History YMMV / TheManInTheIronMask

* NarmCharm: So many of the film's lines are so very corny, and yet the acting chops of Creator/JeremyIrons, Creator/JohnMalkovich, Creator/GabrielByrne, Creator/GerardDepardieu, and even [[Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio DiCaprio]] means that more often than not, they make their lines work.

** The soldiers do not notice anything suspicious when the "king" suddenly declares that a group of traitors who tried to put an identical-looking impostor on the throne are now his best friends and members of the royal council.

* ClicheStorm: Despite an AllStarCast, the film quickly becomes very narmy due to an excessively large number of dramatic cliches. The too obvious contrast between the terrible Louis and the innocent Philip, the musketeers talking only with pathos clichés...

* SugarWiki/HeReallyCanAct: Years before Hollywood would finally start to take him seriously as an actor, Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio rather convincingly played both the kind and pure Phillipe and the incredibly vicious Louis.

** The soldiers do not notice anything suspicious when the "king" suddenly declares that a group of traitors who tried to put an identical looking impostor on the throne are now his best friends and members of the royal council.
** None of the nobles notice the fact that Philip had too little time to study the manners of the royal court, nor that the spiteful and spoiled psychopathic king suddenly became a kind and compassionate person. True, once around people are surprised that he helped up the lady who fell down in front of him, but this added to the plot only to create intrigue.

** The king's chief advisor, Pierre, is played by Creator/HughLaurie.
* SignatureScene: The Musketeers (and Philippe) doing their iconic salute before attempting a final charge to die in a blaze of glory. Lieutenant Andre uttering 'magnificent valour' upon seeing it is considered one of the best lines in the movie.

** Philippe does not experience any moral distress when he first sees his twin brother, and even furtively glances at him while dressing, although everything he knows about his brother, he knows from other people.

* ClicheStorm: Despite an AllStarCast, the film quickly becomes very narmy due to an excessively large number of dramatic cliches. Too obvious contrast between the terrible Louis and the innocent Philip, the musketeers talking only with pathos clichés...

* NarmCharm: So many of the films lines are so very corny, and yet the acting chops of Creator/JeremyIrons, Creator/JohnMalkovich, Creator/GabrielByrne, Creator/GerardDepardieu, and even [[Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio DiCaprio]] means that more often than not, they make their lines work.

** Then-unknown Creator/PeterSarsgaard as Raoul, Athos' doomed son.

*** Philippe grew up not knowing his true identity, and then was imprisoned for years in a horrendous iron mask, without even knowing what he did to deserve it.
*** Raoul is very much in love with his fiancée, but on the day he plans to propose to her he's confronted with the knowledge that the king wants her for his mistress, and he's fully aware that his being sent back to the frontlines is Louis trying to get him out of the way. He goes anyway, [[spoiler:and is killed by cannon fire while shouting Christine's name.]]
*** Christine is likewise in love with Raoul and refuses Louis's attentions, [[spoiler:but after Raoul is killed Louis coerces her into being his mistress, a situation which she clearly grows to hate. ''Then'' she finds out that Louis arranged for Raoul's death, and in utter despair she hangs herself.]]
* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Queen Anne, it seems, loves her younger son, whom she never knew, more than the elder, with whom she lived all his life. Of course, Louis is an openly narcissistic and cruel person, but the ease with which she "changes" her affections from one son to another is really frightening. In this regard, when she subsequently says that she loves both her sons, Louis (and the audience) simply do not believe her.

** One of Louis' advisors is played by Creator/HughLaurie.

* SignatureScene: The Musketeers (and Philippe) doing their iconic salute before attempting a final charge to die in a blaze of glory. Lieutenant Andre uttering 'magnificent valor' upon seeing it is considered one of the best lines in the movie.

* PeripheryDemographic: The film was commercially successful, and this was attributed to the fact that it was the first film starring Creator/LeonardoDicaprio to be released after the ''Film/{{Titanic|1997}}'' juggernaut, attracting legions of his fans far beyond the scope of the historical adventures genre fans.

* LargeHam:
** Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich and Gérard Depardieu seem to have been in a scenery-devouring contest.
--->If the King harms my son merely to take a lover, then THIS KING BECOMES MY ENEMY!\\\

--->I am PORTHOS! And I FIGHT THE KING!

--->It's JUDGMENT DAY!
** Leo also gets into the act:
--->As for you, back to the prison you fear and into the mask you hate. WEAR IT UNTIL YOU LOVE IT! And then die in it.

* NarmCharm: So many of the films lines are so very corny, and yet the acting chops of Irons, Malkovich, Byrne, Depardieu, and even [[Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio DiCaprio]] means that more often than not, they make their lines work.

* RetroactiveRecognition: Then-unknown Peter Sarsgaard as Raoul, Athos' doomed son.
** One of Louis's advisors is played by Hugh Laurie.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Queen Anne, it seems, loves her younger son, whom she never knew, more than the elder, with whom she lived all his life. Of course, Louis is an openly narcissistic and cruel person, but the ease with which she "changes" her affections from one son to another is really frightening. In this regard, when she subsequently says that she loves both her sons, Louis (and the audience) simply do not believe her.

* TheWoobie: Philippe, Christine and Raoul.

** One of Louis' advisors is played by Hugh Laurie.

* TheWoobie: Philippe, Christine and Raul.

** Philip does not experience any moral distress when he first sees his twin brother, and even furtively glances at him while dressing, although everything he knows about his brother, he knows from other people.

* KarmaHoudini: No matter how monstrous Louis was, all he gets for his tyranny and attempts to kill his own brother is a solitary life in a village and constant visits from his mother.

* SugarWiki/HeReallyCanAct: Years before Hollywood would finally start to take him seriously as an actor, Leonardo DiCaprio rather convincingly played both the kind and pure Phillipe and the incredibly vicious Louis.
* HilariousInHindsight: Fresh off ''Film/{{Titanic 1997}}'' where he was THE KING OF THE WOOOORLD, [=DiCaprio=] is now just the King of France. In fact, the movie opened while ''Titanic'' was still in theaters.

* JustHereForGodzilla: Twenty years later, many teenagers watch this film just to see how DiCaprio plays the twin brothers.

* NarmCharm: So many of the films lines are so very corny, and yet the acting chops of Irons, Malkovich, Byrne, Depardieu, and even DiCaprio means that more often than not, they make their lines work.

* ClicheStorm: Despite an AllStarCast, the film quickly becomes very narmy due to an excessively large number of dramatic cliches. Too obvious contrast between the terrible Louis and the innocent Philip, the musketeers talking only with pathos clichés, even the music sounds like it was copied from some adventurous Hollywood movie.

* CriticalResearchFailure: In most cases, intentional, since the film is based on a literary work, but the portrait of the next Louis, hanging ''50 years before his birth'' in his young great-grandfather's office, is still remembered by many.
* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: The film is noticeably more gloomy and depressing compared to most other films about the musketeers, not to mention deaths and too seriously shown violence.

* PeripheryDemographic: The film was commercially successful, and this was attributed to the fact that it was the first film starring Creator/LeonardoDicaprio to be released after the ''Film/{{Titanic|1997}}'', attracting legions of his fans far beyond the scope of the historical adventures genre fans.

* HeReallyCanAct: Years before Hollywood would finally start to take him seriously as an actor, Leonardo DiCaprio rather convincingly played both the kind and pure Phillipe and the incredibly vicious Louis.

* TheScrappy: Louis ... oh, boy. It seems that each of his actions is added to the film only in order to show that he is bad. He even, without hesitation, orders his twin brother to be sent back to prison when he meets him, or even tries to kill afterwards. It's no surprise that viewers hate him.

** One of Louis' advisors in played by Hugh Laurie.

It's JUDGMENT DAY!

As for you, back to the prison you fear and into the mask you hate. WEAR IT UNTIL YOU LOVE IT! And then die in it.

I am PORTHOS! And I FIGHT THE KING!

--->It's JUDGMENT DAY!\\\

* RetroactiveRecognition: Then-unknown Peter Sarsgaard as Athos' doomed son.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Queen Anne, it seems, loves her younger son, whom she never knew, more than the elder, with whom she lived all his life. Of course, Louis is an openly narcissistic and cruel person, but the ease with which she "changes" her affections from one son to another is really frightening. In this regard, when she subsequently says that she loves both her sons, the audience and Louis simply do not believe her.