| | | Prepare for adventure. Count on revenge.
Features: DVD, Aspect Ratio 1.85:1, Dolby Digital (5.1), French, Dubbed, Spanish, Subtitled
The Count of Monte Cristo is Alexandre Dumas' classic story of an innocent man wrongly but deliberately imprisoned, and his brilliant strategy for revenge against those who betrayed him. Dashing young sailor Edmond Dantes (Jim Caviezel) is a guileless and honest young man whose peaceful life and plans to marry the beautiful Mercedes (Dagmara Dominczyk) are abruptly shattered when his best friend Fernand (Guy Pearce), who wants Mercedes for himself, deceives him. Set up to be unlawfully sentenced to the infamous island prison of Chateau D'If, Edmond is trapped in a nightmare that lasts for 13 years. Haunted by the baffling course his life has taken, he is consumed with thoughts of vengeance against those who betrayed him. With the help of an equally innocent fellow inmate (Richard Harris), Edmond plots and succeeds in his mission to escape, whereupon he transforms himself into the mysterious and wealthy Count of Monte Cristo. Ultimately, he infiltrates the French nobility and systematically destroys the men who manipulated and enslaved him.
"...gorgeously photographed, sumptuously designed..." Jessica Winter, The Village Voice
"Pearce is something else." Bob Graham, SanFrancisco Chronicle
Editor's Note
In this highly entertaining, beautifully photographed rekindling of the classic French novel by Alexandre Dumas, director Kevin Reynolds choreographs a fantastic adventure replete with breathtaking scenery, fiery swashbuckling battles, lavish costumes, and, above all else, sweet revenge. In 19th-century Marseille, Edmond Dantès (Jim Caviezel) is the optimistic but uneducated son of a sea captain. He cherishes his friendship with the son of a count, Mondego (Guy Pearce), and is deeply in love with his fiancée, Mercedes (Dagmara Dominczyk). Young Dantès is so innocent and naive that it is positively shocking when Mondego turns on him, accusing him of treason, and having him sentenced to life in the dreary dungeon of Chateau D'If. Years of isolation and torture nearly defeat the revenge-thirsty Dantès, but with the help of invaluable lessons from the Abbé Faria (Richard Harris), his luck slowly changes. An incredible prison break starts Dantès on his way to a new life, and from there Reynolds' COUNT truly takes off. Battles with pirates lead to hunts for sunken ocean treasure, and soon Dantes is living in Marseille as the transformed, newly rich, self-proclaimed Count of Monte Cristo. Installed in a ritzy chateau, he slowly unfurls his excrutiatingly careful plans to exact his revenge on Mondego and all those who ever wronged him.
| Features | French Language Track | | Spanish Subtitles | | THX Certified With Optimizers | | Widescreen Version | | Enhanced For 16x9 Televisions | | Layer By Layer Interactive Sound Design Feature | | Deleted Scenes | | English 5.1 Surround Dolby Digital | | "The Pen" Retrospective On Author Alexandre Dumas | | "Adapting A Classic" Screenwriting Segment | | "The Clash Of Steel" Stunt Choreography Piece | | Director Commentary | | "The Nepoleonic World" Production Design Featurette | | "En Garde" Multi-Angle Swordfighting Feature |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Buena Vista |
| Release Date: 6/6/2006 |
| Running Time: 131 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 2002 | | Catalog ID: 2401903 | | UPC: 00786936165395 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English [CC], English, French Dubbed | | Available Subtitles: Spanish | | Video: Color |
| Cast & Crew
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| | Professional Reviews | New York Times
"...The period details are meticulous....[The director] is well served by his hardworking cast....Hard to resist..." 01/25/2002 p.E13Box Office
"...Opulently produced and superbly acted....Caviezel embodies the transformation of his character completely..." 02/01/2002 p.54 Sight and Sound
"...Handsomely mounted....[The] costumes and furnishings are scrupulously detailed and give off a sense of authenticity..." 05/01/2002 p.41 Total Film
"...Caviezel's quiet intensity and now trademark haunted eyes means it's him you'll be watching....Very enjoyable..." 05/01/2002 p.88-9 Variety
"...A lavishly mounted and appealingly old-fashioned swashbuckler....The pic boasts a compelling human element to complement lively storytelling and sporadic action highlights..." 01/28/2002 p.27-36 Chicago Sun-Times
"...It's the kind of adventure picture the studios churned out in the Golden Age -- so traditional it almost feels new..." 03/24/2002 p.5 Entertainment Weekly
"...Caviezel makes a good fall guy..." 09/13/2002 p.134 Chicago Sun-Times 7 of 10
The Count of Monte Cristo is a movie that incorporates piracy, Napoleon in exile, betrayal, solitary confinement, secret messages, escape tunnels, swashbuckling, comic relief, a treasure map, Parisian high society and sweet revenge, and brings it in at under two hours, with performances by good actors who are clearly having fun. This is the kind of adventure picture the studios churned out in the Golden Age--so traditional it almost feels new. - Roger Ebert
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| Customer Reviews | ![]() | | Cinematography |  5 | | Plot | 5 | | Acting |  4.5 | | Overall Satisfaction | 4.5 |
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5 of 5 The Count of Monte Cristo Friday, February 16, 2007
EvOiSGooD from SGV, CA
How can you not like this movie?! I watched the first time and this movie rocks so I had to get the DVD for myself and added it to my collection!!! Hey even The Simpsons had an episode of The Count of Monte Cristo! It’s that good! I recommend getting this movie. Was this review helpful?  
4 of 5 Very likeable adaptation of the Dumas classic Wednesday, February 14, 2007
A Viewer from Montgomery, AL
As with the screen adaptations of the Tolkien novels, some would argue that this one has been made into an action movie, thereby marring the purity of the novel. But as the screenplay writer notes in one of the Special Features, he did not set out to make a book - "If you want to see the book, read the book".
At its heart, though, "The Count of Monte Cristo" does involve many sequences that are easily converted into action scenes. The movie itself is well acted and well-paced. The cast, especially Jim Caveziel, does a wonderful job of luring the audience into the story. Caveziel carries the lead well, and you can see him transform his character from the idealistic sailor to a wretched prisoner at Chateau Dif and finally into the vengeful Count.
Watching the DVD in the comfort of my home theater setup on a lazy evening was a treat. The translation from film to DVD was 8 out of 10 as far as picture quality, and the sound 8.5/10 on DTS. The blacks are black, and the soft candle light used for most of the movie lent a gloomy but nostalgic feel.
Overall, a fine DVD to watch with the family, as long as your expectations are not that high. Was this review helpful?
1 of 1 customers found this review helpful.
5 of 5 Surprisingly entertaining throughout Wednesday, September 18, 2002
Keith M Wills from Laurel, MD
A well done update of Alex Dumas' classic. Very good acting from a superb cast of Jim Caviezel (Frequency, Angel Eyes), Guy Pierce (Memento, LA Confidential), and veteran Richard Harris. Luis Guzman is a likeable supporting cast. The plot is plain and simple: pure revenge. Revenge for being jailed for a crime he didn't commit, by his best friend. And the plan is carried out well, but there's always a catch. The movie captures revenge at a basic level and what men would do and sacrifice for their hate, as well as what jealousy and envy will do to you. Again, a job well done by all actors/actresses, and good action. A worthy film/DVD for the collection. Was this review helpful?
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