Friday, May 23, 2008

The Count of Monte Cristo Review

Hype:  For years now people have been telling me to see The Count of Monte Cristo.  To tell ya the truth I'm actually surprised I haven't watched it yet.  I have a feeling Jim Caviezel and Guy Pearce will provide a pretty good one-two punch.  I've never read the book, but I've heard its a classic, which to me means the movie has a lot to live up to.  I'm hoping The Count of Monte Cristo is well worth the wait.

Initial Review:  The Count of Monte Cristo is a tale of a man, Edmond Dantes, who is imprisoned for 13 years after being falsely accused as a traitor.  Dantes escapes from prison and sets out to get revenge against those that destroyed his life.  

My initial thoughts of this film are that it was gorgeously shot, contained decent acting and had some extremely well choreographed fight scenes.  I also felt that the story was very engaging and keeps the viewer interested throughout.  The costumes and sets were amazing and extravagant.  One thing I did not enjoy was Guy Pearce, who played Fernand Mondego, Dantes best friend that betrays him.  It felt like he was overacting or maybe he just did an amazing job playing an arrogant jerk.  It's not often that I dislike a villain but I did not like him at all.

Having not read The Count of Monte Cristo, I can't say how true it is to the events of the book, but looking at the movie as a separate entity, I really enjoyed it.  The story of vengeance and whether or not it can bring happiness is very strong in this film.  Dantes lets his desire for revenge control him so much he almost forgets about what used to be important in his life, God and his lady, Mercedès Iguanada.

To get to the point, I really enjoyed The Count of Monte Cristo.  If you want to watch a film that is fun to watch, has entertaining sword fights, beautiful scenery and an engaging story this movie is for you.  If you want to see a movie that is true to the book, I don't know if this movie is for you.  I recommend putting this movie on your Netflix list, you most likely won't be disappointed.

Repeat Viewings: N/A

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