The Man in the Iron Mask

Name: The Man in the Iron Mask
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, History
Released: March 13, 1998
Duration: 132 min
Rating: 48
Cast: Gabriel Byrne, Gérard Depardieu, Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, Leonardo DiCaprio

1998

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 18 Critics

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 58 Ratings

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6.4

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6.4	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 58 Ratings

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THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK

Movie Details & Credits

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) | Release Date: March 13, 1998

Starring: Gabriel Byrne, Gérard Depardieu, Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, Leonardo DiCaprio

Summary: The Musketeers' most glorious, and dangerous, adventure begins with the rescue of a mysterious prisoner from a fortress island prison. But they soon realize that their mission may lead to the destruction of the very throne they serve. (MGM)

Director: Randall Wallace

Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Drama, History

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 132 min

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Awards & Rankings

97	#97 Best Movie of 1998
87	#87 Most Discussed Movie of 1998
56	#56 Most Shared Movie of 1998

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

The A.V. Club - Joe Garden

A mish-mash of accents (buffoonish Depardieu's French, somber Irons' British, and DiCaprio and Malkovich carrying the same voices they use for every project) are vaguely unsettling, and there seems to be too little swashbuckling for characters who are synonymous with the term. Read full review

Entertainment Weekly - Owen Gleiberman

Wallace, unfortunately, writes lazy, anachronistic dialogue, and the picture is abysmally shot (by Peter Suschitzky), with a prosaic, low-budget look that never allows you to experience the enraptured majesty of a fairy-tale historical setting. Read full review

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) - Rick Groen

The result is the kind of picture you can sit through quite contentedly, the cinematic equivalent of an innocuous seatmate on an airplane trip -- it neither bores nor insults you, and, when the ride's over, is promptly gone and forgotten. Read full review

San Francisco Examiner - Barbara Shulgasser

Leonardo DiCaprio? Excuse me, Leonardo DiCaprio? I know he makes teenaged girls cry, but, I mean, Leonardo DiCaprio? Read full review

Chicago Reader - Jonathan Rosenbaum

The only other adaptations I've seen of the Alexandre Dumas novel (which I haven't read) are the Classics Illustrated comic book and the 1939 James Whale potboiler, both of which I prefer to this vulgar and overwrought 1998 free-for-all, which makes you wait interminably for the story's central narrative premise. Read full review

Washington Post - Desson Thomson

There is nothing worth getting steamed over or particularly excited about. Read full review

Salon - Stephanie Zacharek

Not 10 minutes into the smeary mess that is The Man in the Iron Mask, the only sensible question to ask yourself is, "What am I doing here?" Read full review

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User Reviews

FilipeNeto

Feb 23, 2018

In this film, based on a novel of Alexandre Dumas, king's musketeers seek to replace the ruthless French king for a twin brother of him, that people don't know and that has been kept secret by state reasons. Directed by Randall Wallace, which also provides the script, has the participationIn this film, based on a novel of Alexandre Dumas, king's musketeers seek to replace the ruthless French king for a twin brother of him, that people don't know and that has been kept secret by state reasons. Directed by Randall Wallace, which also provides the script, has the participation of Leonardo DiCaprio, Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, Gerard Depardieu and Gabriel Byrne.

The script is good and makes an interesting adaptation of the novel. Initially, I had few expectations about the film due to Randall Wallace, who was involved in the disaster that was "Braveheart". In fact, this film is low in historical accuracy, but Dumas also invented quite in his own novel. The recreation of the court environments, costumes and sets, on the other hand, seemed to me more in line with historical reality and also fill the expectations of the audience, showing the splendor of the Sun King's court. Maybe Wallace has taken some positive lessons from "Braveheart" after all. The action scenes were interesting, and the swashbuckler style sword fighting's deserves a positive note. Leo DiCaprio was at the highest level and showed great talent, having to make two characters deeply antagonistic. Depardieu was not bad but not surprised except in humor. His character is the funniest and the actor was perfectly able to play with it and make him funnier. John Malkovich, Gabriel Byrne and Jeremy Irons incarnated the deepest and psychologically demanding roles, having made an inspired performance and showing great ability to collaborate with each other. After all, they are all veterans and established actors, they don't have to prove anything to anyone. The soundtrack accompanied the film faithfully and fulfilled her role with style.

Not being, nor by far, one of the best movies I know about this historical period, this film doesn't frustrate the expectations of the public and give him what he wants: fencing, old-fashioned chivalry, dances, the luxury of Ancient Regime and a story that combines, in the right measure, history, romance, drama and action.… Expand

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MattBrady99

Sep 26, 2015

The Man in the Iron Mask is forgettable and quite dull to watch. The cinematography and the costumes were great, but DiCaprio was no King Louis and it sucks saying that because I know Leo is better than this.

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Broyax

Jan 21, 2017

Je savais bien que c'était une daube ou je le subodorais fortement du moins mais j'ai été appâté par la distribution vraiment très agréable et très judicieusement choisie : Di Caprio, Irons, Depardieu, Byrne, Malkovich, Parillaud, Sarsgaard... même la jolie Godrêche qui joue la godiche bienJe savais bien que c'était une daube ou je le subodorais fortement du moins mais j'ai été appâté par la distribution vraiment très agréable et très judicieusement choisie : Di Caprio, Irons, Depardieu, Byrne, Malkovich, Parillaud, Sarsgaard... même la jolie Godrêche qui joue la godiche bien apprêtée se révèle charmante. C'est la foire aux beaux costumes et à la belle reconstitution, l'histoire est toute tracée (Alexandre Dumas, bon sang !) il suffit de suivre le fil.

Mais non, Randall Wallace malgré sa caméra fluide, presque guindée, accouche d'une grosse merde. J'étais plein de bonnes résolutions et j'avais coché la case "bon public" dans un recoin de ma cervelle peu habituée à de telles pratiques. Impossible de tenir jusqu'au bout, j'ai les neurones qui fument devant des dialogues aussi imbéciles, notre Depardieu national qui enchaîne pitrerie sur pitrerie, la musique gnangnan à dormir debout et les graves lenteurs d'un scénario dont même une tortue ne voudrait pas.

Malgré la distribution, tout y est très compassé et maladroit, peu crédible et disons-le, carrément ridicule. C'est l'idée sans doute que se fait Hollywood des intrigues imaginées par Dumas à la Cour du Royaume de France : pédantes et grotesques. Un tel bling-bling partout, on se croirait à Las Vegas !… Expand

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