The Man in the Iron Mask Movie Review 1998

Lavish retelling of Alexandre Dumas's classic story boasts a stellar cast with teen heartthrob DiCaprio in a dual role. Snotty tyrant King Louis XIV's (DiCaprio) lust for women inadvertently leads to the reunion of the retired Musketeers, bent on replacing cold Louis with his more sensitive twin brother Phillippe (DiCaprio, again), an inmate of the Bastille and hidden behind a ghastly mask. Irons, Malkovich, Depardieu, and Byrne bring a welcome seriousness and style to the often-told story as the older, jaded Musketeers, while DiCaprio holds his own in the presence of such formidable company. Although first-time director Wallace doesn't balance the star power with enough swordplay, the high gloss production provides old-fashioned escaspist entertainment.

Distribution

MGM Home Entertainment, 2500 Broadway, Santa Monica, CA 90404-6061, Phone: (310)449-3000, Fax: (310)449-3100, URL: http://www.mgmhomevideo.com, Remarks: Does not handle retail queries from consumers; contact your local video distributor.

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 132 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Adventure Drama, France, Period Piece: 17th Century, Books to Film: Alexandre Dumas, Twins, Revenge, Royalty, French, Swashbucklers, Paris, The Three Musketeers

Screenplay

Randall Wallace

Cast

Leonardo DiCaprio, Gabriel Byrne, Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, Gerard Depardieu, Anne Parillaud, Judith Godreche, Edward Atterton, Peter Sarsgaard, Hugh Laurie

Cinematography

Peter Suschitzsky

Director

Randall Wallace

Music

Nick Glennie-Smith

Producer

Randall Wallace, Russell Smith, United Artists, MGM