- Aspect Ratio: 2:35:1
- Video Codec: AVC/MPEG-4 (2D), MVC (3D)
- Resolution: 1080p/24 (23.976Hz)
- Audio Codec: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz/24-bit), Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
- Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
- Region: A (B? C?)
- Rating: PG-13
- Run Time: 110 Mins.
- Discs: 2 (1 x Blu-ray 3D + 1 x Blu-ray)
- Studio: Summit Entertainment
- Blu-ray Release Date: March 13, 2012
- List Price: $34.99
[amazon-product]B006P0FIB0[/amazon-product]
Also Available:
Purchase The Three Musketeers on Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray at CD Universe
Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com
Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Film
[Rating:2/5]
Video Quality
2D HD: [Rating:5/5]
3D Effect: [Rating:4.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:4/5]
Click thumbnails for high-resolution 1920X1080p screen captures
(All TheaterByte screen captures are lightly compressed with lossy JPEG at 100% quality setting and are meant as a general representation of the content. They do not fully reveal the capabilities of the Blu-ray format)
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The Film
[Rating:2/5]
If you were looking for a traditional, swashbuckling thriller in this Paul W. S. Anderson version of The Three Musketeers, then look elsewhere. In this new edition of the Dumas “classic” we get flying airships, Matrix-style special effects – in the Sixteenth Century – and one-dimensional portrayals of the Musketeers. This is an even worse butchery of a classic than the recent modern take on the Sherlock Holmes films.
But, overlooking all of that, there is still no denying that outside of its rail thin plot involving the Duke of Buckingham (Orlando Bloom), the Queen of France (Juno Temple), a double agent named Milady (Milla Jovovich), Cardinal Richelieu (Christoph Waltz), a necklace and rouse to start a war between France and England, the film is quite a big budget Hollywood thrill ride. That’s not enough, really, to save The Three Musketeers from the problems that plague it.
We don’t really get a sense of the real camaraderie between the musketeers themselves, Athos (Matthew Macfadyen), Aramis (Luke Evans), Porthos (Ray Stevenson), and the young newcomer D’artagnan (Logan Lerman) seem there simply as bodies to fill space and recite stilted, forcedly humorous one-liners. At the very least, The Three Musketeers is one of the few films in 3D that looks spectacular.
Video Quality
2D HD: [Rating:5/5]
3D Effect: [Rating:4.5/5]
The Three Musketeers was originally captured in HD using the same PACE Fusion system that was used for the spectacular, standard setting film AVATAR and also in other great looking 3D productions like Resident Evil: Afterlife. As such, the 3D production for The Three Musketeers looks wonderful on Blu-ray and Paul W.S. Anderson, no stranger to the Fusion system, has shown a great comfort in shooting in the format. The imagery is natural, with good front to back depth and no unnecessary gimmickry such as things poking way out of the screen at you. There is only a slight bit of murkiness every so often in the darker scenes, but not enough to lose most of the detail and nuance.
Equally compelling is the 2D presentation, which is sharp an clean with also with a great depth of field and nuanced shadow delineation. The blacks are deep, solid, showing great depth, but without crushing. Flesh tones aren’t necessarily natural, but that is more a byproduct of the production than the transfer itself.
Audio Quality
[Rating:5/5]
Three Musketeers comes with a fantastic DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz/24-bit) soundtrack tat is every bit as aggressive and dynamic as you’d expect a from an action film like this. From the beginning the surround channels are active with the splashing of water and the clanking of swords while across the front the three channels get their own share of directional panning. Explosions – and there are plenty of those in this film – are big with deep, extended low frequencies bolstered by a hefty amount of LFE. Meanwhile, the high frequencies are nicely balanced and natural and dialogue clean.
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:4/5]
All video extras are in 1080p:
3D:
- BD-Live
2D:
- Audio Commentary
- Access Three Musketeers – While watching the movie gain access to cast and crew stories, insider information about the making of the film and more.
- Paul W.S. Anderson’s Musketeers (1.78:1; 1080p/24; 00:02:29) – The director gives his take on what he wanted to bring to the Dumas classic.
- Orlando Bloom Takes on the Duke (1.78:1; 1080p/24; 00:01:59) – The actor and director discuss his role as the Duke of Buckingham.
- 17th Century Air Travel (1.78:1; 1080p/24; 00:02:20) – Anderson talks about the visual effects of the airships in Three Musketeers.
- Uncovering France in Germany (1.78:1; 1080p/24; 00:02:14) – A look at how filming on location in Bavaria subbed for France and Venice in the film.
- Deleted and Extended Scenes (1080p/24):
- Where’s the Key?
- Catching you
- Entering Da Vinci’s Vault
- Chess Game
- Queen Anne Disputes the Cardinal
- Buckingham’s Arrival
- Buckingham and Cardinal in the War Room
- Queen Anne and Contance
- Planchet and the Horse
- Tower of London
- The Musketeers on the Airship
- D’Artagnan and the Rochefort Fight
- BD-Live
The Definitive Word
Overall:
[Rating:4/5]
A bad idea that looks and sounds spectacular – how many Hollywood films can lay claim to that description? The answer is too many, unfortunately. The Three Musketeers falls into that category, offering a great home theatre experience with a terribly underwhelming film.
Additional Screen Captures
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[amazon-product]B006P0FIB0[/amazon-product]
Also Available:
Purchase The Three Musketeers on Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray at CD Universe
Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com
Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Film
[Rating:2/5]
Video Quality
2D HD: [Rating:5/5]
3D Effect: [Rating:4.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:4/5]
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