Quick Review: The Count of Monte Cristo
Do not go into this one expecting a swashbuckling adventure! While it does have its share of swordplay, there is nothing revolutionary or groundbreaking here. If you want that, check out the recent "The Musketeer." "Monte Cristo" is nice change of pace, a film that is driven by the characters and story.
No Oscar performances here, but look for great set design and costuming to beautifully recreate post-Napoleanic France.
THE DVD: The DVD includes: A rather informative commentary by director Kevin Reynolds that gets a little pretentious when he starts comparing his story of revenge to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Several mini-documentaries (can be combined by "Play All" into two 30 minute-or-so sections) are very interesting and give a good look into several aspects of the filmmaking process from scripting to choreography to design. There are also 4 yawners for deleted scenes and a nice "multiple angle" vignette.
OVERLOOKED: There are no trailers, not even the Count of Monte Cristo preview. Strange that Disney (Touchstone) tries to force the trailers on some movies, then completely ignores them on others.
IN A NUTSHELL: 3 1/2 stars for the movie and the DVD both. Definitely rent it, you might buy it used afterwards.
Have Count of Monte Cristo now as well, will prolly be checking it out tonight
-Rich
If you want The Count of Monte Cristo for dummies get it, if you want the real thing get the French mini-series.
I guess I feel pretty dumb now....
I apologize, didn't mean to sound rude.
The book was a commercial, populist work from the get-go, and fairly unchallenging for its time... A rolicking Hollywood adventure is exactly in the true spirit of the novel... I just hope the French havn't turned it into a pretentious snoozefest.
I have tried a couple times to get the French version from Columbia House as a sign-up DVD but have been unsuccessful.
I thought the extras on this were some of the most interesting I've seen. I liked the historical background on Dumas, and I really liked the screenwriter's reasoning for all the changes he made from the novel. And, I like his line "If you want something that is completely faithful to the book, then read the book---it's quite good". I thought he made a very good case for the liberties he took with the original.
Also, the fencing coach describing his choreography for the fight scenes was really great---he knew what he was doing, and put a lot of thought and craft into the swordfights.