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The Underrated Charlie Sheen Action Comedy You Should Be Watching On Disney+

One reason for Charlie Sheen's success in film and television is that his deadpan, earnest face is perfect for both drama and comedy. Oliver Stone even told Entertainment Weekly as much, saying he cast the actor, then a teenager, in "Platoon" because he "seemed perfectly wide-eyed and had a vaguely privileged look." This also made Sheen a perfect fit for the similarly inexperienced character of Bud Fox in Stone's 1987 film "Wall Street."

The receptive, sincere quality that made Sheen a leading man in "Platoon" and the sports drama "Eight Men Out" also made him perfect for goofball humor. In the 1990s, Sheen was the star of the ridiculous comedies "Hot Shots!" and "Hot Shots! Part Deux," as well as the "Major League" films. By 2000, he'd become primarily a sitcom actor, replacing Michael J. Fox on "Spin City" before starring in the hit CBS series "Two and a Half Men."

Sheen's dedication to his craft at the time led to him getting into serious physical shape for the "Hot Shots!" sequel, even if he was only playing a parody of a hero. That same year, he tackled another relatively physical role in a rousing, yet underrated Disney action-adventure film.

The Three Musketeers is an exciting 1990s action comedy

Set in 1625, "The Three Musketeers" stars Charlie Sheen, Keifer Sutherland, and Oliver Platt as Aramis, Athos, and Porthos, respectively, devout guards sworn to defend King Louis of France. Joining them is the young recruit D'Artagnan (Chris O'Donnell), as he becomes a part of the musketeers' clash with the king's scheming adviser, Cardinal Richelieu (Tim Curry), and his spy, Milady de Winter (Rebecca DeMornay).

The 1993 adaptation, available to stream on Disney+, takes some liberties with the famous Alexandre Dumas novel, including simplifying the overall story for mainstream audiences, according to Book Riot. Critics at the time gave the movie a sour reception (the Rotten Tomatoes aggregate score for positive reviews is a dismal 28%), with Roger Ebert writing of the Disney adventure, "It's all sound and energy, without plan or meaning." The Washington Post's Hal Hinson, however, managed to be both critical and complimentary of the film, writing, "[Director Steven] Herek's approach is not that original, but his ability to put us right in the heart of the action, right where the blow lands and the face hits the ground, does get the heart going."

In other words, it's meant to be a romp, rather than a faithful interpretation of the epic novel. As such, "The Three Musketeers" holds up as a well-made swashbuckler, complete with sword-fighting, funny banter, and Curry's wonderfully nasty villain performance. There have been other adaptations of the book since then, but they haven't had the sheer energy and fun of "The Three Musketeers."