Special Review
This review is a special request from Patreon supporter Patrick Glauber. If you'd like to support me on Patreon, click the button below. Visit PatreonIn 1844, Alexandre Dumas published the novel Le Comte de Monte-Cristo, which became an instant hit in Europe. Dumas and Auguste Maquet first adapted the book to the stage in four parts between 1848 and 1851. With the invention of film, it wouldn’t be long until Dumas’ novel got its first big screen adaptation. The earliest movie version was a silent film in 1908, a filmed version of the stage play. The first sound version, directed by Rowland V. Lee and starring Robert Donat, was released in 1934, spawning two sequels. Between 1942 and 1986, several movie adaptations from around the world were made, including Mexico, Egypt, Malaysia, and Hong Kong. In the early 2000s, Disney acquired the rights under their Touchstone Pictures label and hired Kevin Reynolds for an adaptation. His film version, titled simply The Count of Monte Cristo, hit theaters in January 2002.
%
Rating
Synopsis
In 1815 France, sailor Edmond Dantès (Jim Caviezel) becomes captain and plans on marrying his girlfriend Mercédès (Dagmara Domińczyk). However, his old friend Fernand Mondego (Guy Pearce), fueled by jealousy, frames Edmond for treason and has him imprisoned. Six years later, Edmond meets fellow prisoner Abbé Faria (Richard Harris), who has been imprisoned for eleven years. Faria has been digging an escape tunnel, and Edmond agrees to help if he teaches him how to read/write. Over the next seven years, Edmond becomes more intelligent and a gifted swordsman as he helps Faria escape. Unfortunately, Faria dies, so Edmond escapes on his own and joins a group of smugglers. Using a map Faria gave him, Edmond and fellow smuggler Jacopo (Luis Guzmán) find tons of treasure and become aristocrats. Having declared himself “The Count of Monte Cristo,” Edmond seeks revenge against Fernand and hopes to win Mercédès back.
Review
I’m not sure how accurate this movie is to the book, but The Count of Monte Cristo is still fantastic. This movie is the sort of old-fashioned, swashbuckling adventure film that we don’t see very often anymore. Considering this movie cost roughly $35 million to produce, this looks way more expensive than the budget would suggest. Most of the filming was in Malta, with some in Ireland, and the filmmakers took full advantage of these locations. After directing huge adventure films like Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Waterworld, Kevin Reynolds was a perfect choice. He keeps the plot moving at a crisp pace and never bogs the story down with pointless filler scenes. It helps that everyone in the cast does a great job, particularly Caviezel, Pearce, Harris, and Guzmán. In addition, a pre-Man of Steel Henry Cavill makes an appearance as the son of Mondego and Mercédès.
Caviezel makes for a likable protagonist that grows from a humble sailor into a confident count on his revenge quest. Pearce does a great job as a hateable antagonist that you enjoy seeing get his comeuppance. Even though his screentime is short, Richard Harris brings a lot as the sage-like Faria that trains Edmond. Similarly, Luis Guzmán stands out as Edmond’s right-hand man, who sticks by his side no matter what. The sword-fighting sequences, particularly the final battle between Edmond and Fernand, are expertly choreographed and well-staged. Admittedly, the first act drags in quite a few spots as it’s mostly exposition leading up to Edmond’s framing. Aside from that, this is an enjoyable swashbuckling adventure that’s still entertaining, even if it doesn’t do anything revolutionary. Overall, The Count of Monte Cristo is an exciting adventure film with a great cast, thrilling action, and fantastic locations.
Buy The Count of Monte Cristo from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3bjcpO9.
Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.
