The Man in the Iron Mask poster & wallpaper

Leonardo DiCaprio, Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich

The cruel King Louis XIV of France has a secret twin brother who he keeps imprisoned. Can the twin be substituted for the real king?

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60% liked it

189,673 ratings

Critics

30% liked it

33 critics

PG-13, 172 min.

Directed by: Randall Wallace

Release Date: June 1, 1997

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DVD Release Date: August 11, 1998

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Stats: 8,766 reviews

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King Louis XIV On Set The Man in the Iron Mask Poster King Louis XIV Leonardo DiCaprio The Man in the Iron Mask The Man in the Iron Mask The Musketeers Leonardo di Caprio Man in the Iron mask Poster Philippe The Man in the Iron Mask Athos The Musketeers King Louis XIV King Louis XIV
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Flixster Reviews (8,766)

  • irisheyes686
    August 23, 2008
    irisheyes686
    I absolutely loved this movie. So many good actors, and the story was a very good one. Something different for once!
  • PvtCaboose91
    May 12, 2008
    PvtCaboose91
    "You have the heart of a king."


    After the atrocious watered-down Disney version of The Three Musketeers I felt that Hollywood had made one too many films concerning Alexander Dumas' classic story. However, The Man in the Iron Mask is writer/director Ran

    ...( read more)dall Wallace's take on the source material. And at least this wasn't a dilute PG-rated Disney film aimed at the children. While watching this film my fears were soon alleviated.


    Leonardo DiCaprio plays the dual roles of heartless King Louis, and his brother Philippe. Louis is the king of France who ascended to the throne after the death of his father. Louis' brother Philippe could not also take the throne of France and was instead thrown into prison with his face hidden behind an iron mask (therein lies the title). The city of Paris is starving; its king is spending more time debauching young women and filtering money into unnecessary wars. King Louis is a heartless ruler who cares for no-one but himself. His arrogance causes a stir amongst his royal guard. Determined to save the country from starvation, the film then follows the now aging illustrious musketeers; Aramis (Irons), Athos (Malkovich), Porthos (Depardieu) and D'Artagnan (Byrne). Due to his loyalties towards the king, D'Artagnan abandons the three other musketeers as they conceive a clever plan to replace King Louis. To do this they must break Louis' brother Philippe out of prison, remove Philippe's iron mask and train him to take the place of his heartless sibling.


    The plot of The Man in the Iron Mask isn't as conventional or as clichéd as it could have been. It is a refreshing story that was relieving to see after the horribly childish Disney film (both were based on different stories, but Disney's film was just far too by-the-numbers and thin). Instead of Disney, 20th Century Fox stepped in to release this one. Although the film isn't as violent as it could have been, the themes are a lot heavier and the triumphant moments aren't as cheesy.


    I found it interesting that the musketeers have now aged quite severely and have passed their prime. This just shows their versatility as soldiers after many years of fighting.


    Unlike many adaptations of Dumas' story, this film is concerned with the larger-than-life sword fights the four men undertook and their swashbuckling exploits instead of tracing their roots. Several films have looked at how the men came to be, thus it would have been far too tedious to show the back-story of the foursome yet again. In a sense it's a great companion piece for Disney's The Three Musketeers. That film is cheesy beyond belief but it at least tells the story behind the forming of the musketeers reasonably skilfully. The Disney film also shows how to make a mediocre film out of a great story. The Man in the Iron Mask shows how to make a remarkable movie out of terrific source material.


    Leonardo DiCaprio hadn't made a big name for himself yet. Some of his only credits included What's Eating Gilbert Grape, The Basketball Diaries and Romeo + Juliet among several others. For the most part he was the romantic pretty boy lacking any emotional depth. DiCaprio's acting is acceptable but not great. He was the pretty boy a lot of the time; however I occasionally really liked his style of acting. At least his romantic lines aren't cringe-worthy. Although nothing groundbreaking, credit must go to DiCaprio for a solid effort in playing dual roles. I have no complaints about the four that play the renowned musketeers. These men are certainly a smart choice to play such characters. They have the dry wit and chemistry: something that cannot be said for Disney's production.


    The Man in the Iron Mask boasts some elegant production (and costume) design as well as lavish sets and dazzling locations. Every shot looks like a genuine photograph from the film's historic period. My only complaint: gross over-length and a few too many clichés. Aside from that, I enjoyed this exceptional movie that is unforgettable and extravagant.
  • DeppLover
    May 1, 2008
    DeppLover
    A fantastic tale that is enjoyable for all. Yet another movie which has given me more reason to love Leonardo DiCaprio. Being one of my favorite actors he made this movie appeal more to me, but also Jeremy Irons and Gabriel Byrne were fantastic cast choices.
    If you haven't seen ...( read more)this yet, you really should. With an all star cast and brilliant story, this movie is truly unforgettable.
  • allan913
    January 6, 2008
    allan913
    Grand entertainment pleasure. Swift, fun and very exciting. The cast is excellent. It's wickedly funny and action-packed. A classic film adventure. An absolutely enjoyable and pleasently entertaining movie you cant get enough of. Brilliant performances by the enyire group. Leonar...( read more)do DiCaprio is sensational. John Malkovich, Gerard Depardieu and Jeremy Irons are teriffic. Gabriel Byrne is marvelous.
  • crackingdanio
    January 3, 2008
    crackingdanio
    gives me the creeps to think a person was actually imprisoned like this,no matter how true the story is
  • totalefreiheit
    November 3, 2009
    totalefreiheit
    Muy buenas actuaciones de Gerard Depardieu y John Malkovich. Me cae bien Gabriel Byrne. La pelicula esta buena a pesar de DiCaprio.
  • YoungDenze1
    November 3, 2009
    YoungDenze1
    I WATCHED IT SO MENY TIMES;

    BUT NEVER GET BORED! DA ACTORS BE BORN TO ACT!
  • dukeakasmudge
    October 29, 2009
    dukeakasmudge
    Snoooooze.I fell asleep in the middle & didnt care how it ended
  • musikankan1
    October 26, 2009
    musikankan1
    Not really the best movie I've seen, but it was OK. Leonardo DiCaprio does a good job, but it could've been better.
  • moeshroom
    October 23, 2009
    moeshroom
    DiCaprio is such an over actor

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Comments

  • pure388
    January 12, 2008
    pure388
    what can i say about this movie ?? it's unbelievable !!! you just gotta watch it if you haven't ...
  • lu0132
    August 31, 2007
    lu0132
    It all abot Jeremy-John-Gabriel
    That why I like the Movie soon.
    Leo is ok. But Gabriel is much much Better
  • vctrlz
    October 20, 2006
    vctrlz
    I liked it.

    But then again, I was 5.
  • atwojay
    September 24, 2006
    atwojay
    This movie proved to me that Leo can act.
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The Man in the Iron Mask Trivia

  • What movie is this quote from? "Is that the kind of king you wish me to be? Or do you say this because of your son?"  Answer »
  • In which film does Leonardo DiCaprio play the role of twin brothers?  Answer »
  • What movie is the following quote from? "I wear the mask. It does not wear me."  Answer »
  • He stared in Titanic, and in the man in the Iron Mask. Who is the actor?  Answer »
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