Back to trending
On Guard

On Guard

Adventure · Action · Drama · 1997

France, 17th century, during the reign of Louis XIII. When a dear friend, the Duke of Nevers, is treacherously assassinated by a powerful relative, a skilled swordsman, the noble Henri de Lagardère, seeks his rightful vengeance as he tries to protect the innocent life of the duke's last heir.

Movie details

On Guard

“Some things are worth dying for”

1997 Adventure · Action · Drama 2h 8m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.7 / 10

Community rating

France, 17th century, during the reign of Louis XIII. When a dear friend, the Duke of Nevers, is treacherously assassinated by a powerful relative, a skilled swordsman, the noble Henri de Lagardère, seeks his rightful vengeance as he tries to protect the innocent life of the duke's last heir.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over On Guard?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

The Three Musketeers: Milady

The Three Musketeers: Milady

Adventure · 2023

D'Artagnan, on a quest to rescue the abducted Constance, runs into the mysterious Milady de Winter again. The tension between the Catholics and the Protestants finally escalates, as the king declares war — forcing the now four musketeers into battle. But as the war goes on, they are tested physically, mentally and emotionally.

The Count of Monte Cristo

The Count of Monte Cristo

Adventure · 2024

Edmond Dantès becomes the target of a sinister plot and is arrested on his wedding day for a crime he did not commit. After 14 years in the island prison of Château d’If, he manages a daring escape. Now rich beyond his dreams, he assumes the identity of the Count of Monte-Cristo and exacts his revenge on the three men who betrayed him.

Kali: Avenging Angel

Kali: Avenging Angel

Action · 2024

Lisa, aka Kali, has nothing left to lose when she finds out her husband has been executed in Rio to cover up a corruption scandal. A former Special Forces recruit, she heads to Brazil with fists, blood and explosives, to find out the truth.

The Three Musketeers: D'Artagnan

The Three Musketeers: D'Artagnan

Adventure · 2023

D'Artagnan, a spirited young Gascon, is left for dead after trying to save a noblewoman from being kidnapped. Once in Paris, he tries by all means to find his attackers, unaware that his quest will lead him to the very heart of a war where the future of France is at stake. Aided by King's Musketeers Athos, Porthos and Aramis, he faces the machinations of villainous Cardinal Richelieu and Milady de Winter, while falling in love with Constance, the Queen's confidante.

The Vikings

The Vikings

Adventure · 1958

Einar, brutal son of the viking Ragnar and future heir to his throne, tangles with clever slave Eric, for the hand of a beautiful English maiden.

Dragonheart: Vengeance

Dragonheart: Vengeance

Fantasy · 2021

Lukas, a young farmer whose family is killed by savage raiders in the countryside, sets out on an epic quest for revenge, forming an unlikely trio with a majestic dragon and a swashbuckling, sword-fighting mercenary, Darius.

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

Action · 1991

Nobleman crusader Robin of Locksley breaks out of a Jerusalem prison with the help of Moorish fellow prisoner Azeem and travels back home to England. But upon arrival he discovers his dead father in the ruins of his family estate, killed by the vicious sheriff of Nottingham, Robin and Azeem join forces with outlaws Little John and Will Scarlett to save the kingdom from the sheriff's villainy.

The Way West

The Way West

Action · 1967

In the mid-19th century, Senator William J. Tadlock leads a group of settlers overland in a quest to start a new settlement in the Western US. Tadlock is a highly principled and demanding taskmaster who is as hard on himself as he is on those who have joined his wagon train. He clashes with one of the new settlers, Lije Evans, who doesn't quite appreciate Tadlock's ways. Along the way, the families must face death and heartbreak and a sampling of frontier justice when one of them accidentally kills a young Indian boy.

Robin Hood

Robin Hood

Action · 2010

When soldier Robin happens upon the dying Robert of Loxley, he promises to return the man's sword to his family in Nottingham. There, he assumes Robert's identity; romances his widow, Marion; and draws the ire of the town's sheriff and King John's henchman, Godfrey.

Halo: Nightfall

Halo: Nightfall

Sci-fi · 2014

Set between the events of Halo 4 and Halo 5: Guardians… Halo: Nightfall tells the dramatic story of legendary man hunter and Naval Intelligence Officer Jameson Locke and his team as they are caught in a horrific biological attack while investigating terrorist activity on the distant colony world of Sedra. As they unravel a plot that draws them to an ancient, hellish artifact, they will be forced to fight for their survival, question everything and ultimately choose between their loyalty and their lives.

Where it lives

Watch in your region.

Cinema release signals and current streaming, rental, and purchase options for your region.

Streaming availability data supplied by JustWatch.

Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Philippe de Broca

Written by

Jérôme Tonnerre · Jean Cosmos · Philippe de Broca

Daniel Auteuil

Daniel Auteuil

Lagardère

Fabrice Luchini

Fabrice Luchini

Count Gonzague

Vincent Perez

Vincent Perez

Duke of Nevers

Marie Gillain

Marie Gillain

Aurore de Nevers

Yann Collette

Yann Collette

Peyrolles

Jean-François Stévenin

Jean-François Stévenin

Cocardasse

Didier Pain

Didier Pain

Passepoil

Court is in session

Put On Guard on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Adrenaline Seeker

“Momentum is a formal choice.”

The velocity sharpens instinct and tension, making every beat land before self-importance can settle in.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“Speed as an alibi.”

The film races past its weak spots and hopes acceleration will keep the audience from inspecting the evidence.