Run time: 121 mins

Martin Bourboulon successfully revisits Alexandre Dumas’ classic tale to deliver a spectacular, swashbuckling film that’s full of spirit, brilliantly acted and highly entertaining

Purists will enjoy picking out the many variations on Dumas’ original work, but the crux of the story remains the same: a young D’Artagnan (François Civil) travels to Paris and dreams of becoming one of King Louis XIII’s musketeers. En route, he stumbles upon a plot hatched by Cardinal Richelieu (Éric Ruf) and his executrix Milady (Eva Green) to discredit the Queen (Vicky Krieps) who has secretly fallen in love with the Duke of Buckingham (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). D’Artagnan subsequently meets the musketeers Athos (Vincent Cassel), Porthos (Pio Marmaï) and Aramis (Romain Duris) whom he challenges to a duel, before realising they share a common enemy: the Cardinal’s guards. The adventure begins and tears along at a hectic pace, ricocheting from one twist to another.

The first instalment of a two-parter, this a rollicking historical romp with nary a dull moment, and offers all the sprightly action, jaunty repartee and sumptuous settings anyone seeking out thrills could possibly want. En garde!