The Three Musketeers / The Four Musketeers 4K UHD (1973-1974) (Criterion Collection)

[Doomhunter]

Originally Posted by Batman90

As a big fan of 3 Musketeers is this worth a blind buy?

Yes, this is my probably favorite Musketeers, though I will say there is a bit too much comedy in parts in the first half though not a big deal. Also great Three Musketeers are the 1921 French serial, the 1921 Fairbanks film, the 1929 Fairbanks film the Iron Mask, the 1932 French serial, the 1948 version with Gene Kelly, the 1961 version with Gerrard Barray, 1979’s the 5th Musketeer with Beau Bridges, and the 2013 Russian miniseries.

[petermaverick]

Originally Posted by BuckarooBanzai

Long awaited!

why wait, fill your boots today, Studiocal here in Europe

[cgpublic]

Originally Posted by Batman90

As a big fan of 3 Musketeers is this worth a blind buy?

The candy bar? Or other adaptations?

Originally Posted by JoeKryten

Depends on your outlook on the source material. Some find the Lester films a little (or a lot) too "jokey" for their tastes. But I always found the book to be equal parts humorous and dramatic and I thought Lester captured the tone perfectly, especially in the second film. For me Oliver Reed sets the bar for Athos that no one else has matched.

Originally Posted by Jorvic

Yes. For me these are the best film adaptations of the novel. Stellar cast, good humour and some very nice cinematography. Think I actually prefer the second movie more now. I already own the StudioCanal discs, which have a great transfer, but am tempted to buy the Criterions too.

Originally Posted by Doomhunter

Yes, this is my probably favorite Musketeers, though I will say there is a bit too much comedy in parts in the first half though not a big deal. Also great Three Musketeers are the 1921 French serial, the 1921 Fairbanks film, the 1929 Fairbanks film the Iron Mask, the 1932 French serial, the 1948 version with Gene Kelly, the 1961 version with Gerrard Barray, 1979’s the 5th Musketeer with Beau Bridges, and the 2013 Russian miniseries.

As someone who screened the two Lester films theatrically back in the day, this recent restoration (own both Studio Canal UHDs) was a rewarding ride down a river filled with 70s nostalgia thanks to the cast led by York and Lester's light touch.

But nostalgia only takes this viewer so far, and personally I find all three recent Dumas adaptations from the team of de La Patellière & Delaporte to be so far superior it's not much of a dual, but rather an outcome of fait accompli in favor of the French, or to put it succinctly, Vive La France!

[drush9999]

Might get this if the audio is fixed

[Righteous Dude]

All for (day) one, and (day) one for all!

And, I like the artwork.

[Thomas Veil]

I like the first one well enough but the end of the second one is a huge bummer, can't imagine I would rewatch.

[AKORIS]

these were a big deal to me as a kid growing up in the 70's.. saw them both in the theater and have loved them ever since! The cast is amazing... no remake or reboot has come close ever since.

The shift in tone from the first and second can be a bit jarring but that doesn't take away anything from these classic films!

Buy with confidence if you've never had the pleasure of seeing them!

[saltburn]

Noticed this wasn't a "director approved" edition (like Hard Day's Night). I know he's really old and maybe not up for such things, but I hope Lester is doing well

[DMRI2006]

Originally Posted by saltburn

Noticed this wasn't a "director approved" edition (like Hard Day's Night). I know he's really old and maybe not up for such things, but I hope Lester is doing well

They're using Studio Canal's restoration which has already been out on 4K UHD for a while already.

[SpacemanDoug]

Originally Posted by Dr. T

You can contact Criterion about this at mulvaney@criterion.com

I contacted them, let's hope it goes somewhere

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by Dr. T

You can contact Criterion about this at mulvaney@criterion.com

Done! Just sent him a friendly, polite email laying out the issue.

I hope more people do too

[James Luckard]

In addition to the pitch issue on the StudioCanal UHDs, I'm told that the sequence starting at 34 mins into THE THREE MUSKETEERS, where D'Artagnan follows Constance through the city, was intended to have a day-for-night filter applied. I've never seen a 35mm print, so I can't confirm this, and my DVDs and BDs are buried somewhere in a box, but the scene definitely looks like daylight on the StudioCanal UHD:





This is the restoration Crtiterion is using. If there is, indeed, a missing day-for-night filter here, hopefully they fix this, along with the pitch issue.

[MalteseCrow]

Donner cut or no sale!!!

[dwk]

As pointed out at the Criterionforum, David Cairns posted on his blog that the "video essay" is now a 4-part, two and a half hours long documentary.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by dwk

As pointed out at the Criterionforum, David Cairns posted on his blog that the "video essay" is now a 4-part, two and a half hours long documentary.

That's great. I thought based on that, that they listed it as a video essay originally, but the announcement does list it properly as a new documentary.

[dwk]

In the blog post he mentions that it was only a couple of days ago that they informed Criterion of how long it turned out.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by dwk

In the blog post he mentions that it was only a couple of days ago that they informed Criterion of how long it turned out.

Yeah I saw that. Must have been a day or two prior to the announcement.

[NYorker]

Haven't seen these in at least three decades...was wondering if and when they would be released in UHD. Very happy to hear it will happen.

[mclellandj]

Originally Posted by Batman90

As a big fan of 3 Musketeers is this worth a blind buy?

I would say not as a blind buy. I love them but that's a lot of nostalgia talking there and I'm a big Lester fan. They are certainly flawed and feel padded and silly. But if you don't mind that, they are also a lot of fun.

[bubba zanetti]

As stoked as I am for this release that, hopefully, fixes the audio issue and that possible 'day for night' shot, I really don't care for that cover art. I assume they were going for something lighthearted but it looks too cartoonish, like these are animated features for kids.