Barbie and the Three Musketeers

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Barbie and The Three Musketeers

DVD cover
Directed by William Lau
Kelly Sheridan
Amelia Henderson
Kira Tozer
Starring Willow Johnson
Dorla Bell
Tim Curry
Mark Hildreth (actor)
Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Distributed by
(DVD)
Release date(s) September 15, 2009
Running time 81 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Gross revenue $9.08 m (DVD)[1]
Preceded by Barbie Thumbelina
Followed by Barbie in A Mermaid Tale

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.[2]

Contents
 1 Plot
o 1.1 Allusion to the original story
 2 Reception
o 2.1 Reviews
o 2.2 Home Media Reception
 3 Characters
 4 Cast
 5 References

 6 External links

[edit] Plot
Barbie stars as Corinne, a country girl 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
as 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 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, Treville kindly invites her 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. Before being dragged off by her, Corinne helps an
elderly servant named Héléne, who is touched by her kindness. 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 hate
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 kind heart
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. Louis loves science and is currently developing a hot air
balloon. As he begins to leave, a chandelier crashes down from the ceiling, barely
missing the prince. As the debris flies towards them, each girl defends herself: Viveca
whips out her cleaning towel, breaking a flying candle in half; Aramina swiftly kicks a
piece of the candelabra in two; Renee throws her feather duster, knocking glass shards
away from her and Corinne uses her broom in a sword-like manner to bash away hanging
crystals. 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. Each girl chooses a weapon of their choice and develops her own unique fighting
style.

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 as it floats towards the tower. She rushes onto the balcony
and jumps into the balloon, preventing it from hitting the tower's spire. After she pulls
him back up, Louis thanks her and she notices the severed ropes. 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. When they land, Corinne yells at Louis, saying he can imagine men flying in
the air, but not a girl Musketeer. As she storms off, Louis is clearly sorry for hurting her
feelings. Meanwhile, an infuriated Philippe sees everything 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. She 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. They hide and watch as the captain unsheathes a sword, showing a real
one hidden inside. Shocked, the girls overhear the men plotting to sneak the real swords
into the ball and murder Louis. Corinne also notices the captain's sword 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 impossible.

However, 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:
Viveca makes their ball gowns and masks, Renée disguises their weapons to blend in
with their outfits while Aramina gives Corinne dancing lessons.

After the ball 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.

Realizing what's happening, the girls strip off their ball gowns, 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. Viveca, Aramina and Renée stay behind to help the Musketeers stop the
remaining henchmen while 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
pathetic dreamer who doesn't deserve to be king. Corinne arrives, but is on an opposite
balcony and can't reach them. Seeing a hanging banner, she grabs onto it and swings
towards the men. Just as Philippe is about to shove Louis off the ledge, Corinne lets go of
the banner, flips in midair and lands just in time between the prince and his cousin.
Philippe and her 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, who fought
against Miette and lost, are all arrested and taken away. Louis thanks the girls and
Treville apologizes for not believing them.

After his coronation, the newly made King Louis rewards Corinne, Viveca, Aramina, and
Renée for their bravery by making them the first female Musketeers in history. Their
families, fellow Musketeers and the citizens of Paris congratulate the girls. Héléne also
attends the ceremony as the new overseer of the palace servants while Madame de Bossé
is now a kitchen maid.

Louis later invites Corinne to take another balloon ride with him, but the celebration is
interrupted when the Musketeers are informed of a plot against the new king. Corinne
tells Louis to hold onto the balloon ride offer as she runs to join her friends. Corrine,
Viveca, Aramina and Renée all ride into the sunset, lifting their swords and exclaiming
"All for one, and one for all!"

[edit] Allusion to the original story

 While speaking to Treville, Corinne says her father's name is D'Artagnan.

D'Artagnan is the one of the protagonists in the original novel
  Like the hot-blooded D'Artagnan, Corinne is shown as a brave and feisty young
woman who gets angry when people tell her that girls can’t be Musketeers.
 Alexander, Corinne's horse, is a nod to the author of the Three Musketeers novel,
Alexandre Dumas.
 When the other girls invited Corinne to stay with them, Viveca mentions that their
former 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 is similar to the part in the novel when D'Artagnan accidentally ends up
falling into each of the Musketeers and making them challenge him to the duel.
 Corinne’s hometown is Gascony, which is the name of D’Artagnan’s family estate
in the novel.
 Prince Louis is named after King Louis XIII from the novel.
 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 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 fronts of the tunics worn by the Musketeers in the film.
 Aramina appears to be named after Aramis, another protagonist from the novel.
 Paris, which is France’s capital city and the center location of the original story, is
also the star location for the film.

[edit] Reception
[edit] 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."[3]

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."[4]

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."[5]
[edit] Home Media 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.[6]

[edit] Characters
 Barbie as Corinne is a seventeen-year-old country girl who dreams of being a
musketeer like her father. She is very determined to pursue her dream and works
hard in her training. She doesn't like it if someone laughs at her dream. Her chief
weapon is the sword.

 Teresa as Viveca is a fashionista. She is the one who creates ball gowns for
herself, Corinne, Aramina and Renée. Her motto is, "Don't mess with the dress."
She is the second maid to be nice to Corinne when she and Aramina invite her to
stay with them for one week. Her special weapon is a pair of long ribbons.

 Summer as Aramina is a poetical, romantic dancer. She is the first of the three
maids to be nice to Corinne by inviting her to stay with them. She considers
Prince Louis the dreamiest boy. She loves to dance with grace and her special
weapon is a pair of fans.

 Nikki as Renée is a violinist. She designs weapons for herself and her friends.
She is particularly skilled in archery and using a sling(she uses a necklace as a
sling during the ball) She is the third Maid to be nice to Corinne after she gives
Renee her violin bow.

 Prince Louis, the eighteen-year-old future king, is greatly interested in science.

He dreams that one day man will be able to fly and is doing a research of a
floating balloon. When he becomes king, he makes Corinne, Viveca, Aramina and
Renée royal musketeers. He also appears to be attracted to Corrine after she saves
him.

 Philippe is Prince Louis' cousin who stands next in line to be king. He serves as a
regent and pretends to retire to his chateau while he actually makes a plot to kill
the prince.

 Monsieur Treville is the captain of the musketeers. He treats Corinne well

because he remembers Corinne's father as a great musketeer.

 Miette is Corinne's kitten and is interested in being a musketeer like her mistress.
She pronounces the word "mus-cat-teer."
  Alexander is Corinne's father's horse. He knows the way to Paris and a secret
passage way to the castle, about which he tells Miette.

 Héléne is an old maidservant who knows every place in the palace. She secretly
has the skills of a musketeer and trains Corinne, Viveca, Aramina and Renée. At
the end of the story, she becomes the supervisor of Madame de Bosse, who used
to boss her.

 Madame de Bosse is the supervisor of the palace maidservants. The bossy

woman constantly yells at Corinne and her friends whenever she orders them to
work.

 Corinne's Mother is the only remaining member of Corinne's family. She only
makes her appearances at the beginning and the end.

 D'Artagan is Corinne's Father. He didn't make an appearance in the flim. He is

Treville's Friend and D'Artangan is a musketeer of the musketeer group.

[edit] Cast
 Kelly Sheridan as Corinne
 Kira Tozer as Viveca
 Willow Johnson as Aramina
 Dorla Bell as Renée
 Amelia Henderson as Miette
 Kathleen Barr as Helene
 Mark Hildreth (actor) as Prince Louis
 Tim Curry as Philippe
 Bernard Cuffling as Monsieur Treville
 Brian Dobson as Brutus
 Merrilyn Gann as Madame de Bosse
 David Kaye as Alexander
 Nicole Oliver as Corinne's Mother

[edit] References
1. ^ http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/2009/0BATM-DVD.php
2. ^ Amazon.com: Barbie and the Three Musketeers: Barbie: Movies & TV. Retrieved June
28, 2009.
3. ^ Barbie and the Three Musketeers By Joly Herman
4. ^ Reviewed by Judge Brett Cullum
5. ^ Review by Paul Mavis
6. ^ Barbie and the Three Musketeers - DVD Sales The Numbers - Nash Information
Services
[edit] External links
 Official website

v•d•e
Animated films starring Barbie

Barbie and the Rockers: Out of this World (1987) - Barbie and The Sensations: Rockin'
Back to Earth (1987) - Barbie in the Nutcracker (2001) - Barbie as Rapunzel (2002) -
Barbie of Swan Lake (2003) - Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper (2004) - Barbie:
Fairytopia (2005) - Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus (2005) - My Scene Goes
Hollywood (2005) - Barbie: Mermaidia (2006) - The Barbie Diaries (2006) - Barbie in
the 12 Dancing Princesses (2006) - Barbie Fairytopia: Magic of the Rainbow (2007) -
Barbie as the Island Princess (2007) - Barbie Mariposa (2008) - Barbie and the
Diamond Castle (2008) - Barbie in a Christmas Carol (2008) - Barbie Thumbelina
(2009) - Barbie and the Three Musketeers (2009)
This animated film-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbie_and_the_Three_Musketeers"
Categories: 2009 films | Animated films | Films based on Alexandre Dumas novels |
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