Barbie and the Three Musketeers
Encyclopedia
Barbie and the Three Musketeers is a 2009 computer animated direct-to-video
film and part of the CGI
Barbie film series
. It was released on DVD on September 15, 2009.
who dreams of being a Musketeer, protectors of the French royal family
, just like her father, D'Artagnan. Now seventeen, Corinne asks her mother to let her go to Paris to become one. Though worried about the dangers, her mother supports her and gives Corinne her blessing, as well as a letter to Monsieur Treville, the captain of the Musketeers and an old friend of her father's.
The next day before leaving, Corinne's mother reminds her about what her father use to say: "True courage is pursuing your dream, even when everyone else says it's impossible." Hugging her mother goodbye, Corinne sets off for Paris
with her kitten
, Miette, and Alexander, D'Artagnan's old horse.
Arriving in Paris, Corinne watches four Musketeers displaying their skills. She tells them about becoming a Musketeer herself and asks them where to find Treville. They tease her while a mean dog, Brutus, knocks her over and steals her letter. Attempting to get it back, Corinne and Miette chase him into the Musketeer headquarters, where Treville is talking to Philippe, the kingdom's regent, Prince Louis's cousin and Brutus' owner. When hearing why she is there, Philippe scoffs at Corinne's dream to be a Musketeer, saying girls don't possess the proper skills. However, she gets invited inside.
Feeling triumphant at first, she is disappointed when Treville says she's not ready for active duty, but he tells her to keep practicing and that if she needs anything, to come to him. After leaving, Corinne sits outside with Miette when Brutus sneaks up on them again and chases after Miette. While in pursuit, Corinne literally bumps into three other girls: Viveca, a fashionista, Aramina, a dancer and Renée, a violinist.
She chases Miette and Brutus to the royal kitchen, where the cruel overseer, Madame de Bossé, mistakes her as a new maid. Corinne is then introduced to three other maids, who turn out to be Viveca, Aramina and Renée. Due to Corinne's earlier rampage, all three arrive extremely messy and disheveled, getting them in trouble with de Bossé, who punishes them with extra work. Due to this, the girls have a sharp dislike for Corinne and give her the extra work while ignoring her in the process. However, by the end of the day and through her various good deeds, the three see Corinne has a young girls and the four become friends.
One day, while the four clean the great hall, Corinne meets Prince Louis, who is going to be crowned king shortly. As he begins to leave, a chandelier crashes down from the ceiling. As the debris flies towards them, each maid defends herself. Philippe and the Musketeers rush to Louis while Héléne, who was watching from the balcony, looks at the four girls in amazement. Philippe escorts a shaken Louis out of the hall, demanding that the cause of the accident be found at once.
While removing the mess, Corinne notices the chandelier rope appears to have been cut. She also finds a small ruby on the floor near the rope handle. As they clean, the three other girls ask Corinne where she learned to move the way she did. She then tells them about her dream of becoming a Musketeer. Shocked, all three also shared their own ambition to become Musketeers themselves. Upon hearing this, Héléne has them follow her through a series of secret passages before arriving in a hidden chamber beneath the palace. She explains that the Musketeers used to train here before Treville moved them to the larger headquarters. She displays her own fighting abilities as she tests each girl, judging their level of skill. Afterwards, Héléne tells the girls that they are skilled, but they each have a long way to go. After they plead for her to teach them, Héléne starts training them.
That night, a furious Philippe confronts the captain of his guards. It is revealed that Philippe plans to have Louis assassinated so he can take over the kingdom and that the guard had cut the chandelier rope - his dagger is missing a ruby. Philippe orders the captain to sabotage Louis' hot air balloon, which the prince is planning to test the next day.
Louis prepares to launch the balloon when the safety ropes, cut by the guard, break and the balloon blows away. The force of the jolt knocks the prince out of the basket and his foot gets stuck in the ladder. Corinne, who is washing the windows, sees Louis dangling upside down from the balloon ladder as it floats towards the towertop, which is sharply pointed. She rushes onto the balcony and jumps into the balloon, preventing it from hitting the tower's spire. After Corinne rescues him, Louis appears to have fallen in love with her, but she doesn't see it. As they continue flying, the two realize they have a lot in common, especially the desire to pursue their dreams no matter what: Louis tells Corinne that he longs to make inventions that will help people, but his biggest dream is to show that men can fly. Now, he fears he will have to give up his dreams when he becomes king. Corinne comforts him, saying that he can still make his dreams come true even if he is king and shares her own aspiration of being a Musketeer. But the prince, like other people, thinks that girls can't be Musketeers, which angers her. As she storms off, Louis is clearly sorry for hurting her feelings. Meanwhile, an infuriated Philippe watches from the palace.
Later, down in the hidden chamber, Héléne and the girls are training while Corinne walks in and tells them what happened. As she does, she begins to notice a pattern with the accidents, especially the severed ropes, as Renee adds, "Yesterday the chandelier, today his flying machine?" It quickly becomes evident that a scheme of sabotage is in motion. Corinne shows the others the ruby she found and that she believes someone is trying to get rid of Louis. The girls think they should tell Treville, but Héléne tells them that until they have proof of a plot against the prince, they trust no one and for the girls to stay on their guard.
Going home late one night, the four come across Philippe's captain and several of his men as they start opening crates full of fake swords for the prince's upcoming masquerade ball
. Shocked, the girls overhear the men plotting
to sneak the real swords into the ball and murder Louis. Corinne also notices the captain's snake-headed dagger is missing a ruby in the hilt.
The four friends rush back to the palace and find Treville speaking with Philippe in the ballroom. Not realizing Philippe is in on the assassination plot, they tell the men what they saw and heard. The regent immediately claims that any plot against the prince would be impossible and that the girls made up the story in an attempt to be made Musketeers. Trying to prove their case, Corinne opens a crate of the party swords to show them the real swords concealed inside, but all the swords are fake. Without any solid evidence, Treville believes Philippe and that an assassination on Louis would be impossible.
Philippe banishes them from the castle, threatening to throw them in the dungeons if they cause anymore unnecessary trouble. Back at their apartment, the girls are thoroughly depressed and consider giving up, but Corinne points out that even though no one believes them, they can't just walk away from everything they've worked for. Inspired by her courage, the other three agree and make plans to sneak into the ball.
After the masquearde starts, Philippe's men take out Treville and the Musketeers on guard duty while a disguised Philippe and more men get the real swords, which are hidden in the secret tunnels. Elsewhere, the girls also use the tunnels to enter the ballroom. Once there, the four friends and Héléne keep their eyes open for trouble. When the fireworks begin, it holds everyone's attention so that the assassins can start their plan. But, Corinne sees Philippe about to stab Louis with a sword. She quickly cartwheels in between them and disarms Philippe. Philippe alerts everyone that the sword Corinne is holding is real.
Realizing what's happening, the girls strip off their dresses, revealing their own Musketeer uniforms and weapons as they face off against the henchmen. As the battle starts, the terrified guests scatter while Philippe, who pretends to be on his side, drags Louis into the passageway. The girls hold their own against the assassins with Héléne and Miette's help, but they are soon overwhelmed as more henchmen arrive. Thinking quickly, Viveca uses a smoke bomb made by Renée, blinding the guards and enabling the girls to escape into the tunnels and look for Louis.
The prince soon realizes Philippe was behind the plot and runs when he tries to stab him. While searching for Louis, the girls find Treville and the other Musketeers tied up and free them. Corinne goes after the prince.
Louis, trying to escape Philippe, runs to the top of a tower and is cornered on a narrow ledge. As he slowly edges the prince towards the edge, Philippe tells Louis he's just a starly-eyed inventor who isn't fit to be king. Corinne arrives, and swings towards the men on a banner. Philippe and Corrine engage in a fierce sword fight and with Louis' help, she is able to defeat him just as Treville and the others arrive. Philippe, his men and Brutus are all arrested and taken away. Louis thanks the girls and Treville apologizes for not believing them.
After his coronation, the newly made No King Louis rewards Corinne, Viveca, Aramina, and Renée for their bravery.
DVDverdict's review said the CGI was not spectacular and adults would not find much to cheer about. However, children would find it "fine and dandy. It has no offensive material, and promotes the idea girls can be anything they want if given a chance and the right accessories."
DVD Talk
's review rated the content worth two stars out of five (but three for video and audio) but advised "Rent it" due in part to the songs. "Unfortunately, some distasteful songs run throughout this speedy retelling of the Dumas classic, so be forewarned...Not only are the lyrics ugly, they're senseless."
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
film and part of the CGI
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
Barbie film series
Barbie film series
Since her film debut in 1987 in Barbie and the Rockers: Out of this World, Barbie has been a virtual actress starring in several feature films and short films...
. It was released on DVD on September 15, 2009.
Plot
Corinne, a country girl from GasconyGascony
Gascony is an area of southwest France that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution. The region is vaguely defined and the distinction between Guyenne and Gascony is unclear; sometimes they are considered to overlap, and sometimes Gascony is considered a...
who dreams of being a Musketeer, protectors of the French royal family
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
, just like her father, D'Artagnan. Now seventeen, Corinne asks her mother to let her go to Paris to become one. Though worried about the dangers, her mother supports her and gives Corinne her blessing, as well as a letter to Monsieur Treville, the captain of the Musketeers and an old friend of her father's.
The next day before leaving, Corinne's mother reminds her about what her father use to say: "True courage is pursuing your dream, even when everyone else says it's impossible." Hugging her mother goodbye, Corinne sets off for Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
with her kitten
Kitten
A kitten is a juvenile domesticated cat.The young of big cats are called cubs rather than kittens. Either term may be used for the young of smaller wild felids such as ocelots, caracals, and lynx, but "kitten" is usually more common for these species....
, Miette, and Alexander, D'Artagnan's old horse.
Arriving in Paris, Corinne watches four Musketeers displaying their skills. She tells them about becoming a Musketeer herself and asks them where to find Treville. They tease her while a mean dog, Brutus, knocks her over and steals her letter. Attempting to get it back, Corinne and Miette chase him into the Musketeer headquarters, where Treville is talking to Philippe, the kingdom's regent, Prince Louis's cousin and Brutus' owner. When hearing why she is there, Philippe scoffs at Corinne's dream to be a Musketeer, saying girls don't possess the proper skills. However, she gets invited inside.
Feeling triumphant at first, she is disappointed when Treville says she's not ready for active duty, but he tells her to keep practicing and that if she needs anything, to come to him. After leaving, Corinne sits outside with Miette when Brutus sneaks up on them again and chases after Miette. While in pursuit, Corinne literally bumps into three other girls: Viveca, a fashionista, Aramina, a dancer and Renée, a violinist.
She chases Miette and Brutus to the royal kitchen, where the cruel overseer, Madame de Bossé, mistakes her as a new maid. Corinne is then introduced to three other maids, who turn out to be Viveca, Aramina and Renée. Due to Corinne's earlier rampage, all three arrive extremely messy and disheveled, getting them in trouble with de Bossé, who punishes them with extra work. Due to this, the girls have a sharp dislike for Corinne and give her the extra work while ignoring her in the process. However, by the end of the day and through her various good deeds, the three see Corinne has a young girls and the four become friends.
One day, while the four clean the great hall, Corinne meets Prince Louis, who is going to be crowned king shortly. As he begins to leave, a chandelier crashes down from the ceiling. As the debris flies towards them, each maid defends herself. Philippe and the Musketeers rush to Louis while Héléne, who was watching from the balcony, looks at the four girls in amazement. Philippe escorts a shaken Louis out of the hall, demanding that the cause of the accident be found at once.
While removing the mess, Corinne notices the chandelier rope appears to have been cut. She also finds a small ruby on the floor near the rope handle. As they clean, the three other girls ask Corinne where she learned to move the way she did. She then tells them about her dream of becoming a Musketeer. Shocked, all three also shared their own ambition to become Musketeers themselves. Upon hearing this, Héléne has them follow her through a series of secret passages before arriving in a hidden chamber beneath the palace. She explains that the Musketeers used to train here before Treville moved them to the larger headquarters. She displays her own fighting abilities as she tests each girl, judging their level of skill. Afterwards, Héléne tells the girls that they are skilled, but they each have a long way to go. After they plead for her to teach them, Héléne starts training them.
That night, a furious Philippe confronts the captain of his guards. It is revealed that Philippe plans to have Louis assassinated so he can take over the kingdom and that the guard had cut the chandelier rope - his dagger is missing a ruby. Philippe orders the captain to sabotage Louis' hot air balloon, which the prince is planning to test the next day.
Louis prepares to launch the balloon when the safety ropes, cut by the guard, break and the balloon blows away. The force of the jolt knocks the prince out of the basket and his foot gets stuck in the ladder. Corinne, who is washing the windows, sees Louis dangling upside down from the balloon ladder as it floats towards the towertop, which is sharply pointed. She rushes onto the balcony and jumps into the balloon, preventing it from hitting the tower's spire. After Corinne rescues him, Louis appears to have fallen in love with her, but she doesn't see it. As they continue flying, the two realize they have a lot in common, especially the desire to pursue their dreams no matter what: Louis tells Corinne that he longs to make inventions that will help people, but his biggest dream is to show that men can fly. Now, he fears he will have to give up his dreams when he becomes king. Corinne comforts him, saying that he can still make his dreams come true even if he is king and shares her own aspiration of being a Musketeer. But the prince, like other people, thinks that girls can't be Musketeers, which angers her. As she storms off, Louis is clearly sorry for hurting her feelings. Meanwhile, an infuriated Philippe watches from the palace.
Later, down in the hidden chamber, Héléne and the girls are training while Corinne walks in and tells them what happened. As she does, she begins to notice a pattern with the accidents, especially the severed ropes, as Renee adds, "Yesterday the chandelier, today his flying machine?" It quickly becomes evident that a scheme of sabotage is in motion. Corinne shows the others the ruby she found and that she believes someone is trying to get rid of Louis. The girls think they should tell Treville, but Héléne tells them that until they have proof of a plot against the prince, they trust no one and for the girls to stay on their guard.
Going home late one night, the four come across Philippe's captain and several of his men as they start opening crates full of fake swords for the prince's upcoming masquerade ball
Masquerade ball
A masquerade ball is an event which the participants attend in costume wearing a mask. - History :...
. Shocked, the girls overhear the men plotting
Conspiracy (political)
In a political sense, conspiracy refers to a group of persons united in the goal of usurping or overthrowing an established political power. Typically, the final goal is to gain power through a revolutionary coup d'état or through assassination....
to sneak the real swords into the ball and murder Louis. Corinne also notices the captain's snake-headed dagger is missing a ruby in the hilt.
The four friends rush back to the palace and find Treville speaking with Philippe in the ballroom. Not realizing Philippe is in on the assassination plot, they tell the men what they saw and heard. The regent immediately claims that any plot against the prince would be impossible and that the girls made up the story in an attempt to be made Musketeers. Trying to prove their case, Corinne opens a crate of the party swords to show them the real swords concealed inside, but all the swords are fake. Without any solid evidence, Treville believes Philippe and that an assassination on Louis would be impossible.
Philippe banishes them from the castle, threatening to throw them in the dungeons if they cause anymore unnecessary trouble. Back at their apartment, the girls are thoroughly depressed and consider giving up, but Corinne points out that even though no one believes them, they can't just walk away from everything they've worked for. Inspired by her courage, the other three agree and make plans to sneak into the ball.
After the masquearde starts, Philippe's men take out Treville and the Musketeers on guard duty while a disguised Philippe and more men get the real swords, which are hidden in the secret tunnels. Elsewhere, the girls also use the tunnels to enter the ballroom. Once there, the four friends and Héléne keep their eyes open for trouble. When the fireworks begin, it holds everyone's attention so that the assassins can start their plan. But, Corinne sees Philippe about to stab Louis with a sword. She quickly cartwheels in between them and disarms Philippe. Philippe alerts everyone that the sword Corinne is holding is real.
Realizing what's happening, the girls strip off their dresses, revealing their own Musketeer uniforms and weapons as they face off against the henchmen. As the battle starts, the terrified guests scatter while Philippe, who pretends to be on his side, drags Louis into the passageway. The girls hold their own against the assassins with Héléne and Miette's help, but they are soon overwhelmed as more henchmen arrive. Thinking quickly, Viveca uses a smoke bomb made by Renée, blinding the guards and enabling the girls to escape into the tunnels and look for Louis.
The prince soon realizes Philippe was behind the plot and runs when he tries to stab him. While searching for Louis, the girls find Treville and the other Musketeers tied up and free them. Corinne goes after the prince.
Louis, trying to escape Philippe, runs to the top of a tower and is cornered on a narrow ledge. As he slowly edges the prince towards the edge, Philippe tells Louis he's just a starly-eyed inventor who isn't fit to be king. Corinne arrives, and swings towards the men on a banner. Philippe and Corrine engage in a fierce sword fight and with Louis' help, she is able to defeat him just as Treville and the others arrive. Philippe, his men and Brutus are all arrested and taken away. Louis thanks the girls and Treville apologizes for not believing them.
After his coronation, the newly made No King Louis rewards Corinne, Viveca, Aramina, and Renée for their bravery.
Allusions to the original story
- Hot-blooded Dangry when people tell her that girls can’t be Musketeers.
- Roommate was Constance. In the novel, Constance Bonacieux is the woman that D'Artagnan falls in love with.
- One of the guests at the masquerade ball is introduced as the Countess De Winter, who was one of the antagonists from the original story.
- Monsieur Treville, the captain of the Musketeers in the film, is named after the captain in the original story, Monsieur de Treville.
- The part when Corinne accidentally falls on each of three girls and makes them angry alludes to the beginning of the novel where D'Artagnan accidentally runs into each of the Musketeers, unintentionally upsetting each man and earning himself a challenge to a duel.
- Corinne’s hometown is Gascony, which is the name of D’Artagnan’s family estate in the novel.
- Prince Louis is Time Out.
- Tim Curry, who voices Philippe in the film, also played the villainous Cardinal Richelieu in the 1993 Disney version of The Three Musketeers. The film also stars Charlie SheenCharlie SheenCarlos Irwin Estevez , better known by his stage name Charlie Sheen, is an American film and television actor. He is the youngest son of actor Martin Sheen....
as Aramis, Kiefer Sutherland as Athos, Oliver Platt as Porthos and Chris O'Donnell as D'Artagnan. - The famous fleur-de-lis, which was branded on the villainess Milady de Winter in the story, is on the front of the tunics worn by the Musketeers in the film.
- Aramina appears to be named after Aramis, another protagonist from the novel.
- However, Aramis' first name was Rene, so Renee appears to have been named after him, too.
- Paris, which is France’s capital city and the center location of the original story, is also the location for the film.
- In the original Destoryed Corinne's Farm House
Characters
- Corinne - a fighter. She is brave, confident, determined and resourceful.
- Viveca - a fashionista. She is stylish, trendy and humorous. She can speak FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. - Aramina - a dancer. She is lovable, imaginative and graceful. She also loves poetryPoetryPoetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
. - Renée - a violinist. She is strong, smart and level-headed. She also has great aim.
- Prince Louis - Philippe's Cousin
- Monsieur Treville -father of Corinne.He is Brave,strong and a Musketeer.
- Philippe - the main antagonist. He plots the kill the Prince and make himself king.
- Madame de Bossé - boss of Corinne,Viveca,Aramina and Renee.When there are maids.
- Héléne - trainer of Corinne,Viveca,Aramina and Renee.
- Corrine's mother - mother of Corinne.Wife of Monsieur Treville.
Reviews
CommonSenseMedia's review gave the movie three stars out of five and concluded: "A pretty good try, but this Musketeer misses the mark...Barbie does all kinds of acrobatic moves, which flaunt her girlishness, but putting a sword in her dainty little hands seems to be a stretch."DVDverdict's review said the CGI was not spectacular and adults would not find much to cheer about. However, children would find it "fine and dandy. It has no offensive material, and promotes the idea girls can be anything they want if given a chance and the right accessories."
DVD Talk
DVD Talk
DVD Talk is a website for DVD enthusiasts founded in January 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman when DVDs and DVD players were first beginning to hit the market.The site started as an online forum, an email newsletter, and a page of DVD news and reviews...
's review rated the content worth two stars out of five (but three for video and audio) but advised "Rent it" due in part to the songs. "Unfortunately, some distasteful songs run throughout this speedy retelling of the Dumas classic, so be forewarned...Not only are the lyrics ugly, they're senseless."
Reception
The movie was released on DVD on September 15, 2009 and opened at #2, selling 399,000 units which translated to $5.6 million in sales. By early October, it had dropped to #24 in rank. A total of 629,178 DVD units had been sold, representing total sales of $9.9 million.Cast
- Kelly SheridanKelly SheridanKelly Sheridan is a Canadian voice actress based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.-Biography:Sheridan has voiced various roles in anime and other animated cartoons, such as Barbie in the computer generated Barbie film series since 2001...
as Carine - Kira Tozer as Viveca
- Willow JohnsonWillow JohnsonWillow Johnson is a Canadian voice actress working for the Ocean Productions based in Vancouver. She has performed the roles of several characters for many anime series...
as Aramina - Dorla Bell as Renée
- Saffron HendersonSaffron HendersonSaffron Henderson is a Canadian voice actress and singer and the daughter of Bill Henderson of Chilliwack fame. She has voiced various characters from anime series...
as Miette - Ashleigh BallAshleigh BallAshleigh Ball is a Canadian voice actress and the lead singer and flautist in the Vancouver-based jazz/pop band Hey Ocean!.-Filmography:-External links:...
as Jose - Kathleen BarrKathleen BarrKathleen Barr is a Canadian voice actress. She is also the sister of Professor Mark Lyle Barr at Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.-Filmography:...
as Helene - Mark HildrethMark Hildreth (actor)Mark Hildreth is a Canadian actor and musician, based in the U.S. He has appeared in many movie and television roles. A graduate of The National Theater School of Canada, Mark Hildreth's theater credits include Hamlet , Bertram in All's well that Ends well , Richard of Gloucester in Richard III and...
as Prince Louie - Tim CurryTim CurryTimothy James "Tim" Curry is a British actor, singer, composer and voice actor, known for his work in a diverse range of theatre, film and television productions. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California....
as Philippe - Bernard Cuffling as Monsieur Treville
- Bryan DobsonBryan DobsonBryan Dobson is a newscaster with RTÉ in Ireland. He has presented RTÉ News: Six One for almost 15 years. He previously presented RTÉ News: Nine O'Clock.-Early life:...
as Brutus - Merrilyn GannMerrilyn GannMerrilyn Gann is a Canadian actress most notable for her role as Rose Abbott on The WB's Everwood. She was also most recently seen portraying The German Chancellor in the apocalyptic doomsday film 2012.- Filmography :...
as Madame de Bosse - David KayeDavid KayeDavid V. Hope , known professionally as David Kaye, is a Canadian American actor who is better recognized for his work as a voice actor...
as Alexander - Nicole OliverNicole Oliver-Education:She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from York University, and additional training from the British American Drama Academy in Oxford and London.-Career:...
as Carine's Mother