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A lively, old-school swashbuckler that shifts from the first film’s comic bounce into a darker, more melodramatic second half. The swordplay, ensemble chemistry, and Milady de Winter intrigue make it especially rewarding if you like period adventure with a sly, slightly ragged edge.
Where to watch: Buy
Thu · 1h 47m
Director: Richard Lester
Starring: Michael York, Oliver Reed, Richard Chamberlain
The Four Musketeers defend the queen and her dressmaker from Cardinal Richelieu and Milady de Winter.
Richard Lester
Michael York, Oliver Reed, Richard Chamberlain
A lively, old-school swashbuckler that shifts from the first film’s comic bounce into a darker, more melodramatic second half. The swordplay, ensemble chemistry, and Milady de Winter intrigue make it especially rewarding if you like period adventure with a sly, slightly ragged edge.
The Four Musketeers plays like the darker, more dangerous half of a single sprawling adventure. It keeps the playful, lived-in texture of Richard Lester’s approach, but the mood is sharpened by betrayal, revenge, and Milady de Winter’s lethal glamour. The result is less breezy than its predecessor, but often more gripping.
What stands out most is the ensemble energy: the film understands that swordplay is only part of the appeal, and that the real pleasure is watching these characters bounce off one another while the plot grows increasingly treacherous. Oliver Reed and Faye Dunaway give the movie a harder, more volatile center than the first installment.
It can feel uneven if you expect a pure comedy or a fully serious historical epic. But if you like swashbucklers that are a little rough around the edges, with mud, wit, and genuine menace mixed together, this is an easy recommendation.
Criterion · 165 likes
It may be “all for one and one for all,” but it took director Richard Lester two films to contain the sweeping spectacle of Alexandre Dumas’s swashbuckling adventure. This sequel—shot simultaneously with The Three Musketeers, since they were originally conceived as a single film—dials down the comic high jinks that distinguished the first installment in favor of a more somber tone, as our heroes are drawn into a deadly revenge plot orchestrated by the seductive Milady de Winter (a deliciously
Sean Gilman (4★) · 94 likes
I think the two movies play best together, as parts of one 3+ hour movie, which appears to be how they were shot (considering the first one ends with the trailer for the second). My quibble with the first one was that there were so many characters the musketeers themselves kind of got lost. But the second one, focusing partially on Athos's backstory, solves that (no one cares that much about Porthos and Aramis, they're still glossed over). It's Athos's
shookone (2.5★) · 87 likes
like a deranged Robert Zemeckis filmed a tattered, bleached Monthy Python script. Oliver Reed gets more screen time than in the first one, so that's a win.
Sam (3.5★) · 78 likes
It's been too long since watching The Three Musketeers last month to watch this follow-up, which was simultaneously shot with the first entry. In all honesty, I didn't enjoy this one as much, and even though shot with The Three Musketeers, it feels completely different tonally and strips some of the whimsical comedy for a more grounded tone. It's a very uneven sequel, and while it has a lesser focus on comedy, it does appear here occasionally, which felt rather
Yo_Roboto (3.5★) · 58 likes
Richard Lester: “Alright fellows. We’re doing Three Musketeers, and we’re doing it as a bit of a farce. A little absurdity here, some pratfalls there, really play up the silly Frenchness of it all. Have a laugh with it, you know? Above all, this should be fun for everyone.” Christopher Lee:“Delightful!” Michael York:“Good show, old boy!” Oliver Reed:Truly attempts to murder people in the fight scenes
The direct companion piece and the best way to experience this story as the intended two-part adventure.
A classic template for charismatic, playful adventure with clear heroics and elegant action.
Fast-moving swordplay, romantic intrigue, and a bright, crowd-pleasing sense of adventure.
Period escapism built on disguise, wit, and aristocratic danger.
Courtly intrigue and swashbuckling in a polished, old-Hollywood mode.
A rousing adventure with duels, political danger, and a strong sense of theatrical flair.
One of the great romantic adventure films, with momentum, charm, and muscular action.
Big-scale adventure with maritime spectacle and a similarly buoyant classic style.
If the appeal is witty swordplay and affectionate genre play, this is a natural overlap.
For viewers who want period action with more grit and a harder dramatic edge.
A more austere take on honor, rivalry, and the psychology of dueling.
Raucous medieval violence, messy alliances, and a rough-hewn adventurous spirit.
swashbuckling adventure, loyalty and betrayal, court intrigue, revenge, ensemble camaraderie, romance and seduction, period spectacle, duels and swordplay
swashbuckler, period adventure, ensemble cast, court intrigue, revenge drama, sword fights, 1970s cinema, historical fiction, comic drama, romantic intrigue