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Highly Overrated But Still Good

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

This is just as bad as my title sounds. Just a terrible equation. Cast full of great actors, really all great actors I mean: Jeremy Irons, Depardieu, Gabriel Byrne, Malkovich, DiCaprio... and neither of them can even make this lift above the ground an inch. It's incredibly dull, flat, utterly predictable, tedious... every action scene is like a caricature of an action scene, every dialog a caricature of a dialog, everything is cheap, rushed, from start to finish, the one-liners, the constant stares into the camera/long pauses between lines attempting the dramatic... in many places, if not the whole thing, it looks like a film which screenplay/story was thought out some night by some bored film people who just wanted something to make to merely entertain their then idly bored selves. Really. It's so badly made it's immediately beyond credible and confirms its atrocious global quality throughout. It's a little bit like a joke if you will. Oh, and the plot twists. This is really just one of those films that are so bad they're entertaining.

There's a sort of pall that hangs over The Man in the Iron Mask. It's a feeling of... mediocrity. I know that no expense was spared in production. It's a fine specimen of movie entertainment. Sets, costumes, cinematography, editing. And, of course, big headliners.The one thing that feels skimped on is story management. It feels dilettante-ish; like simple karmic elements tinker-toyed together and intended for delectation by a 5-year-old snuzzled into bed with his teddy bear. Transitively, the actors--especially the headliners--come off like their tongues are weighed down by the knowledge that they're reading fay, simplistic storytelling. Somewhere between the standard script and the interp (the direction, also, mayhaps?), a ball has been dropped.After viewing, I thought, OK: What's a good counter-example? A flick that has all the same technical finery, including roughly the same period, but also possessing a picaresque narrative, with character study, as deep as it is broad, would be... Barry Lyndon.If you're thinking, "That boring old fossil?!?!" then I'd just say... OK, maybe "Iron Mask" is more your speed, and... godspeed! But I see the technical finery of a flick as merely a substrate. The story is everything. I do expect both (good technique and narrative depth), but actually am more respectful toward flicks that, even if they're technically lacking, at least deliver on the mythic level in a satisfying way.So I give this one a '6' for the technique, but I can't creep that any higher.If you like a simple intrigue fable and lots of swashbuckling, "Iron Mask" will do.

The Man in the Iron Mask (1998): Dir: Randall Wallace / Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, John Malkovich, Jeremy Irons, Gerard Depardieu, Gabriel Byrne: Fantasy about identity that takes a familiar concept and reworks it with the Musketeers as a factor. Set in 1662 with the separation of twins. One is put in chains and fastened into an iron mask while the other becomes a sadistic ruler. He is defended by a Priest and the Musketeers. One of the Musketeers loses a son in one of the King's battles so he gets together with the others with plans of switching the twins. Randall Wallace does a skilled job directing but humour is often too corny, such as a scene where the Musketeers slice vegetables that are thrown at them. We know where this all ends and only the sets make it worthwhile. Leonardo DiCaprio is a fine actor but unfortunately overplays two roles here. John Malkovich plays a vengeful Musketeer. Jeremy Irons is terrific in his loyalty to the King. He is outsmarted during the switch but will become involved in the action violence climax that these films tend to be reduced too. Gabriel Byrne is also featured although he has played broader roles than this. Gerard Depardieu is hilarious but the other roles seem more or less cardboard. The film contains impressive sets that are the strongest element in the film. That is the one element that allows the film to see the light of day. Score: 6 ½ / 10

Astonishing story directed , produce , written by Randall Wallace with a very huge great cast and an incredible performance from DiCaprio , Malkovich but especially I loved also Gabriel Byrne , Jeremy Irons & Gerard Depardieu these 3 last ones it's the first time that I see them in a film I think so and it was just awesome .A story about King Louis XIV and his twin brother sent away blocked in a prison with an Iron Mask after Louis finds out he lives and doesn't want to risk the throne so he punished Philippe with this awful suffer , that in fact he didn't want to murder him thinking it's too much .There's some great stuff around the film you see romance , action , drama Christine hangs herself in the end after finding out Raoul's death was planned by Louis , D'Artagan is the father of Philippe loved the Queen until his last breath in the end they trick Louis into the iron mask replace Philippe as Louis and he will be known as one of the greatest rulers in his nation's history .Great movie don't miss it old fashion classic , perfect 10 :D