Rated PG-13 for sequences of adventure action violence.
Starring Logan Lerman, Luke Evans, Ray Stevenson, Matthew Macfadyen, Christoph Waltz, Orlando Bloom and Milla Jovovich
Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson (Resident Evil: Afterlife, Death Race, Alien vs. Predator)
A throwback to the swashbuckler films of old…with more than a few fun updates.
They are known as Porthos (Ray Stevenson), Aramis (Luke Evans) and Athos (Matthew Mcfadyen) — three elite warriors who serve the King of France as his best Musketeers. After discovering an evil conspiracy to overthrow the King, the Musketeers come across a young, aspiring hero — D’Artagnan (Logan Lerman) — and take him under their wing. Together, the four embark on a dangerous mission to foil the plot that not only threatens the Crown, but the future of Europe itself.
This movie is all about fun and some great special effects (especially in 3D). It has some very elaborate outfits and even more elaborate fight scenes…not to mention the flying air ships!
The cast is great…for a film like this. I wasn’t looking for Oscar quality stars, I was hoping for stars that would be fun to watch and maybe even make me laugh a time or two…that’s exactly what I got! Whether it’s Christoph Waltz playing a very similar role to his 2009 character in Inglorious Basterds or Orlando Bloom and Milla Jovovich playing “the villain” or the Musketeers themselves…everyone was great.
Paul W.S. Anderson has directed some “interesting films” over the years so I was really curious what he would do with a classic like The Three Musketeers. Well it’s not as family friendly as I was hoping but with films like Resident Evil: Afterlife and Death Race I should not have been surprised.
In fact back in 1993 Disney released a Three Musketeers film Staring Charlie Sheen and Kiefer Sutherland; also stars of one of my favorites, Young Guns. At that time I was hoping for a more mature action flick and man was I disappointed. 18 years later, I finally saw the movie I wanted to see back then when I walked into that theater. It’s not for kids, but it’s not violent or overly sexualized or wildly inappropriate.
This film also captures the spirit of The Three Musketeers. That “all for one and one for all” is woven into almost every scene.
My advice…grab some popcorn, sit back, put on your 3D glasses and ENJOY. This one may not be for all, but I still think it’s “Theater Worthy.”
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
There are several sword-fighting scenes and even though a lot of people are stabbed, slashed, and killed there is almost no blood. The s-word is used twice and there are also a few other minor swear words. And there is a lot of cleavage in this movie from the corseted, period costumes the women wear which some parents might not want their children to see that.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
Q: What’s the message/theme of this movie?
A: The Three Musketeers motto is “All for One; One for All.” What do you think that means? How do you see that played out today?
Q: How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
A: The Bible has a lot to say about Unity. Take a minute to read Ephesians 4:1-16.
When Paul urges us to “constantly walk” in the way in which God has called us, what is he asking us to do?
Paul tells us not to just be humble and gentle, he tells us to be “completely” humble and gentle. How are you doing with that one?
Read Ephesians 4:4-6. What is Paul’s argument here about unity? (We all have the same God and the same goal, why should we have conflicts?)
Q: How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
A: Read Ephesians 4:16 again. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
What are the parts of the body? What are the “ligaments” that hold us together? (Humility, gentleness, and love.)
So what is our responsibility? And what is the result?
What can you do this week to use your gifts? Where can you serve your church with humility, gentleness, and love?
