Rating: 
Summary: An unnecessary remake
Review: I was very disappointed by this version of Monte Cristo. Depardieu is everywhere to be seen, yet he doesn't really play Dantes: he plays Depardieu. Additionally, he as fat as ever, even though he is supposed to have spent 20 years in prison, with only staled bread to eat. The very day he escapes from prison, he doesn't even have a beard. Maybe he had his own private barber in prison...Even the direction is really uninspired. Josee Dayan is really not a great director. The scenery is mostly flat, and the camera is very static all the way. To add insult to injury, they betrayed Dumas in their changed ending. Not everything is bad though: for example, Jean Rochefort plays a very good Count of Morcerf. In the end, this is a poor remake, especially after the many cinema adaptations. If you want to see a much better version, turn to the 1955 version by Robert Vernay, with Jean Marais as Edmond Dantes, or Claude Autant-Lara's 1961 version with Louis Jourdan as Dantes.
Rating: 
Summary: Too Revisionist
Review: Why would somebody make an absolutely riveting production of this Dumas classic and then keep weaving 1960's European socialist values awkwardly into the story? Dumas wove a tale about a man done wrong to the marrow who, through a twist of Divine intervention, sets out on a quest to bring justice to his life. Yet, this production, almost seems to highlight the liberal messages of prison reform and the dirtiness of wealth more than the tale's plot. Is it just trendy to ruin classics with revisionist political correctness? I will not ruin the viewer's anticipation of the ending by giving it away here, but don't sit on the edge of your seat! After almost 400 minutes of intense plot and sub-plots, this production ends on an unrealistically childish note. Funny how the last five minutes of weak adaptation can destroy the first 355 minutes of intense anticipation! I'll stick with the Donat or Chamberlin productions.
Rating: 
Summary: The best adaptation of Dumas' classic novel of revenge.
Review: "The Count of Monte Cristo" has been treated better by the movies than Dumas' other classic swashbuckler, "The Three Musketeers". Both the Donat and Chamberlain versions are nice, feature length adaptations of Dumas' long, convoluted novel. This mini-series, however, is just plain magnificent. The care taken with details and sub-plots, the haunting performance of Depardieu as Edmond Dantes, the authentic look of the sets do justice to Dumas' classic. If only the producers would give us a 3 Musketeers adaptation! My only complaint? Alas, as most other adaptations, the ending is changed to, perhaps, lighten the very dark story or romantize it more. Still, one of the greatest mini-series ever produced. Do not miss it!
Rating:
Summary: Very entertaining and well done.
Review: This was the most entertaining mini-series I have ever seen. It was very well acted and writen. I reccomend this movie to everyone, even to those who shy away from forigen films with subtitles. Its the best 400 minutes you'll spend.
Rating:
Summary: Very engaging all the way through
Review: Wonderful adaptation of the book, very involving and watchable the entire 400 minutes. I wish more books were adapted in this fashion. Reading the French subtitles meant constant attention to the screen to follow what was going on, but it was worth it. I had a couple complaints. First, Depardieu was too overweight for this role and did not look like someone who had spent 20 years in a pretty wretched prison. Yet his acting qualities are so good I was able to overlook it. Secondly, I wish they hadn't changed the ending, because it subtracted from the overall message of the book. Not to give it away, but I was able to see how it was all actually going to end a long way off just by observing the places where the movie deviated from the book. Oh well. Still, it's a lot of hours of great entertainment, and faithful to the book in most parts, so it gets my highest rating. I'm waiting for someone to do the same thing with my favorite Dumas novel, The Three Musketeers.
Rating:
Summary: brilliant mini-series
Review: I just finished watching the entire 2-DVD, 400 minutes series. Brilliant. I finished the whole thing in one go. It was that exciting. My favorite disguise he used was "Abbe". There was certainly nothing wrong with the DVD quality. Audio, video quality were pretty decent. If you don't mind watching a classic entirely in French with English subtitles, try this one. It's easy to read subtitles once you get used to it. A good buy.
Rating:
Summary: count of monte cristo
Review: fabulous. was glued to the tv. depardieu is terrific in the role. i can watch it over and over again.
Rating:
Summary: Plenty of it, just not that tasty...
Review: The DVD suffers from poor production values. There are audio sync problems, video quality is only fair. Some liberties are taken with continuity and many chapters from the book are eliminated, altered or greatly abbreviated (well, it is only 400 minutes long). Gerard Depardieu's (and the rest of the cast) performance is mediocre. (see Gerard in Cyrano de Bergerac to see how good an actor he is when he tries). Gerard's disguises are totally ridiculous. On the other hand, this is the most faithful movie/mini-series of the novel. And it is great to hear it in French (I wish the subtitles could be turned off). I would definitely recommend that you rent this one. ps "...philosophical journey guided by Victor Hugo."?
Rating:
Summary: For fans of literature, horror, mystery, & indies - STELLAR
Review: I have never read the book "Count of Monte Cristo", so I can't say how closely the film follows it. But I caught this flipping through channels one night and got hooked. I'm stunned at how good this is: great cinematics, costuming, casting -- first rate production that takes its time developing like "I, Claudius" or other classic lit pieces. But what's fun about the story is that the Count(Depardieu)is like an early detective -- a cross between Dracula and Sherlock Holmes. He's a wonderfully enigmatic and complex character -- out for revenge yet unable to help being a decent guy. He dabbles in alchemy, swoops through the night, dons various disguises. The story contains several sub-plots that are like mini "cases" the Count resolves, all within a longer, continuing theme. The count's side-kick, Bertuccio, was a wonderful character as well, played by a charmingly original actor. All in all, this is one worth buying and playing over and over, whether you're into costume dramas, A&E Mysteries or romance. And if you're a Depardieu fan, you're *really* in for a treat. He's wonderful in this.
Rating:
Summary: An exceptional experience
Review: Indeed, this production of the Count of Monte Cristo is truly a breathtaking experience. The director, Josee Dayan, did a marvelous job. And so far, Gerard Depardieu's part as the Count of Monte Cristo is certainly his career highlight as he shines with an exceptional perfomance. Even though the movie is in French with English subtitles, nothing of the tension and continuous action is lost throughout the eight hours running time. There are no boring scenes in this film and the producers made every minute count. The shoot took place on location throughout Europe which produced even more originality and authenticity. And while it is a TV mini-series, we're glad to say that this production comes across the screen like a mega-budget motion picture. We think it's the best adaption of Alexandre Dumas's novel to date. In addition to the great perfomances by virtually every actor in this film, viewers will certainly also enjoy the scenery, the set and the costumes. We must say that this motion picture is an unforgettable adventure.
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