Rating: 
Summary: Not as good as the 1978 version but some great features
Review: This most recent adaptation of the famous novel is a little slow and meandering in the first third of the movie, but following the appearance of Richard Harris - like a mole rising from the ground - the pace quickly picks up and explodes as the lead protagonist wreaks vengeance on those who betrayed him earlier.
The movie is not as effective as the 1978 version which starred Richard Chamberlain in the lead role, but what it does have in evidence is some truly interesting features. My favorite extra feature on this DVD is the documentary which recounts the adaptation of the story and why the screenwriter made the changes that he did.
Well recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Date Movie
Review: I never heard of this movie until someone mentioned he was named after the Dumas character in this novel. I haven't watched the 1934 version but I have the TV miniseries with Gerard Depardieu [in French with English subtitles] and this latest version. Of the two, the movie was definitely a notch above [both due to the choice of actor and the screenplay adaptation]. I just wished I watched it with the someone beside me!
Rating:
Summary: Exceeding Expectations
Review: If you have read this classic tale by Alex Dumas, you won't be disappointed! This is a wonderful movie that keeps you wrapped up until the very end! It will exceed your expectations, I promise you! Jim Caviezel makes a great Dantes and Pearce's dialogue is truly amazing. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Rating:
Summary: A spirited adventure.
Review: This most recent adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' classic novel isn't going to please all the fans, particularly those who demand rigorous adherence to the source material (I never did understand such people's way of thinking; a movie is never bad just because it strays from the source) but it most certainly will please moviegoers in the mood for a period piece adventure, and as such a film, The Count of Monte Cristo never fails to entertain for every bit of its running time. Jim Caviezel stars as Edmond Dantes, a rather poor and uneducated man who has a life that his rich friend, Fernand Mondego (Guy Pearce) envies. Dantes has just been promoted to captain of his ship after he and his crew returned from a brief, unanticipated stop in Elba, where Napoleon had given Dantes a letter to give to a "friend." Mondego is particularly jealous that Dantes' fiancee is Mercedes (Dagmara Dominczyk), their childhood friend who has grown into an utterly beautiful woman. Mondego sets out to destroy Dantes life by telling French officials of the letter, which leads to Dantes' arrest. He is banished in a prison located on an island rather far from the mainland. As the years pass, another prisoner, Faria (Richard Harris), actually tunnels his way into Dantes cell. With his help, Faria believes they can dig to the outer wall, and in return, he will teach Dantes how to read, write, and fight with a sword. As soon as he makes his escape, Dantes plans his vengeance against those who betrayed him. There's actually a LOT more plot than what I've stated, which probably already sounds hefty, but there are a lot of things I'd rather not give away. While not without some flaws, The Count of Monte Cristo is rousing entertainment and is probably the best period piece adventure in recent years (personally, I found it more enjoyable than The Patriot, Rob Roy, and The Last of the Mohicans). The film's first seventy minutes represent marvelous entertainment, consistently gaining momentum with every scene that goes by as we grow more and more compelled by the story. The film stumbles only slightly in the third act, when Dantes eventually encounters all those who destroyed his life so many years ago, and sets in motion a plan for his own vengeance. It's in this lengthy segment that a few moments drag (but only a few) and some scenes feel a little hard to swallow (that Pearce's Mondego wouldn't recognize Dantes). The climax feels a little silly, in that seemingly all the lead characters pop out from nowhere to either fight or reveal long-held secrets. But thankfully, such flaws are only mild and hardly detrimental. This is a well-acted, well-written, and surprisingly well-directed tale of revenge. As Dantes, Caviezel excels, making a believable transformation from a kind-hearted, innocent man to one whose heart has been hardened through so many years. Guy Pearce chews the scenery quite well as Mondego; he seems to be having a great time playing the greedy antagonist. It's nice to see that Pearce, who usually plays likable characters (as in L.A. Confidential and The Time Machine), is up to the task of giving us a villain to hiss at. The other performances aren't quite as vital, though Richard Harris is good as Faria, and Luis Guzman is often hilarious as Dantes' right-hand man (the scene where Guzman tells Dantes how to handle the massive amounts of gold they just found is the biggest laugh I've had all year). Dagmara Dominczyk is pretty decent, though her acting is mostly overshadowed by her beauty, a back-handed compliment, I suppose. The Count of Monte Cristo actually doesn't feature that much in the way of adrenaline-pumping action. Despite all the claims this is a swashbuckler, there are only three swordfights (and one knifefight), and each of these scenes last no longer than maybe two minutes. But the appeal of this film isn't in the action, it's watching a plot that unfolds with little twists and turns that, though often expected, engaged me because I cared about the situation and the fate of the characters. There was obviously a lot of work put into the way this film looks. The cinematography is gorgeous and the sets are magnificent, with splendor I have rarely seen rendered so well in period pieces. The film was directed by Kevin Reynolds, who may yet have a career again after his critical disaster, Waterworld (which actually wasn't half-bad). Highly recommended, The Count of Monte Cristo is great fun all the way.
**** 1/2 out of *****
Rating:
Summary: "Revenge is a dish best served cold!"
Review: There isn't a better example of the above quote as in "The Count
of Monte Cristo". You have a story of a good man who is framed and betrayed for a crime he did not commit. After emerging from
13 years of confinement his set forth a plan of revenge and payback. However, there is a fine line between "revenge" and "obsession" where Edward Dantes comes dangerously close to crossing. To see how our hero plans to bring about his tormentors
downfall will have you on the edge of your seat. But, will our
hero be able to see clear enough to know where the line is drawn?
Rating:
Summary: WOW!
Review: I read the novel this summer, in anticipation for the release of this movie and after watching the film, I realized that the movie can stand on its own merits. At times, however, my knowledge of the novel did cloud my perspective of the film, but the quality of the acting, the scenery, and the storyline is much higher than the majority of Hollywood films. I strongly recommend both the film and the book. Yes, there is liberty taken in adapting the classic book to the screen, but you simply cannot portray the complexity of the novel in a 2-hour time frame. This is a great movie, and Dumas' classic novel is a great book. No question about it.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Underhyped Movie
Review: Never heard of this movie until my husband brought it home. It was wonderful! Thoroughly enjoyable this tale of a wronged man who takes sweet revenge on his enemies, while reigniting a lost love. Why have I never heard of this film before? Surely the lead should have been nominated for an Oscar. This film was a little violent, but can be enjoyed by the entire family. A true gem.
Rating: 
Summary: Read the book, skip the movie
Review: I wouldn't even give this 1 star. It would be NO star. It was that bad. I've read the book and this was NO where near in anyway shape or form like the book.
Rating:
Summary: Superior version of the classic novel
Review: "The Count of Monte Cristo" is the best and the brightest of the numerous film versions of the Alexander Dumas novel made over the years. In the future a version may come along that comes closer to capturing the book's essential decadence and bawdiness. Until that time, though, this newest movie will more than suffice. Edmund Dantes [James Caviezel] is an adventurer of low birth. He is a decent, trusting guy who hopes to marry his true love, the beautiful Mercedes [Dagmara Dominczyk]. After he is appointed captain of a merchant ship, Edmund's alleged best friend, Fernand [Guy Pearce] sets out to destroy him. Fernand gains materially and politically from this treachery and is free to pursue Mercedes. Falsely accused of treason, Edmund is sent to a prison on the isolated island of Chateau D'If, where he languishes for years. Just as he is about to go mad, he meets a fellow prisoner, Abbe Faria [Richard Harris], who teaches him many useful things and infuses him with hope. Finally, Edmund manages to escape. After obtain a fortune and a new identity, he sets out to get his revenge. Caviezel usually plays soft characters who need others for emotional support. Here, halfway through the movie, he transforms into a truly independent man, a hero who knows exactly how to get what he wants. Nobody can play a charming but utterly deceitful person better than Pearce, who has an air of an alley cat about him. I mean this as a compliment. Harris is wonderful as always, and Luis Guzman is charming and funny as Edmund's devilish sidekick. Some of the dialog is way too modern for the movie's setting, but, otherwise, it's a fairly authentic period piece. The costumes and the sets, especially in the second half, are extraordinarily colorful. This is a visually sumptuous movie. "The Count of Monte Cristo" is a throwback to the Golden Age of Hollywood, when heroes of mythic proportion, who believed in honor and true love, ruled the screen. But don't mistake it for a relic. Old-fashioned or not, it's smashingly good entertainment.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: Jim Caviezel and Guy Pearce give execllent performances in The Count Of Monte Cristo - the tale of betrayal and revenge. When Dantes (Caviezel) is betrayed by his best friend and wrongly imprisoned for many years, his only thoughts are of vengeance. After his escape, his vengeance begins as he transforms himself by using a treasure left to him by a fellow prisoner into the Count of Monte Cristo. As the Count of French Nobility he puts his plan of vengeance into action. This romantic - drama combines, Zorro, and Les Miserables. If your expecting this film to be a recreation of the book, you might be disappointed. Otherwise, an excellent film for the whole family to enjoy.
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