In the early 1600s, young D’Artagnan (François Civil) arrives in Paris, hoping to become one of King Louis XIII’s famous musketeers; his first encounters with three of them land him in trouble.

The first French adaptation of the 1844 classic in six decades wished to challenge Hollywood genre films, and it’s a pleasantly old-fashioned attempt, with engaging action sequences, ambitious period details and costume design, as well as a perfectly cast Eva Green as that ultimate femme fatale, Milady.

Still, uneven pacing, especially after the first hour, and the film lacks a certain touch that makes it stand apart.

2023-France-Germany-Spain-Belgium. 121 min. Color. Widescreen. Directed by Martin Bourboulon. Novel: Alexandre Dumas. Costume Design: Thierry Delettre. Cast: François Civil (D’Artagnan), Vincent Cassel (Athos), Romain Duris (Aramis), Pio Marmaï (Porthos), Eva Green, Lyna Khoudri, Vicky Krieps. 

Trivia: Original title: Les trois mousquetaires: D’Artagnan. In the 1973 adaptation, Cassel’s father Jean-Pierre played Louis XIII. Followed by The Three Musketeers: Milady (2023).