Rating: 
Summary: Unbelievably dull
Review: I love the book, which supposedly means I'm in no condition to enjoy a good movie, much less know a bad one when I see it. Anyway, I put off watching this thing because I figured they would screw it up. But actually, the first third of the movie was pretty good. My hopes rose, foolishly, and then the harsh glare of bad scripting sent them crashing into the sea. The 1975 version is vastly superior, being much more believable and stylish. This 2002 effort isn't exactly awful, mainly it's just boring.The Caviezel fellow did a nice job in the first part of the film, playing the naive sailor/prisoner. The conversion to the Count was never believable, however, always coming off as a bit of a putz. He simply didn't fill the role. The scenes with the Abbé Farria were the most successful. And although the Chateau d'If whipping scenes were gratuitous, and the book never actually portrayed the landing on Elba, I think they enhanced the story. So there! So the betrayal, false imprisonment, suffering, and relationship with the Abbé weren't badly done. Caviezel played the prisoner bit very well, and it seemed a real evolution was going on as the years went by. Thus, the set-up of the main plot was accomplished, but the execution was definitely botched. It all went downhill with the hot air balloon bit. It was stupid. I like Luiz Guzman, but what was he doing in this movie? His absurd portrayal, I guess some see it as "comic relief" was just campy, just plain bad, and the rest of the movie sank like a stone. Caviezel's "Count" was merely foppish and ridiculous. With Caviezel as Count Clown dandy, instead of the dangerous and inscrutable figure of the novel, it all just fell apart. That's not being a stickler to the book, that's just translating the basic character to film. Basically, the writer and director were never able to set up the vengeance(s) very well. The Count's execution of his plots were never really that clear or interesting. The dialogue between him and his prey were badly written, with a few double entendres and little else. The fairy-tale ending they went for was also VERY lame, you don't have to be a fan of the book to roll your eyes at all of the loose ends being methodically tied. And since at least twenty years went by and all the actors were still obviously in their late-twenties, it was a relief when the tedium finally ended.
Rating: 
Summary: a nice adaptation of Dumas's clasic novel
Review: A film by Kevin Reynolds This is the recent film adaptation of Dumas's classic novel "The Count of Monte Cristo". From the previews and early reviews of the movie I did not expect too much from it, but when someone whose opinion I trust tells me that it is good and that I should watch it, I was willing to give it a chance. Good thing, because this is a pretty good movie. The story, if you are not familiar with the source material, follows Edmond Dantes (Jim Caviezel). Dantes, in the film, is a sailor and the film opens with Dantes and his friend Fernand Mondego (Guy Pierce) trying find refuge on an island because their captain is dying. The island just happens to be the prison island where Napoleon is exiled, and while they get help, Napoleon asks Dantes if he could take a personal, and innocent, letter to a friend. Dantes agrees. Dantes returns to France and does not have a chance to deliver the letter, though we do see his fiancé Mercedes Iguanada (Dagmara Dominczyk) and a little bit of Mondego's jealousy. Dantes is betrayed and turned into the authorities for treason. That innocent letter that Dantes was to deliver was not so innocent after all. The magistrate has Dantes thrown in prison where he will spend the next several years. This is where the movie truly begins. Dantes was innocent and he was betrayed (we soon learn that Mondego is now married to Mercedes), and he wants his revenge, though he has no avenue to pursue his revenge while in prison. While in prison, Dantes meets Abbe Faria (Richard Harris), a man who is digging a tunnel (slowly, inch by inch) to escape. Faria trains Dantes in the sword, teaches him how to read, science, literature, politics, and how to be a noble. He also tells Dantes of a treasure, the treasure of Monte Cristo, that may or may not exist. We wouldn't have a story if Dantes is unable to escape or pursue his revenge, so I'm not spoiling anything by revealing that. Dantes sets himself up as the Count of Monte Cristo with the help of a man named Jacopo (Luis Guzman). Dantes is now free to pursue his revenge. The story feels like it has been simplified a little bit, but this film is good enough, and slick enough, and entertaining enough, that this is a very enjoyable movie to watch. No film can ever capture the nuance of a novel, especially not a 1000 page novel. With the amount of time allotted this film, "The Count of Monte Cristo" succeeds at being an entertaining film.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't Bother
Review: If you read and loved the book, don't watch this movie. It is based on the Dumas' novel about as closely as "O Brother, Where Art Thou" is based on Homer's "Odyssey".
Rating:
Summary: Count of Monte Cristo
Review: This movie was totally appaling to me. For those of us who read and enjoyed one of the world greatest classics the story the movie (and obviously the DVD)will be a great disappointment. While it was reasonably well done, it was not the story as written. It was like Romeo and Juliette got married and live happily ever after, like Faust and Margarite live forever and the devil does not come to collect his dues. Anyone wanting to see the real story best watch the 1970's version with Richard Chamberlain as Edmond Dantes, or best yet, read the book.
Rating:
Summary: The Count of Monte Cristo
Review: While this maybe an entertainig movie for the ones who have not read the book, it is an abomination for those of us who cherish one of the world's greatest classics. It is like Romeo and Juliette getting married and live happily ever after. There are indeed beautiful scenes, good acting and an appealing story the movie is not really reflecting the book. I was thoroughly disgusted walking out of the theater. I would very highly recommend the 1974 version with Richard Chaimberlain as a much better film
Rating: 
Summary: WOW!
Review: I owned this DVD from the time it came out, but finally just got around to watching it. I was interested to see more films with James Caviezel after watching "THE PASSION". I am go glad to have finally taken the time to see it. The DVD was great and this is definitely one that I'm glad to have in my very extensive collection!!! If you haven't taken the time to see this before now, then by ALL means, do so! You will not regret it, and I guanrantee the time will fly!!
Rating:
Summary: I LOVED this movie!!!
Review: Loved Loved Loved this movie!!!!! I can watch it over and over and over again. With the price of DVDs you need to find movies that you can watch over and over again.
Rating:
Summary: Quality Extra Features: The way DVDs should be made
Review: Many reviewers have commented on the movie so I'd like to focus exclusively on the features of the DVD. So many times you you get a DVD and the "extras" consist of the trailer and the choice of sub-titles. Other times you luck out and get what appears to be cool behind-the-scenes documentaries. What you get, in fact, are hammy interviews with the cast and crew as they go about their business of making the movie. And most of the explanations of the more technical aspects are as about as in-depth as you'd get on Entertainment Tonight. There are exceptions, of course, such as the first Matrix which offered details about how they created the special effects in the movie. But it seems these kinds of extras are the exception and not the rule. The Count of Monte Cristo is a pleasant surprise because it truly offers interesting background information that a fan of the movie would want to watch. A discussion with the screenwriter as to how and why he adapted the script from the original Dumas book was very interesting. And the short bio on Dumas was a nice surpise. And unlike other DVDs, this one offers not only deleted scenes, but also commentary about why those scenes were deleted. Perhaps the only mundane portion of the extras was the "layer-by-layer" audio design segment which took a specific scene of the movie and split the sound into dialogue, sound effects, and music. But even then, this would be of interest to people who want to learn more about how movies are made. This is a DVD for people who want to know more about the movie and its subject. I only wish other DVDs were as good as this one.
Rating:
Summary: Alone, an intriguing film, but short of Dumas' novel
Review: Reimagining a classic is always a gamble, and this one may come up short if you're expecting a full-scale revision of the original. Dumas' tale of love, justice, and revenge cannot fit into 2 hours, and this movie attempts to abridge even the most abridged version of the story. Edmund Dantes (Jim Caviezel) is falsely accused of treason, thanks to jealous and conspiring friends (Guy Pearce and James Frain). He finds himself imprisoned at Chateau d'If during his engagement to Mercedes (Dagmara Dominczyk). Upon his escape from the island, he vows revenge, doing so with unlimited funds from a sunken treasure and under a new guise, the Count of Monte Cristo. Dantes' friends, now wealthy and successful, are at first taken by this new count, until he proves to be less of a gentleman than they expected. With all the action and cunning, or because of it, the pacing seemed rather hurried, perhaps because the novel is juicier; for all his 13 years in prison, Dantes exacts his justice rather quickly, leaving little time for emotions on both sides to seethe and boil. The film focuses unnecessary time on Dantes' imprisonment, in spite of Richard Harris' fine performance as a fellow prisoner and a priest who teaches Edmund and later directs him to the treasure; his character is immediately forgotten following Dantes' escape. In condensing the story, however, the script manages to draw out jealousies born of a lifelong friendship between a commoner, Dantes, and a noble, Fernand Mondego. Jim Caviezel and Guy Pearce fill out their roles exceptionally well. In less skilled hands, their characters might come dangerously close to self-parody. Still, the script provides only a faint shadow of Dumas' rich novel. The DVD comes stocked with extras, including a biography on Dumas and a study of the novel. There are also deleted scenes, a director commentary, and a segment on the adaptation. I would have liked some interviews with Caviezel and Pearce, however. If you enjoy the story but not the 200 hours of reading you'll need for the book, you should check out the French miniseries filmed a few years back starring Gerard Depardieu. It's much more faithful to the original, and the added time allows Dantes' revenge plots to precipitate at a delicious pace.
Rating:
Summary: This is a fantastic movie full of suspence & romance.
Review: I am a sucker for historical romance and this movie fits the bill to a "T." Not only does this movie have romance, it has intrigue, politics, suspense, betrayal, and revenge thrown in. Jim Caviezel *sizzles* as Edmond Dantes. He is such a passionate actor and he was absolutely perfect for this role. The part where Mercedes sees Edmond twirl his hair (and she knows for sure it's him), my stomach gets butterflies every time! This movie captures the romance without adding unnecessary sex and nudity. You get the point without the sensationalism. I can't say enough about this movie. It is fabulous and I would recommend it to anyone who loves a great film.
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