--- title: "The Three Musketeers: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-three-musketeers-2011/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-three-musketeers-2011" critics_score: 45 critics_reviews: 15 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Three Musketeers (2011): what the critics said Critics' score 45 from 15 reviews: 2 positive, 5 mixed, 8 negative. Most critics come down against it: eight of the fifteen reviews are negative and only two are in favour. Where there is praise, it clusters on the costumes and production design, the Bavarian scenery and the pace of the stuntwork. The supporting cast fares best. Christoph Waltz and Freddie Fox’s eccentric King Louis are named repeatedly as the performers who bring any life to it, and several reviewers grant that it is harmless, good-natured fun for anyone willing to forget Dumas. The complaints gather around the script and the action: a muddled, noisy plot, bland leads, with Logan Lerman’s d’Artagnan singled out, and green-screen set pieces that lack the clarity of a properly staged swordfight. The spread is wide, from outright pans to a qualified recommendation. The dissenters are Slant Magazine, which finds the 3D immersive and the action spatially coherent, and Empire, which enjoys the traditionally choreographed fencing and the rooftop duel. ## Slant Magazine — Jaime N. Christley Rating 3/4. 21 October 2011. Christley gives the film a qualified positive verdict, finding its awkward dialogue and opening scenes outweighed by its visual spectacle. He particularly praises Anderson’s immersive use of 3D and the film’s spatially coherent action. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-three-musketeers/) ## Empire — Dan Jolin Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 11 May 2010. Jolin finds the film absurd and derivative but ultimately enjoyable, lively entertainment. He especially praises the traditionally choreographed fencing and the climactic duel on the cathedral roof. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/three-musketeers-2-review/) ## Screen Daily — Mark Adams Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 23 September 2011. The page identifies this as a review, but its verdict is unavailable in the accessible text. No specific praise or complaint can be verified because the article body is paywalled. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/the-three-musketeers/5032464.article) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The page is blocked, so the critic’s verdict cannot be established. The review’s specific praise or complaint is also unavailable. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/22/movies/the-three-musketeers-with-christoph-waltz-review.html) ## Radio Times — Karen Krizanovich Rating 3/5. Krizanovich suggests the film may disappoint viewers seeking fidelity to Dumas, but says open-minded viewers can enjoy its liberties. She praises the costumes, Bavarian scenery and fast-paced stuntwork. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-i826y8/the-three-musketeers) ## Time Out — Nigel Floyd Rating 2/5. 11 October 2011. The review describes the film as an efficient digital reworking but suggests it has little to recommend it. It singles out the adaptation’s introduction as its only notable feature, though the available description cuts off before specifying what is introduced. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-three-musketeers) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 13 October 2011. Bradshaw finds the film ho-hum and messy rather than entertaining. He singles out Christoph Waltz as the one actor who adds any fizz. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/oct/13/the-three-musketeers-review) ## Variety — Leslie Felperin Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 23 September 2011. Felperin finds the adaptation entertaining but anodyne, lacking a distinctive hook and already feeling dated. She praises the elaborate costumes and production design, while faulting the script and the sluggish middle section. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2011/film/reviews/the-three-musketeers-3-1117946198/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Rolf Konow Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 23 September 2011. Festival review. The critic finds the swashbuckling adventure noisy but disappointing, with little freshness and a frustratingly sequel-ready ending. The elaborate period costumes stand out, while the bland lead and unimaginative use of 3D draw criticism. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/three-musketeers-film-review-239728/) ## Total Film — Neil Smith Rating 1/5. 11 October 2011. The critic pans the film as a lumbering, preposterous adaptation lacking élan and panache. He singles out the overblown action set pieces and the dull performances as key problems. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-three-musketeers-review/) ## Los Angeles Times — Michael Phillips Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 21 October 2011. Phillips pans the film as chaotic, noisy, and careless with its source material. He especially criticizes the green-screen-heavy action, which leaves him longing for a well-paced, well-edited swordfight. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2011-oct-21-la-ca-1018-three-musketeers-20111021-40-story.html) ## Den of Geek — Ryan Lambie Rating 3/5. 23 September 2011. Lambie finds the film harmless, good-natured fun, though not a particularly great one. He praises Freddie Fox’s comic turn as King Louis and Christoph Waltz’s scenes, while criticizing Logan Lerman’s performance. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-three-musketeers-review/) ## HeyUGuys — Lisa Giles-Keddie Rating 3/5. 12 October 2011. The critic finds the adaptation harmlessly entertaining but ultimately disappointing for fans of the Musketeers. Freddie Fox’s eccentric King Louis is singled out as a highlight, while the abundance of gadgets overshadows the Musketeers’ camaraderie. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/the-three-musketeers-review/) ## Digital Spy — Ben Rawson-Jones Rating 1/5. 10 October 2011. The critic pans the film as a muddled, poorly characterized adaptation with ineffective visuals. They single out Milla Jovovich’s playful performance and the airship CGI as rare bright spots. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a343542/the-three-musketeers-3d-review/) ## Eye for Film — Donald Munro Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 5 October 2011. Munro finds the film a poor, derivative adaptation whose spectacle cannot make up for its weak plot and characters. He singles out the energy and costume work as its few strengths. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-three-musketeers-film-review-by-donald-munro) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-three-musketeers-2011.md