Rating: PG13
Genre:
Adventure
Theatrical Release: 01/25/2002(USA)
Release Date: 09/10/2002
SubTitles: English/Espanol
Dubbed: English/French
Sound: DD5.1/THX
Run Time: 131 Minutes
Flags: Violence, Questionable for Children, Sexual Situations
Distributor/Studio: Walt Disney Video
The classic tale of swashbuckling
adventure by the senior
Alexandre Dumas comes to the screen in its umpteenth incarnation, this time from
Kevin Reynolds, directing his first feature in five years.
James Caviezel stars as
Edmond Dantes, an honest sailor who plans to marry his beautiful lover
Mercedes (
Dagmara Dominczyk).
Edmond doesn't know that his best friend
Fernand Mondego (
Guy Pearce) secretly desires
Mercedes for himself and schemes with fallen aristocrat
Villefort (
James Frain) to frame
Edmond for a crime he didn't commit. Sentenced to life on the remote island prison of D'If,
Edmond becomes consumed by plans for revenge. Thirteen years pass and he meets a fellow innocent convict,
Abbe Faria (
Richard Harris), who becomes
Edmond's mentor in swordfighting, finance, and escape, confiding that a vast treasure awaits a discoverer on the island of Monte Cristo. Eventually,
Edmond is able to get away using
Faria's tunnels and makes his way to Monte Cristo, where he retrieves the fortune and uses it to make himself over as the wealthy "
Count of Monte Cristo." With the help of a loyal sidekick (
Luis Guzman),
Edmond insinuates himself into French royalty and sets about getting revenge on
Villefort and
Fernand, who is now married to
Mercedes.
The Count of Monte Cristo (2002) also stars
Michael Wincott and
Albie Woodington.
~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide