The Count of Monte Cristo

Count on revenge, and then some.
After attending the release of "The Count of Monte Cristo," a friend made the remark that he believed the movie could benefit from additional fight sequences. Immediately my mind shot back to last year's "The Musketeer," also based (rather loosely, I might add) on another of Alexandre Dumas' famous classics. In that film, character development, story, and tone were sacrificed for the sake of creating yet another movie in which a choreographer of Chinese descent was allowed to make an impression on action aficionados by dazzling them with techniques reminiscent of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."

What a relief that this latest adaptation of a Dumas novel strays from the usual clichés and redundancy of bringing a classic work of literature to the screen, coming out as a sturdy, well-guided costume drama that combines action, intensity, passion, and most importantly, revenge. With a script that keeps much of the novel's intricacies intact, a cast befitting of their roles, and...

Not the Story, but Enjoyable Nontheless
If you have never discovered the wonderful world of Alexandre Dumas, I urge you to run, not walk to the local library or bookstore and obtain a copy of "Le Comte de Monte Christo." I also recommend reading the unabridged version of this classic tale about a man who takes revenge on his enemies. One thing is certain: do not attempt to take the lazy way out by watching this adaptation of Dumas's novel. Two hours will never be enough time to adequately express the majestic beauty of this novel written by a phenomenal storyteller. Having said that, I enjoyed immensely this version of the story starring Jim Caviezel, Guy Pearce, and Richard Harris. Period pieces are often fun to watch, and this one is no exception. With a few problematic exceptions, "The Count of Monte Christo" is an entertaining film.

The tale, if you are not familiar with it, focuses on a French sailor named Edmond Dantes. On a trading trip back to Marseilles, Dantes had the misfortune to stop at the island of Elba,...

A surprisingly fresh and superb adventure film
In this time of fire and explosion oriented blockbuster movies it is indeed refreshing to find a remake of a classic novel of the quality of The Count of Monte Cristo currently available. I happened to nonchalantly choose this film at the DVD outlet as a source of viewing background for an evening of desk work. WRONG! This superbly made film of the Dumas' novel is excellent and gripping on every level. The quality of the film, shot in Ireland and Malta, is visually stunning, the story remains true to the original, and the cast is outstanding. James Caviezel makes a star turn in the title role, aided by the always excellent Guy Pearce, the veteran Richard Harris, the here venomous James Frain, a fine and very different role for Luis Guzman, and the elegantly beautiful Dagmara Domincyzk. The movie is beautifully paced, the long prison scenes allow Caviezel and Harris to create tremendous rapport, and the age old theme of REVENGE has rarely been played out so well. This is a...

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