Musketeers musings
Aug. 15th, 2004 12:47 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sirenssongFinally got around to watching this Hallmark movie I taped a while ago - "La Femme Musketeer". And it got me thinking there around three musketeer movies that I've seen (and two I seriously enjoy watching again). So, I've decided to compare movies and the actors that played the fabulous four. Warning, spoilers may abound.
The Three Musketeers (1993)
Athos: Kiefer Sutherland
Aramis: Charlie Sheen
Porthos: Oliver Platt
D'Artagnan: Chris O'Donnell
Now, this is a guilty pleasure movie. I love it; find it incredibly fun and amusing. AND it has Tim Curry as Cardinal Richelieu. I do find it wholeheartedly amusing that there appears to be not a ONE french accent in the whole of the movie, too.
Athos: I LOVE Kiefer Sutherland. Love love LOVE him. So I wholeheartedly enjoy his portrayal of Athos; as a man who seems to truly let no one close - Aramis and Porthos are the closest friends he has. He IS Athos for me.
Aramis: Charlie Sheen doesn't do a bad job as the 'former priest/student of the cardinal/holy man. I enjoy him in the role. He has a sort of.... je ne sais quoi... a sort of earnest charisma, maybe? A much more... intellectual flirt than Porthos.
Porthos: I LOVE Oliver Platt's Porthos. Shamelessly a ladies man and a flirt, he's outreageous, as Porthos should be. As well as packing an assortment of weapons.
D'Artagnan: I don't mind Chris O'Donnell's take on D'Artagnan. He brings the boyish enthusiasm and gung ho nature to the character.
The Man in the Iron Mask (1998)
Athos: John Malkovich
Aramis: Jeremy Irons
Porthos: Gerard Depardieu
D'Artagnan: Gabriel Byrne
Now, I fully admit that I love this movie - DESPITE the fact it has Leonardo DiCaprio in the cast. I can forgive it this once. It amuses me that the only french actor (in any sizeable role, at least) in this movie is Gerard Depardieu (the only actor in France ::laugh::) as Porthos. But it's one up on the previous one. This is a different set of the fabulous four. Older, with more cares and worries. They've gorwn, and aged.
Athos: I thoroughly enjoy John Malkovich as the older Athos. Dealing with the death of his son, and the splintering of his and D'Artangnan's friendship, and his vicious need for revenge, he does a wonderful job. As much as Kiefer is my younger Athos, he is my older Athos, I think.
Aramis: I adore Jeremy Irons (I think it's the voice) - so I enjoy his portrayal of Aramis. He is an intellectual character. His Aramis has done something, for which he can never wholly forgive himself for, it seems. He returns to the priesthood, and becomes the secret leader of the Jesuits. But he is the mastermind behind the plan to switch Louis for Philippe.
Porthos: Gerard Depardieu's Porthos is a Porthos who still thoroughly enjoys the things he did in his youth (wine and women, basically), but he's no longer as young as he used to be. But he's still up for a fight.
D'Artagnan: Gabriel Byrne IS D'Artagnan for me. I LOVE his portrayal of the older D'Artagnan, burdened with a secret kept even from his closest friends. His defense of the king BECAUSE of the secret shatters his friendship with Athos.
La Femme Musketeer (2003)
Athos: Christopher Cazenove
Aramis: Allan Corduner
Porthos: John Rhys-Davies
D'Artagnan: Michael York
This wasn't a bad movie/mini series. It dealt more with their offspring than with the actual fabulous four, but they still made a sizeable appearance. On a side note, it DID have Nicholas Rowe in it as the Duke of Buckingham - I recognized him (though he's, you know, an adult now) from Young Sherlock Holmes.
Athos: I didn't really mind Christopher Cazenove. It wasn't my favorite portrayal, but it wasn't bad in the slightest. His Athos has become an ACTOR.
Aramis: I honestly wasn't that fond of Allan Corduner performance (though it might have to do with the writing). I NEVER saw Aramis as a prissy, worried-about-my-appearance, can-I-get-the-mud-off-my-tunic sort of character. But that was sort of the way he came off in this. And he becamse an actor alongside Athos.
Porthos: I love John Rhys-Davies (have since Sliders), so I enjoyed his Porthos simply because of him. Still not my ABSOLUTE favorite performance as Porthos (that honor goes to Oliver Platt), but not too bad at all.
D'Artagnan: I like Michael York as well, so I enjoyed his D'Artagnan; a man who has settled down, married and has a daughter. He's not at the top of my D'Artagnan list, but he did a good job.
The Three Musketeers (1993)
Athos: Kiefer Sutherland
Aramis: Charlie Sheen
Porthos: Oliver Platt
D'Artagnan: Chris O'Donnell
Now, this is a guilty pleasure movie. I love it; find it incredibly fun and amusing. AND it has Tim Curry as Cardinal Richelieu. I do find it wholeheartedly amusing that there appears to be not a ONE french accent in the whole of the movie, too.
Athos: I LOVE Kiefer Sutherland. Love love LOVE him. So I wholeheartedly enjoy his portrayal of Athos; as a man who seems to truly let no one close - Aramis and Porthos are the closest friends he has. He IS Athos for me.
Aramis: Charlie Sheen doesn't do a bad job as the 'former priest/student of the cardinal/holy man. I enjoy him in the role. He has a sort of.... je ne sais quoi... a sort of earnest charisma, maybe? A much more... intellectual flirt than Porthos.
Porthos: I LOVE Oliver Platt's Porthos. Shamelessly a ladies man and a flirt, he's outreageous, as Porthos should be. As well as packing an assortment of weapons.
D'Artagnan: I don't mind Chris O'Donnell's take on D'Artagnan. He brings the boyish enthusiasm and gung ho nature to the character.
The Man in the Iron Mask (1998)
Athos: John Malkovich
Aramis: Jeremy Irons
Porthos: Gerard Depardieu
D'Artagnan: Gabriel Byrne
Now, I fully admit that I love this movie - DESPITE the fact it has Leonardo DiCaprio in the cast. I can forgive it this once. It amuses me that the only french actor (in any sizeable role, at least) in this movie is Gerard Depardieu (the only actor in France ::laugh::) as Porthos. But it's one up on the previous one. This is a different set of the fabulous four. Older, with more cares and worries. They've gorwn, and aged.
Athos: I thoroughly enjoy John Malkovich as the older Athos. Dealing with the death of his son, and the splintering of his and D'Artangnan's friendship, and his vicious need for revenge, he does a wonderful job. As much as Kiefer is my younger Athos, he is my older Athos, I think.
Aramis: I adore Jeremy Irons (I think it's the voice) - so I enjoy his portrayal of Aramis. He is an intellectual character. His Aramis has done something, for which he can never wholly forgive himself for, it seems. He returns to the priesthood, and becomes the secret leader of the Jesuits. But he is the mastermind behind the plan to switch Louis for Philippe.
Porthos: Gerard Depardieu's Porthos is a Porthos who still thoroughly enjoys the things he did in his youth (wine and women, basically), but he's no longer as young as he used to be. But he's still up for a fight.
D'Artagnan: Gabriel Byrne IS D'Artagnan for me. I LOVE his portrayal of the older D'Artagnan, burdened with a secret kept even from his closest friends. His defense of the king BECAUSE of the secret shatters his friendship with Athos.
La Femme Musketeer (2003)
Athos: Christopher Cazenove
Aramis: Allan Corduner
Porthos: John Rhys-Davies
D'Artagnan: Michael York
This wasn't a bad movie/mini series. It dealt more with their offspring than with the actual fabulous four, but they still made a sizeable appearance. On a side note, it DID have Nicholas Rowe in it as the Duke of Buckingham - I recognized him (though he's, you know, an adult now) from Young Sherlock Holmes.
Athos: I didn't really mind Christopher Cazenove. It wasn't my favorite portrayal, but it wasn't bad in the slightest. His Athos has become an ACTOR.
Aramis: I honestly wasn't that fond of Allan Corduner performance (though it might have to do with the writing). I NEVER saw Aramis as a prissy, worried-about-my-appearance, can-I-get-the-mud-off-my-tunic sort of character. But that was sort of the way he came off in this. And he becamse an actor alongside Athos.
Porthos: I love John Rhys-Davies (have since Sliders), so I enjoyed his Porthos simply because of him. Still not my ABSOLUTE favorite performance as Porthos (that honor goes to Oliver Platt), but not too bad at all.
D'Artagnan: I like Michael York as well, so I enjoyed his D'Artagnan; a man who has settled down, married and has a daughter. He's not at the top of my D'Artagnan list, but he did a good job.
