Having watched this adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo half a dozen times, I clearly enjoy it, quite a lot actually. Not that I’m oblivious to its faults, mainly some dodgy character acting and wig work, the actual revenge scenes lacking punch and the finale looking like they misjudged the budget and knocked it together in a weekend.

The central story is just so damn fascinating, I love everything in the Chateau d'if, the escape, beach scene and the creation of the Count with the opening and ending just pasting muster. Its also well performed by Caviezel, Pierce and Harris and the inclusion of Wincott, Guzman and superboy add to the interest. A guilty pleasure one might surmise.

Due…

As a swiftly paced, populist adaptation that never pretends to convey the depth of the classic novel, it nevertheless entertains and engrosses through its sweeping character arc. It's a little too simplified and comical to take all that seriously (to my never-ending annoyance, my brothers would often comically quote this entire film), with an edit job that keeps characters and plot developments at arm's length, but it does capture the appeal of the novel whilst effectively drawing in a new generation of fans. It might be one of the more effective examples of the recent wave of Dumas flicks. For those with a soft spot for Reynolds problematic but functionally compelling, family-friendly films, this will hit the spot with some…

"There are 72,519 stones in my walls. I've counted them many times."
"But have you named them yet?"

The Count of Monte Cristo is tremendously underrated. It is one of the few - actually maybe even the only - more recent film that captured the feel of the great classic adventure movies. Moreover, it stays close to the source material, which is perhaps my favorite novel of all time.

I haven't seen the other film adaptations of The Count of Monte Cristo, but I doubt there has ever been a better Abbé Faria than Richard Harris in one of his last starring roles. The action scenes in Monte Cristo, though small in number and scale, are fast and perfectly executed.…

Quarantine Movie #51 

The Count of Monte Cristo is probably the most cathartic film out there. If this was a Marvel film It’d be considered the most fan service-y of them all.

It’s a long movie, but it’s well paced. It takes its time and really relishes in every part of the story. 

The cast is awesome. Richard Harris and Guy Pearce steal the show. I literally yelled out loud, holy shit that’s Henry Cavill when he came on screen, he’s really good. Funny enough, I think Jim Caviezel is probably the weakest part of the cast. He’s not bad, but everyone else is just on it. 

I don’t love the direction. It’s very well staged and there’s some great…

By 2002 lavish period dramas based on classic literature were already a dying breed. In 2020 they've long since gone the way of all flesh.

So let's be thankful that Kevin Reynolds got this one in under the wire before the franchises and digital production completely took over the ecosystem. He's had a funny career, Kevin Reynolds. He's more famous amongst movie lovers for clashing with Costner during the production of both Robin Hood Prince of Thieves and then Waterworld. This tends to overshadow his very real talent as a visual designer and storyteller (let's not forget that Quentin Tarantino once compared him to Kubrick). All those qualities come to the fore here. 'Count' moves confidently, looks and sounds great,…