Actuakers One of my all time favorites.

Steineded How sad is this?

Crwthod A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

Dirtylogy It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Guy Plot: In the 17th century various factions intrigue over the fate of the missing brother of the King of France, who is the rightful heir.The Man in the Iron Mask is one of those books that gets filmed over and over, often with no respect to the original work. This is one of the better adaptations. It's a TV movie but a high-class one, with an excellent lead in Richard Chamberlain, fresh from another Dumas adaptation - Richard Lester's Three Musketeers (and some of the costumes, notably in the dance scene, came with him).Clever camera-work makes the best use of the fabulous real life locations, with plenty of palaces, fortresses and beach side chases. There is a naturalism and a spontaneity in the film-making, making this very enjoyable. The cast is quite excellent and manage to take the film beyond its limited budget. The only real negative is the score, which is pounding and manipulative, straight-forwardly ordering the audience what they ought to be feeling.Of course ultimate credit must go to Dumas pere, whose varied characters, vivid imagination and knack for adventure are the foundations of the whole film. If you like adventure then this is a minor (and family friendly) treat.

Juha Hämäläinen While watching this film it's hard at times to remember this was only meant to be a TV production. This must be the most lavish and successful television movie made in the 70's that I have seen. I saw it first time as a child and was much fascinated. Now almost two decades later I still love to see it again on DVD. Here Alexandre Dumas' classic story has received an equally classic adaption.Richard Chamberlain in the double role of the royal twin brothers has often been compared favorable to Errol Flynn and I quite agree. It's not just the mustache but the swashbuckling and charisma also, not forgetting that he is a truly fine actor. Here it shows especially well because the whole cast is absolutely loaded with talent and presence; Ralph Richardson, Ian Holm, Louis Jourdan, Jenny Agutter and one of my favorite British actors, Patrick McGoohan as the most sinister minister. Mike Newell's directing combined with obviously a very healthy budget, handsome shooting and locations has worked wonders. The film does not only look wonderful, it also have a wonderful feeling in it. As a piece of classic romantic adventure stories in film from the last three decades I consider this one of the best.

karlpov I'm a big fan of Patrick McGoohan so I don't like to find fault in a piece boasting one of his customarily excellent performances. But it should really be noted that this is, like some other movie versions of the same story, a great mutilation of the Dumas version. Dumas's story, actually just one thread of a gigantic novel titled The Viscount of Bragelonnne, has a secret twin of Louis XIV who is hidden away in the Bastille unknown even to the King himself. Through the machinations of Aramis, with the unwitting help of Porthos, an overnight coup is affected and the King sent to the Bastille in his twin's place. The King is, however, freed from the Bastille and reclaims his throne when d'Artagnan identifies him as the authentic monarch. The twin, who is disavowed by his mother, is only then condemned to imprisonment in the quasi-eponymous mask. The King is presented not as a black-hearted villain, but as a King who is sometimes ruthless and even cruel because his office requires such qualities.Hollywood invariably twists the story into one of a virtuous twin imprisoned in an iron mask who is led by one or more of the one-time musketeers to take the place of the evil king. This is simplistic claptrap, nothing to do with Dumas.

lionel.willoquet Conspirators try to replace Louis XIV, king de France, by a double. This page of the French history, re-examined by our American friends has only little interest. The actors Richard Chamberlain, Patrick McGoohan, Louis Jourdan, Ian Holm and Ralph Richardson save film.