Jim Caviezel (Jesus Christ in the Passion) plays Edmund Dantes, betrayed by his friends and thrown into the island prison Chateau d'If for 12 years. The Abbe Faria (charmingly played by Richard Harris) helps him break out and tells him where to find a fortune in gold - on the isle of Monte Cristo. Dantes returns to society disguised as the wealthy and mysterious Count thereof, and proceeds to wreak his vengeance!
His main antagonist is his ex-best friend Fernan, played by Guy Pearce. Since Pearce and Caviezel have very similar faces, the movie is basically clashing cheekbones. I don't think there is much "acting" going on (as opposed to posing in costume, chewing scenery, etc), so a large part of your enjoyment of this movie will be based on how much you like looking at hunky guys with chiseled features. Also, Luis Guzman, a lumpy-faced character actor who plays Dantes' henchman - one of my favorites.
Other strong points:
- Good art direction: The Chateau d'If looks positively Piranesi-esque in some shots.
- Naval scenes: Some scenes aboard a ship, more than in some pirate movies
- Sword, pistol, knife and rock fighting: General swashing of buckles
1 comment:
They should have followed the novel's storyline, which was maybe 20 times better (conservative). It was right there and they wouldn't have had to pay the author anything. I don't get it.
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