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The Man in the Iron Mask

The Man in the Iron Mask

List Price: $14.95
Your Price: $11.96
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 2 stars
Summary: What's the big deal about Leo?
Review: My friends (die-hard Leo fans) dragged me to see this movie in the theatre. I'm not much of a musketeer fan, but I found this movie mildly entertaining. To be honest, I think that had this movie not featured the "lovely Leonardo", it wouldn't have lasted more than a week in the theatres. If you like watching a bunch of men in strange costumes riding around on horses, you'll love it. Otherwise, give it a pass.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A movie that restored my faith in life
Review: This movie was GREAT!!!!! I watched it and the sceens of honor between the musketeers were enough to make me shed tears of hope, and the final sceens were the best. Everyone is obsessing about DiCaprio's role, let me say his role(s) actually subtracted from the movie. other than him it was a great movie.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Just the right look...
Review: When one thinks of Alexandre Dumas' three musketeers and of D'Artagnan, one usually imagines men who look exactly like the ones in this movie...in other words, the casting is just right. Leonardo DiCaprio also does a terrific job in his dual role, able to act evil and underhanded as King Louis or gentle and vulnerable as his twin Philippe with wonderful ease and feeling. Hats off to this talented young actor for such a versatile and interesting performance. The musical score, the costumes and the sets all contribute to the making of this a fine period drama...Bravo to all, cast and crew, for this highly enjoyable movie!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: So good we watched it twice in one day!
Review: This movie shows the way France probably was in those times. It also shows the valor and honor of the musketeers. It is THEIR story. All the actors are well-casted. There are a few scenes where pre-teens may need their eyes covered. I covered the eyes of my 10-year old during those scenes and it didn't detract from her understanding or enjoyment of the movie. We will be adding this one to our home collection.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Outstanding Supporting Cast Synergy....
Review: An outstanding supporting cast in Dumas' tale of a wronged brother and sucessor to the throne of France. Leonardo DiCaprio's performance was barely plausable as the evil twin monarch....what makes this movie outstanding is the supporting cast.. The tremendous synergy and acting abilities of the King Musketeers saves this movie from being just another remake riding on the Star's Titanic success....

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Wonderful casting for a wonderful epic story
Review: "The Man in the Iron Mask" is a wonderful movie full of intrigue and suspense. I did not see "Titanic" because: (1) too long & (2) not a leonardo fan. However, i have read Dumas and I am a John Malkovich fan. "The Man in the Iron Mask" gives them both, as well as the other cast members, due justice. Even young Leo does a great job with his dual roles. Because of the performances in this movie, I am apt to see "Titanic" and other movies with these great actors in them. END

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Too bad this movie was overshadowed by Titanic
Review: I confess, I was reluctant to see this movie (I had a severe Leo overdose). I was wrong. Leo does one fine acting job (well, actually two), Depardieu is the best Porthos ever (and we've seen good ones!) The rest of the cast is outstanding and to top it off, the score is probably this year's best. I think an incredibly bad timing didn't serve this movie right: it would have done much better at the box office had it not been for Titanic's long stay in the top positions END

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: MITIM: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Review: Okay, I am not going to claim that this was the best movie of all time - but I think some are not willing to give it a chance because it stars "flavor of the month" Leo Decaprio. Indeed, I too was reluctant to watch it for that very reason. Fie on me! I missed a great film on the big screen due to my own prejudices.

THE GOOD: Excellent cast. This is definitely a movie about "characters." What fascinates us here are the people involved, the players upon the stage. The Musketeers in particular are able to convey a depth of emotion and character that is refreshing. The chemistry between them is "magnifique," and I found their motivations both believable and compelling. Some of the scenes between Irons, Malkovich, Byrne and Depardieu are a study in the nuances of human interaction. Leo does a wondeful job of protraying the vulnerability of young Phillipe, though his Louis is not quite as convincing, in my opinion.

Plot. I know some have complained about the lack of historical accuracy in this film, but one must remember, Dumas himself was playing around with history in his novel. Accept it as a work of fiction and enjoy it as such. The plot was filled with political intrigue, most of the major characters burdened with personal secrets that slowly get revealed during the course of the film. This movie does deviate from Dumas' book quite a bit, so if you expect the film to follow his vision you will be disappointed. However, Dumas' rendition has been filmed before - this new adaptation allows for a provocative plot twist which I felt added tension and interest. Accept this version on its own terms and I hope you will find it as engaging as I.

The scenery. Beautiful location shoots and lovely costumes, plus a certain realism of having some of the clothing, sweat stained, mussed and torn when appropriate.

THE BAD: Accents! There is no consensus here! We have English, Irish, French and American accents all thrown together in an uneasy mix. It is distracting... and though I love Depardieu's portrayal of Porthos - it took me five viewings of this movie to finally be able to understand his every line!

Another pet peeve - mispronunciation of names. No one can seem to decide how to pronounce "D'Artagnan," "Athos" or "Porthos." There should have been agreement on something this basic. Even worse, sometimes the same character pronounces the names a multitude of ways!

Various of the main players use little intonation, resulting in a wooden delivery of some lines - However, since they were still able to convery a great deal of emotion through gestures and expression, I didn't find this overly bothersome.

THE UGLY: A bull's eye view of Depardieu's naked rear end. :)

Still, overall, an entertaining film, and certainly worth viewing. It's on my "favorites" list.

All for one and one for all!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: True to Dumas
Review: I have read the entire Musketeer series. This version closely tracks its written counterpart. It was well acted and involved the viewer in both the comedy and pathos Dumas was expert at entertaining his readers with. I was actually surprised by diCaprio's performance. I thought he showed great versatility in playing the dual roles. I loved Jeremy Irons in the role of d'Artagnan and I really liked Depardieu too in the role of Porthos. I have played my copy several times for guests in my home. It is a movie that engenders thought about good and evil and shows that, sometimes, it is important to do the right thing --- just because it is right to do.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: As much fun as the book...
Review: Movie adaptations of books are prone to disappointment - But not so with this film adaptation of "The Man in the Iron Mask," the third book in the Musketeer trilogy by master Alexandre Dumas.

Unlike the earlier "Three Musketeers" released by Disney (featuring Oliver Platt, Charlie Sheen, Chris O'Donnel and Kiefer Sutherland), which was aimed at a younger audience, "Iron Mask" is aimed at a more sophisticated adult audience. It aims past the raucus swashbuckling (although there is plenty of action to satisfy) and strives toward deeper character development in an almost introspective manner. From d'Artagnan's severe sense of duty to Aramis' penitence to Athos' alternating joie de vivre and ennui to Portos' fatherly love, with an underlying religous tone, the "Iron Mask" underscores the human struggle toward virtue and a supernatural code of morality.

The cast, including Jeremy Irons, Gabriel Byrne, Gerard Depardieu, John Malkovich and DiCaprio) is superb - with the exception that Malkovich's characteristic American accent seems out of place juxtaposed to the more British and French tinge of his fellow musketeers; and, more importantly, that the young DiCaprio (who has since matured) has yet to 'come of age' as an actor in this movie. The direction by "Braveheart"'s Randall Wallace is outstanding, with good cinematography and composition, well-planned pacing and a well-written and edited screenplay adaptation of the work.

Of course, the credit to the success of this movie is that the original work by Dumas is a page-turner literary classic! I highly recommend reading the complete trilogy: "The Three Musketeers," "Twenty Years After" and "The Man in the Iron Mask."

For hands-down the best translation of a Dumas work to film, I highly recommend "The Count of Monte Cristo," featuring the excellent Jim Caviezel.


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