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233 of 248 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Count on revenge, and then some., February 2, 2002
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 a director who keeps things interesting at all times, this is one swashbuckling adventure that pleases in all fields. The story centers around Edmund Dantes (Jim Caviezel), a sailor from a middle class upbringing in the town of Marseilles. He has a friend, Fernand Mondego (Guy Pearce), whose father is a wealthy aristocrat; despite his rich lifestyle, Mondego still harbors a slight jealousy for Dantes, who has just been promoted to captain of his vessel, allowing him the opportunity to marry his longtime love, Mercedes (Dagmara Dominczyk). Overcome by envy, Mondego concocts a vicious plan with the equally jealous first mate of Dantes' boat that lands a wrongfully accused Dantes in the Chateau d'If for more than a decade. During his years of imprisonment, Dantes' resolve is strengthened by brutal beatings, and by his friendship with fellow prisoner Faria (Richard Harris), who teaches Dantes to read and write, the articulate moves of swordplay, and offers him the location of a long-lost treasure that would give him the means to exact his revenge on those who have wronged him. Faria's death provides Dantes the method of escape he needs, and once out, he begins his quest. The second half of the movie takes the movie to new heights of interest, as Dantes makes his big entrance in Paris as the Count of Monte Cristo, bent on exacting his revenge on Mondego, now married to a repressed, sullen Mercedes, and on Villefort, the police chief who played a role in his wrongful incarceration. Anyone familiar with revenge plots is well aware that this is a dish best served cold, and many will delight in the cooly calculated revelations and confrontations that arise as Dantes's master plan begins to unfold. Accompanying this feeling of satisfaction is the movie's wondrous appearance and execution. The look and feel of the film drips with the quality of the swashbuckling adventures of yesteryear, with its themes of vengeance and nobility, it's glorious costumes and set design, and a final showdown that provides a slam-bang finish complete with suspense and fist-clenching thrills. Reynolds, and screenwriter Jay Wolpert, have realized the novel for the screen in a manner that is pleasing to the eye and the mind, keeping in touch with everything that has immortalized Dumas' work without reworking key moments to make room for modern artistic influences. If this weren't enough to please popcorn audiences and literary buffs, the cast is completely remarkable. Jim Caviezel plays Dantes with the conviction of a man wrongfully accused; by the time he escapes prison, we are all for him and his brilliantly conceived plan. His chemistry with leading lady Dagmara Dominczyk is a welcome slice of old-fashioned romance, while his scenes with Guy Pearce provide a nice contrast of nobility and jealousy, which Pearce perfects in his performance as Mondego. Also worthy of noting are the appearances of Richard Harris and Lius Guzman, who provide humorous touches throughout. More than anything else, this latest big-screen version of "The Count of Monte Cristo" is a wonderful popcorn adventure replete with everything you could possibly ask for in a film of this sort. Overall, it remains faithful enough to its source, and keeps us enlightened and entertained throughout its well-acted, well-directed, well-executed duration. Count on revenge, and then some.
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98 of 104 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A surprisingly fresh and superb adventure film, September 13, 2002
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 beautiful period piece, finely photographed and scored and edited and directed. For a taste of just how exciting the old tales can be visually, treat yourself to an evening with The Count!
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75 of 79 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not the Story, but Enjoyable Nontheless, June 6, 2003
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, the home of the exiled emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. With his captain dead, Dantes arrives in port and is promptly promoted to become the new captain. This step up in status angers several people around Dantes, specifically Danglars, Villefort, and Mondego. The three conspire to have Edmond arrested on charges of treason and thrown into a political prison called the Chateau D'If. Dantes spends years suffering in solitary confinement, although he eventually meets an elderly prisoner named Faria who educates him while they plan their escape. Moreover, this prisoner tells Edmond about a fabulous treasure that could be his for the taking. Eventually, Dantes escapes and embarks on a series of adventures that finds him returning to seek revenge against his enemies under the name "Le Comte de Monte Christo." This very short description of Dumas's novel obviously leaves out much of the plot. It also highlights the inherent difficulties in translating "The Count of Monte Christo" into a two-hour film. There is just too much detail, characters, and sub-plots in the novel to work with. The revenge plots Dantes formulates against his enemies alone are of such length and complexity that it would take hours to encapsulate them on the silver screen. Throw in the sub-plot of the Italian bandit Luigi Vampa (who does appear in the film), which is of immense importance in the novel, and it is impossible to adequately convey the full majesty of this classic on celluloid. Fortunately, this film manages to entertain while retaining key elements of the written story. The first part of the movie hews closely to the novel with a few notable exceptions. The film begins with Edmond and his friend Mondego landing on Elba, where they have a shoot out with British security forces before personally meeting the deposed emperor. Back in Marseilles, we meet Mercedes, Dantes girlfriend and a character who plays a big role in the written story. The filmmakers do insert a warden for Chateau D'If, played by actor Michael Wincott, who does not appear in the book. If you are familiar with Wincott, you will remember his voice and his presence. He makes a great addition here and has the best lines in the film. By the time Dantes returns to society as the Count, the film diverges wildly from the story. The revenge Edmond seeks here is too pat and too easily resolved. In the book, his vengeance is intricately planned and executed slowly over many, many pages. By shortening this sequence, the filmmakers sacrifice the suspense of the novel to time constraints and a waning attention span common in today's moviegoers. To be fair, the movie never tries to be a literal interpretation of the book (or so says screenwriter Jay Wolpert in an interview on the disc). In some ways, deviating from the book does make the story more compelling. The sword fights are great fun to watch, especially the final showdown between Dantes and Mondego. The scene where Dantes provides a way out for Villefort and then pulls back at the last second is a nice touch as well. Overall, although I think more elements of the book should have been kept in the story, the movie succeeds. Many extras on the disc make this well worth picking up. There is a short documentary about Alexandre Dumas, a location documentary, four deleted scenes with commentary, a film commentary from director Kevin Reynolds, a detailed explanation on how the sword fights were shot and choreographed, and an interview with writer Jay Wolpert. The picture quality and sound is top notch. I recall that this film disappeared from the theaters quickly, perhaps due to an aversion for period pieces or competition from one of those effects laden clunkers they foist on us every few months. I found "The Count of Monte Christo" entertaining and technically well done, and would certainly view it again.
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