The Three Musketeers (2011)

Paul W.S. Anderson's 2011 take on *The Three Musketeers* offers a bombastic, visually extravagant reimagining of the classic tale. At its core, the film follows the hot-headed young D'Artagnan as he joins forces with three legendary, albeit now down on their luck, Musketeers. Their urgent mission: to thwart a beautiful double agent, Milady de Winter, and her villainous employer, Cardinal Richelieu, from seizing the French throne and plunging Europe into a devastating war. This adaptation amplifies the swashbuckling adventure with a modern blockbuster sensibility, delivering a fast-paced narrative packed with elaborate set pieces and high-stakes intrigue. While Alexandre Dumas' original novel is a historical adventure, this 2011 film adaptation firmly earns its place on a "Best Fantasy movies" list due to its radical departure from historical accuracy and embrace of anachronistic, fantastical elements. This version injects steampunk-inspired airships, impossible gadgetry, and gravity-defying swordplay into 17th-century France, creating a heightened reality that transcends simple period drama. The film's exaggerated action sequences, stylized visuals, and focus on epic spectacle over historical realism transform the narrative into a vibrant heroic fantasy. Its creative liberties with technology and physics, coupled with its emphasis on imaginative, over-the-top adventure, make it a unique and compelling example of how fantasy can infuse and redefine classic storytelling.