On Guard!

Released Oct 18, 2002

2h 8m

Adventure

History

Drama

List

88%

Tomatometer

32 Reviews

78%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

Lagardere (Daniel Auteuil), a commoner, meets the Duc de Nevers (Vincent Perez), and the two, both expert swordsmen, develop a close bond. When the duke discovers he has fathered an illegitimate daughter in the countryside, he decides to marry the baby's mother, and brings Lagardere along for the journey. On the day of the wedding, though, the duke is killed by his fiendish cousin, Count Gonzague (Fabrice Luchini). Lagardere escapes with the infant and bides his time until he can exact revenge.

Critics Consensus

A spirited, old-fashioned swashbuckler.

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Doris N. Truong

Dallas Morning News

Sometimes, nothing satisfies like old-fashioned swashbuckling. And in this regard, On Guard delivers.

Rated: B+

Jan 24, 2003

Full Review

Wesley Morris

Boston Globe

Despite its postdated irrelevance and its dopey title, this Daniel Auteuil vehicle is ludicrous fun.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 3, 2003

Full Review

Allison Benedikt

Chicago Tribune

An awkward and indigestible movie.

Rated: 2/4

Jan 3, 2003

Full Review

Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

In the grand tradition of the once beloved swashbuckler, de Broca's On Guard is a topnotch example, especially considering it was material produced several times before.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 30, 2020

Full Review

Jason Best

Movie Talk

A dashing hero, dastardly villain and winsome distressed damsel, not to mention a melodramatic plot, thrilling sword fights and high-spirited comedy - all the elements you need to fashion the perfect swashbuckler.

Mar 14, 2011

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 3/5

Jul 21, 2005

Full Review

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Audience Member

Fun to watch & nothing more

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Swordplay in the classic style. Great fun. Watched it 4 times then my old vhs tape gave up the ghost and snapped. Daniel Auteuil is a great actor.....so versatile.....'Harry' in 'The Eighth Day' and 'Ugolin' in 'Jean de Florette'. In 'Le Bossu' he ends up holding the baby.....and there's a hunchback in it (again). Very good film if you like The Three Musketeer type movie.....french style.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A plot worthy of Dumas but, alas, the execution is not there.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Rousing, old-fashioned swashbuckler.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Brilliant story, cast and performance! Highly recommended :-)

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

Full Review

Audience Member

outlandish but loads of fun. the kind of film i thought they didn't make anymore: swashbuckling in grand style!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/09/23

Full Review

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Philippe de Broca

Director

Daniel Auteuil

Lagardère

Fabrice Luchini

Gonzague

Vincent Perez

Duc de Nevers

Marie Gillain

Aurore

Yann Collette

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Synopsis

Lagardere (Daniel Auteuil), a commoner, meets the Duc de Nevers (Vincent Perez), and the two, both expert swordsmen, develop a close bond. When the duke discovers he has fathered an illegitimate daughter in the countryside, he decides to marry the baby's mother, and brings Lagardere along for the journey. On the day of the wedding, though, the duke is killed by his fiendish cousin, Count Gonzague (Fabrice Luchini). Lagardere escapes with the infant and bides his time until he can exact revenge.

Director: Philippe de Broca
Screenwriter: Jean Cosmos
Distributor: Empire Pictures
Production Co: Cecchi Gori Group Tiger Cinema
Genre: Adventure, History, Drama
Original Language: Canadian French
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 18, 2002, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $261.0K
Runtime: 2h 8m
Sound Mix: Surround

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