For the most part, Paul W.S. Anderson's gimcracky adaptation of this adventure classic resembles the candy bar more than it does Alexandre Dumas's original. When it sticks to the story and allows its heroes' badinage to take over, it passes as entertainment. But when it brings out the airships and other steampunkish CGI gizmos, or throws in bits stolen from The Matrix, Mission Impossible, and every other high-profile action movie of the past two decades, it sinks to the depths of Wild Wild West. I liked Matthew Macfadyen's morose Athos, Ray Stevenson's pugnacious Porthos, and Luke Evans's amorous Aramis. On the other hand, Logan Lerman's adolescent D'Artagnan has a haircut that makes him look like Ally Sheedy, Christoph Waltz imitates a lisping John Malkovich as Cardinal Richelieu, and Milla Jovovitch turns Milady de Winter into an insipid ninja. Despite an inspired climax, it's all for fun, but not fun for all.
