The Last Musketeer (British Telefilm)
Picture: C+
Sound: B- Extras: D Telefilm: C+
Fencing meets organized crime in the somewhat contrived
British TV movie The Last Musketeer, Bill Britten’s 2000 story about the
title character (Robson Green) who may enjoy the classy sport of fencing, but
who is about to see some of his past catch up with him. The police and drug dealers are both closing
in on him in different ways, and just as he was about to win a national
championship.
Green is good in the role, but the teleplay by Sebastian
Secker is just loaded with clichés that Green and the rest of the cast cannot
overcome. A new cycle of British crime
dramas were happening at the time and this was a TV response. Not being able to be as graphic as some of
the feature films is not the problem.
All we get is the same old same old and it all quickly becomes tired.
The 1.66 X 1 image is another one of those British TV
productions splitting the difference between traditional 1.33 X 1 and 1.78 X 1
when no one was certain where TV was going with High Definition. The colors are consistent and print is in
good shape, but there are detail limits, though it is shot well. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo has Pro Logic
surrounds and is not bad in the soundfield department. There are no extras.
- Nicholas Sheffo
