I had watched this movie when it first came out and was not thrilled with it.. I mean, I liked it but..I think I was jaded by the fact that the original(with Chamberlain) was one of my long-time faves. However, being a collector of movies from that period, I bought this one recently on DVD and watched it again last night. I loved it! I actually watched it twice in a row...

The What
The Man in the Iron Mask is a legend of a real man who was imprisoned in the Bastille. The iron mask he was forced to wear was actually recovered. This movie is Dumas' version of what transpired. King Louis XIV (DiCaprio) is a horrible king. He's letting his people starve in Paris while he lives lavishly. There is rioting everywhere. The infamous Muskateers have grown old and, while still friends, gone their separate ways. D'Artagnan (played marvelously by Gabriel Byrne) has become captain of the King's Guard. D'Artagnan despises how the King acts, but for reasons revealed at the end, remains loyal to defending him... No, I am not going to tell you why, or if he remains loyal.... that would really spoil an emotional scene for you!

ANY way... so you have your horrible evil King and the aged Muskateers... and one just happens to know about this guy in an iron mask that could upset the balance and bring peace to France. What transpires is extreme fun!

The Who
Leonardo DiCaprio, in spite of my wanting to hate him, does a marvelous job portraying two diametrically opposed brothers. Louis is evil to the core, and you can see that reflected in DiCaprio's eyes. Philippe is kind, innocent, and has suffered horribly... you can see this on DiCaprio's face also. I've never liked him, and avoided his movies. This one is first-class acting though. He switches between the two parts excellently.
John Malkovich is awesome as usual as the retired Athos. Malkovich has long been one of my favorites, and he does not disappoint in this either. His son is killed by an act of Louis and Athos is not standing still for it.... ooooh Louis, you done messed with the wrong dude!
Gerard Gepardieu is hilarious as the old, fat Porthos! I never would have cast him in that part personally.. but thankfully I was not doing the casting because he is outstanding! His facial expressions are just perfect for each situation, conveying exactly what Depardieu wants to get across. There is a nude scene with him going to hang himself that just kept me in stitches.
Jeremy Irons plays the priestly Aramis. Always interested in joining the priesthood when younger, he has now done so in his retirement.... but what order did he join..? He's council to the King, but the head of the Jesuits wants the King dead... *grin* Watch and see what happens! Irons gives great depth to the serious and comically conceited Aramis character. His lines are delivered without flaw.
Gabriel Byrne as D'Artagnan is perfectly cast. Byrne has an uncanny way of drawing sympathy from you even as he defends the spoiled brat evil Louis. Body language, facial expression, line delivery.. all perfect!
Randall Wallace is the director of this wonderful movie. You may recognize him as the director of 'Braveheart'.

The DVD
The movie itself is worth buying this DVD for, especially at the current prices. I paid $9.44 for mine at Wal-Mart. This is a good thing because there are no special features. VERY disappointing! Oh, there's the standard original trailer, some pics of the mask prototypes, and the director's commentary... but I wanted interviews! *whine* No such luck this time. Instead, this DVD comes with a very small booklet which does give some great background info.

This 'n That
*The Man in the Iron Mask is rated PG-13. Probably due to a shot of Depardieu's nekkid rear-end, and some violence (hey, it's the Muskateers! Of course there's gonna be sword play!).
*The picture quality is awesome.
*The costuming is fantastic and pretty durned true to period.
*This movie runs 2 hours 12 minutes.

Conclusion
This is a must-own for any Muskateer fan. Fun swashbuckling at it's finest. I would have no problem letting younger kids watch this movie.. but then I rarely do. My kids were allowed to watch allll kinds of horror and questionable material, I just made sure I was there to field questions, ask impressions, and generally be a parent (I know, perish the thought!).



Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older