Trying creates impossibilities . . .

Letting go creates what is desired.

Oh come on people, lighten up, already.

It’s a sexy costume drama full of action, what more do you want?

And yes, it's not 100% faithful to the book. 75% or 50% doesn't even begin to cover it, either.

Do I hear 30%?

I say close enough! Works for me.

And I don't think that Alexandre Dumas is rolling in his grave, either.

As any reader will tell you, movies can never hope to recreate on the screen anything even remotely close to the reading experience of a good book (LOR was, in my opinion, a monumental staggering failure of epic proportions to that regard)—the fact is that those media are two totally different realms of exploration and perception. If you want to write a book, write a book. If you want to write a movie, write an original screenplay (invent your own universe - e.g. Star Wars). Or do both at the same time (e.g. Harry Potters—though, even there, many a teen will tell you that they prefer the books to the movies).

Let's face it, historical romances do not make for good screenplay material. The redeeming value of this movie is that it doesn't make the mistake of even trying to go there.

This adaptation, to those familiar with the concept, is more like an RPG experience in the Shared Universe of Alexandre Dumas's historical novels of high adventure set in the 17th century—with a touch of steam-punk, to boot.

If you would rather read the books (as any RPG player would, so as to get a good grasp of the shared universe they are playing in), by all means have a ball, go ahead and read them all. I have. The full D'Artagan romances trilogy (The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, The Vicomte of Bragelonne). And the Valois romances trilogy before it: Queen Margot, The Lady of Monsoreau, and The Forty-Five Guardsmen.

The problem with our times is that most people do not read, and those who do, tend to take things way too seriously.

Cheer up, people. I have yet to meet a musketeer I didn't like. One for all, and all for me—that's what I always say.


What?

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