The novel remains a high-point of swashbuckling adventure, and the films boast plenty of swordplay, while also adding a revisionist streak of satirical humor.

Those who remember Part I with any fondness at all can best preserve that memory by skipping Part II.

The well-matched lead players -- Michael York, Oliver Reed, Richard Chamberlain, and Faye Dunaway -- seem to have stepped straight from Dumas' pages.

This one isn’t as crisply paced as its predecessor, but it’s nevertheless a satisfying way to wrap up the saga.