is rather dull with too many characters and underdeveloped subplots. The central characters may have much more vital things to do than just dally and rally around but their presence on screen has atrophied. The actors do well to imprint their charisma on their respective roles though. Vincent Cassel and François Civil are the pick of the lot while Eva Green, nourishes and brandishes Milady's villainy with duplicity and flair.

This cinematic adaptation of "The Three Musketeers" by Alexandre Dumas deviates from the book but still manages to retain the original's essence. It's a classic swashbuckling tale that comes alive replete with adventure, action, and romance.