Count of Monte Cristo (Widescreen)

• Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (Widescreen)
• Man In The Iron Mask (1998)
• The Three Musketeers (Widescreen)
• Miserables (Widescreen)
• King Arthur: Director's Cut (Extended Unrated Version)

For a better version of the movie, watch the (1980's was it?) Russian (er, Soviet) version, if you can get your hands on a translation.

An outstanding production and well worth a viewing.

Dumas' classic story of wealth and revenge is unforgettable. Caviezel is very good as Edmond Dantes, the wrongly accused scapegoat of the Assistant Prosecutor, Villefort. The scene in which he is imprisoned and whipped with full beard, long hair made me wonder if Mel Gibson chose Caviezel to play Christ after viewing this scene. It reminded me of the crucifix scene of Gibson's "Passion" film. Dantes (Caviezel) is aided by an imprisoned priest played by an unrecognizable Richard Harris. The priest helps Dantes by helping him learn to read and improve his dexterity in dueling. The priest's death however helps Dantes the most, for Dantes uses the body bag meant for the priest to make his escape and find the treasure that will make him the Count of Monte Cristo. Once he becomes the Count, he exacts revenge (the fun part of the movie) on those who wronged him.

I suggest reading the book first, because you'll be imagining the actions taking place as you read Dumas' words. For the most part the movie stays the course of Dumas' plot, with some additional scenes and dialogue for drama's sake. This costume piece is also helped by nice scenery and good acting all around. Don't know how well it did at the box office, because most moviegoers stay away form literary adaptations, but it's well worth the rental, or buy it on VHS/DV like my uncle did.

After careful consideration, I have come to the conclusion that James Caviezal is really not a particularly good actor. He plays every role the same...with a sort of bewildered determination that gets very old...after about thirty seconds. There are some difficult lines in that movie, and James Caviezal makes them sound forced. Not good for a movie that has already been forced enough. Caviezal is certainly something to look at, so for a while his bad acting slips past one's guard, but in the end, nothing can hide badly delivered lines. It's a pity really, because had that role been better casted it would have greatly improved the movie. The secondary characters were wonderful. Guy Peirce, as always, did a spectacularly oily job as Ferdenand, the chief villain and Mercedes' son looked so much like James Caviezal that it made her revelation to her husband at the end of the movie a touch redundant. Richard Harris was wonderful as the priest and Michal Wincott had a humoursly sadistic little part as the prison warden. Too bad Caviezal couldn't hold up to the rest of the cast.

Oh yes, and one other thing...if you're going to chande every thing but the names of the characters...the least you could to is pronounce the names right. It's FRENCH people!! The name Dantes is pronounced Dante!! Please...I was wincing every time they said his name. If they insist on butchering the book...can they not at least get the names rightf?

On the upside, it was beautifully filmed and the costumes were lovelly. As I have said, the supporting cast was excellant (although Mercedes looked a bit to much like Dantes for my taste)and it was because of them that I enjoyed the movie. It is traditional cookie-cutter Hollywood with very bad bad-guys and very good good-guys, revenge, love...oh yeah and they had to toss in a bit of religion, annoying, but not overbearing...if you want to be entertained, the movie will do so...if you want a good movie...look elsewhere.

The Count of Monte Cristo hit the theaters in early 2002, arriving with all the fanfare of...well, you know when the grocery store gets a new shipment of cereal? Less than that. But sometimes the smallest splashes result in the greatest impacts. The Count of Monte Cristo came out and reminded the few who saw it that a movie can have a great, cohesive story with superior acting and entertain without being either pretentiously arty or exceptionally lowbrow. As I said, all of the actors are great: Jim Caviezel, Guy Pearce, Richard Harris, Tom Everett Scott, Luis Guzman, Michael Wincott, etc.

If you're looking for an accurate adaptation of the novel, this probably isn't your place, but if you're looking for an entertaining, epic film with action, intrigue, betrayal, revenge, and even a dash of comedy, you can't do much better than The Count.

• Genres > Kids & Family > Characters & Series > Disney
• Genres > Action & Adventure

• Amazon.ca : Count of Monte Cristo (Widescreen)