This is one of the most faithful adaptations of the Alexandre Dumas novel.It's a video stageplay not a movie.The actors and actresses are from the stage.They're adults who work for the Northwest Children's Theatre.This is a Global stage production.This version covers the entire Dumas novel from D'Artagnan's leaving Gascony to join the musketeers.On his way to Paris to enlist in the musketeers he encounters Cardinal Richelieu's two deadliest agents the dastardly Rochefort and the beautiful countess Milady de Winter.From then on he has encounters with the Three Musketeers Athos, Porthos and Aramis and becomes their new companion and then learns of Cardinal Richelieu's plots against the monarchy and of Queen Anne's indiscretion.Court intrigue,war and crimes also figure prominently in this story.The actor playing D'Artagnan a stage actor named Dana Young does his fencing scenes well a little inexperienced dramatically but he is the right age for the part (18-21). Brian Russell does a great job as the Duke of Buckingham reminds one of actor Billy Zane.Deirdre Atkinson,Geoffrey Alm and Tobias Anderson give wonderful performances as Milady,Rochefort and Cardinal Richelieu.The villains stole the show in this version.I will say that Tobias Anderson's Cardinal Richelieu physically reminds me of how late actor Ray Walston would have looked if he had played the part of the Cardinal.This version had good fencing and good costumery.For purists of the Alexandre Dumas novel you need to see this version.For those who loved the Michael York 1974-75 productions and the Gene Kelly 1948 version you need to see this one.This is the complete novel in 145 minutes.This is also a must for literature teachers to show their students.If you're a Three Musketeer lover as I am you need to see this one.
