Rating: 
Summary: A Good Film, But the Book Was Better!
Review: Edmond Dantes (James Caviezel) had the perfect life: Mercedes (Dagmara Dominczyk), a beautiful woman who adored him, a rising career at the shipyards where he was just promoted to first mate, Fernand Mondego (Guy Pearce), his loyal best friend, and who knows what other blessings on the horizon. Until it was all taken from him. A chance meeting with the exiled Napoleon (Alex Norton) placed him under suspicion of treason. However, J.F. Villefort (James Frain), the local head politician, believes Dantes is innocent. It appears that Dantes will be able to put this whole nightmare behind him, until Villefort discovers that the message Napoleon gave him was intended for his father. Desperate to hide his father's loyalty to Napoleon and to keep his political career going, Villefort sends Dantes to the Chateau d'If, a prison where people are sent to be forgotten.Dantes spends 13 years in a small cell, left alone except for a yearly visit from the sadistic warden until a fellow inmate suddenly tunneled up through his floor. Abbe Faria (Richard Harris) had spent most of his life in d'If and had created an escape plan. He was digging a tunnel to the outside, but went the wrong way and ended up in Dantes' cell. As Dantes became friends with Faria, Faria became a mentor to him and taught him how to fight with a sword, how to read, and how to figure out what happened to put him in that awful place. Faria not only gave him hope, he gave him freedom and wealth beyond his wildest dreams... Dantes recreated himself as The Count of Monte Cristo and set out to get his revenge on all those who betrayed him and ruined his life. First on his list was Fernand, his supposedly loyal friend, who turned him over to the police and married Mercedes. Then there was Villefort, who imprisoned a man he knew was innocent so he could keep his political career. There was also Mercedes, the woman he thought loved him, who married Fernand a few months after Dantes disappeared into d'If. Through careful planning and evaluation of his enemies' weaknesses, the Count of Monte Cristo was able to wreak his revenge...but at what cost? This movie was quite entertaining and had some things added in to the original story to make it more appealing to movie-goers, which didn't bother me, but it was missing so much of the suspense and mind games that the count played in the book. In the book, the majority of the plot is the count carefully destroying his victims one by one without anyone ever knowing that he had a hand in their demise or guessing who he was, but in the movie, it was all over so quickly that his enemies barely had time to suffer. Still, the actors were well cast and the scenery was beautiful. The director did a very nice job at dusting this book off and giving it a bit of a new spin and making it appeal to the masses. I just hope that the movie will inspire people to go and read the book, as it is one of Dumas' best.
Rating: 
Summary: A great movie, though small in plot compared to the book.
Review: I have read a majority of the book The Counte of Monte Cristo, and it is a wonderful book. I am only twelve, but the book made almost perfect sense to me, and so did the movie. I got this VHS for my birthday when I turned twelve, and it was one of the best presents I got that year. James Caviezel is one of my very favorite actors. Though not very well known, Caviezel displays a vast assortment of emotions in his captivating portrayal of the quaint, happy son of clerk, Edmond Dantes who was drastically betrayed. Guy Pearce, who plays Fernand Mondego, makes you want to loathe his character, which is basically the point. His very essence makes me want to smack him with a baseball bat, but he is a great bad guy. Richard Harris, who plays Abbe' Faria, is maybe the best actor in the whole film. His character is almost the best also. The thirty minute period in which Dantes is in prison is interesting not just because of Caveizel's great acting, but also because because of Abbe' Faria, whom Dantes gives the nickname "Priest". Luis Guzman also rocks in this film as Dantes's "man forever", Jacopo. He is basically the only comedic relief in the film. In short, buy this film, VHS or DVD, because it was well worth your money.
Rating:
Summary: A True Great Classic
Review: Perhaps one of the best novels ever written, the Count of Monte Cristo is a story of an innocent man that seeks to revenge his wrongful imprisonment. Dumas brilliantly confronts themes pertaining to nearly all facets of human existence including that of justice, revenge, love, friendship, greed, jealousy, etc. Despite its vivid detail and striking character development, the novel reads rather easily and quickly. This story has been the inspiration of many great movies, most notably, that of The Shawshank Redemption (1994). Truly a classic and a must read.
Rating:
Summary: A treasure for your library...
Review: This is easily one of the most enjoyable, thrilling and well-made movies in recent history. I am a movie fanatic and watch tons of movies but (having a critical eye) am very selective in deciding which movies are worth adding to my personal collection. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, this movie is worth owning! I have watched it many times over the past few years and enjoy it equally each time. The DVD extras are also intriguing and help shed light on Alexandre Dumas' life and the origin of the tale, as well as explicating some of the challenges of making the movie. Richard Harris, Guy Pierce and Michael Wincott perform superbly. Jim Caviezel (Dantes/Count) leads this stellar cast and does so without disappointment. Phenominally, he conveys strength and courage and concomitantly something a little other-worldly and sublime - From this, it is no surprise that he was chosen to portray Jesus in Mel Gibson's much-anticipated masterwork, "The Passion of the Christ." I recommend this movie full-heartedly - as well as recommend Dumas' original text, upon which the movie is based.
Rating: 
Summary: Utter crap
Review: This is easily one of the five worst movies I've ever seen. Forget that, it's one of the *two* worst movies I've ever seen. While Guy Pearce is usually an excellent actor, and Jim Caviezel has the perfect look for Edmund Dantés (at least, post-imprisonment), there is nothing that could have saved such a woefully terrible screenplay. The Dumas novel is one of the best books I've ever read, filled with intrigue, action, and mystery, with vibrant characters and brilliant plotting. Granted, adapting such a grand story to the screen would probably take four hours or more, but if one isn't going to attempt an adaptation of the original story, then one should just make a new movie. That being said, all the interesting, original parts of the book were removed and replaced with a cookie-cutter revenge plot, stereotypical, one-dimensional characters, and bland dialogue that too often inserts modern slang into Napoleonic-era France. This movie is the "Count of Monte Cristo" in name only, and in every other way, a poorly conceived, vapid, dime-a-dozen action flick. Avoid it at all costs.
Rating:
Summary: Book Nazis need to chill
Review: I have read the (unabridged) Count of Monte Christo book at least 4 times and can quote many of the scenes and dialogue. However I am not a literalist when it comes to Hollywood, because movies are not a literary medium. The best we can hope is that Hollywood captures the essence of the book, which I believe the makers of the Count of Monte Christo have done - and done very well. While I agree that it is not a faithful retelling of Dumas' original, it is a fine film that captures the heart of Dumas' message: Vengeance is, (and should be) the Lord's. Ultimately, Dumas' novel was about the ravages of revenge, both to the avenger and to his victims. Director Kevin Reynolds and screenwriter Jay Wolpert's celluloid rendition captures that message in a way that is both entertaining and beautiful. Unlike many Hollywood films these days, this one has charm and heart, which allowed me (an avid movie buff) to overlook its occasional imperfections. Jim Caviezal plays the tortured Count with aplomb. His metamorphosis from guileless youth into the brooding, devilish Count is convincing. No small feat considering young and old Dantès are polar opposites. Guy Pearce plays the treacherous libertine, Mondego, with a light, foppish touch, making the character all the more frightening. His lines are the best in the film, vicious and manipulative, but delivered with sardonic self-composure. Richard Harris was the right choice for the Abbé Faria. During Dantès' bleak imprisonment, Harris lightens the screen with his earnest optimism and sharp wit. He is more animated than in his recent role as Dumbledore in Harry Potter, even fencing with Caviezal, despite his advanced age. Dagmara Dominczyk is lovely as Mercedes, but of course lacks the vapid self-immolation of the character in the novel. Hollywood loves tidy endings so she is reunited with Dantès while the Persian princess, Haidee, (Dantès' real paramour at the end of the novel) is not in the film. Still, Dominczyk's elegant grace is winning, despite the weepy dialogue she is sapped with. She and Caviezal are what movie stars should look like. Luis Guzmán is fun as the Count's dutiful sidekick, Jacopo. Not surprisingly, he is the film's comic relief and acts as a bridge between our generation and Napoleonic France. His lines are more modern slang than classical prose, but it works, especially with Guzmán's East L.A. lilt. Reynold's and Wolpert had no easy task - adapting one of the world's favorite stories to the Big Screen. Of course, the novel is a much more complex and philosophical work than the film, and that is to be expected. A true adaptation would likely be 4-5 hours long. And, yes, they have taken liberties with the book - the ending especially. Still, the movie stands on its own as a stirring and inspiring tale of treachery, romance, revenge, and repentance. It is one of my favorite movies ever, and that's saying something, since I hate almost everything. Buy it. You won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: This movie has it all!
Review: One of the best movies I've seen in a while! It really does have it all,romance,suspense,action,revenge and all done with great style. You'll watch this one more than once!
Rating:
Summary: Another Great Performance
Review: This should be labeled as one of the greatest movies of all times. James Caviezel is exceptional here. He should have been nominated for a Oscar. If you have not read the book you should definately read it to fill in the blanks and better understand the changes made in the movie. Alexander Dumas one of the greatest French authors of his time is best known for The Three Muketeers, but his popularity for The Count of Monte Cristo is growing. A little known fact regarding Dumas is that he was of African decent.
Rating:
Summary: The Count of Monte Cristo
Review: James Caviezel version is awful. He oversimplifies the plot, the characters are shallow, and flow of the movie is choppy and confusing.
While Jesse James may have used a gun to rob his victims, the producers of this movie used the title of a great book to steal my money.
I expected much more and am sorely dissappointed.
Rating:
Summary: a true product of Hollywood
Review: As I write this, I am about 500 pages into reading the book. I decided to watch this because I was certain that, as a major Hollywood production, it would not reveal to me any of the plot I have not yet encountered. Man, I hate being right sometimes. Scene 1: Edmond, his friend Fernand (!?!?!), who is the son of a count (!?!?!), and the yet-living captain of the Pharaon (!?!?!) are coming ashore on Elba, where they are promptly attacked by English soldiers who run the island (!?!?!). HOLY CRAP!!! Are you kidding me? Can the first scence of a supposed movie adaptation of a book have that many grave errors? Even with my yet incomplete knowledge of the story, I lost count of the inaccuracies when they got into the hundreds. All the characters are oversimplified into completely good or completely evil (instead of simply human). Fernand is a malevolent genius. Danglars hardly enters the picture; and when he does, he is portrayed as a pirate instead of a banker. Mercedes marrying Fernand A MONTH after Edmond is taken away (instead of 18 months) completely destroys her character. Luigi Vampa is brought in as the captain of the smuggling ship Edmond encounters just after his escape (when he should be 13 years old). Names, numbers, and locations are changed seemingly at random. You might say that a lot of that is not central to the plot. THEN WHY CHANGE IT????? No Haydee. No Ali. No Caderousse. No intrigue. No subtlety. None of the engaging (and critical) subplots. None of the political and cultural context. Overall, this is about the equivalent of digging up M. Dumas and violating him with a Ford truck. A big loud dirty American Ford truck. Of course, if you have not read the book, you may enjoy this movie a lot more. But from where I sit, -12 stars seems like a totally appropriate rating for this abomination.
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