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On Guard!

Generally favorable reviews
Based on 15 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 1 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Foreign
Written by:
Philippe de Broca
Jean Cosmos
Jérôme Tonnerre
Paul Féval (book Le Bossu)
Directed by: Philippe de Broca
Release Date:
Theatrical: October 18, 2002
Running Time: 128 minutes, Color
Origin: France / Italy / Germany
Language(s): French and Italian (with English subtitles)
Summary
RATING: Not Rated
Starring Daniel Auteuil, Fabrice Luchini, Vincent Perez, Marie Gillain, Yann Collette, Jean-François Stévenin, Didier Pain, and Claire Nebout
A swashbuckling tale of revenge and adventure set in early 18th century France.
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Salon.com Charles Taylor
A delight from top to bottom, packed with romance, adventure, beautifully executed swordplay and a sumptuous period look.
Read Full Review >Chicago Reader Jonathan Rosenbaum
This is effective as straight-ahead, action-packed storytelling, losing some of its energy only in the final stretch.
Read Full Review >Washington Post Desson Thomson
Movie is over-the-top but enjoyable entertainment.
Read Full Review >Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas
Splendid entertainment, young in spirit but accomplished in all aspects with the fullness of spirit and sense of ease that comes only with experience.
Read Full Review >Washington Post Stephen Hunter
Great sword fights, great acting, fabulous sword fights and, of course, really cool sword fights.
Read Full Review >New York Daily News Jami Bernard
It revives an innocently pleasurable genre - shades of Burt Lancaster and Errol Flynn - that combines lusty adventure, humor, the great outdoors and satisfying storytelling without having to concoct it in a special-effects lab.
Read Full Review >New York Post Jonathan Foreman
Generally delightful, and reminiscent of two vanished ages: when men were men, and when movies were movies.
Read Full Review >San Francisco Chronicle Edward Guthmann
A big, gorgeous, sprawling swashbuckler that delivers its diversions in grand, uncomplicated fashion.
Read Full Review >Boston Globe Wesley Morris
The story is a mess. But On Guard was directed by the reliable Philippe de Broca, who imbues the whole affair with high-calorie silliness.
Read Full Review >The New York Times Dana Stevens
Mr. de Broca's film is full of durable cinematic pleasures: a little sex, a lot of sword fighting and a plot that combines heady passion with complicated political intrigue.
Read Full Review >Variety Staff (Not credited)
Consistently enjoyable, if rarely exceptional, mass entertainment.
Read Full Review >LA Weekly Hazel-Dawn Dumpert
The film is never less than lovely to gaze upon, shot in saturated colors, richly appointed in period trappings and peopled only by the very beautiful. But it is also, by its end, too silly to take seriously.
Read Full Review >Chicago Tribune Allison Benedikt
De Broca never develops the transforming love onscreen and ends up with an awkward and indigestible movie.
Read Full Review >Village Voice Michael Atkinson
de Broca's efficient fencing-mania melodrama brings little that's original to the table.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 9.0 (out of 10) based on 1 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Tony D. gave it a 9:
Great film. Reminded me of the days of errol flynn. The only reason I didn't give this film a 10 is Marie Gillain was naked enough. Oh, my dear lord! I love her! Daniel Auteil was brilliant. The way he could slip in and out of two different characyers so easily was amazing. All he needed were a couple of props and presto he is someone else. In this day and age with all the new digital effects it is nice to see something called ACTING! It was a wonderful story, perfectly cast, and deftly told. Bravo!
