This film is the latest rendition of the classic Alexandre Dumas novel of the same name. The story is pretty common and you know exactly where it's going, but this version makes this road well traveled a fun adventure.
Edmond (Jim Caviezel, FREQUENCY, ANGEL EYES) and Fernard (Guy Pearce, MEMENTO) have been friends since childhood, however, the noble Fernard has always been jealous of Edmond and his simple love of life. Fernard wants Edmond's fiance Mercedes (Dagmara Dominczyk, KEEPING THE FAITH) and he sets him up on treason and eventually murder charges. After 13 years in prison, Edmond escapes, finds a fortune and vows revenge. However, the priest (Richard Harris, HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE), who Edmond meets in jail, tells him that he should make sure he does not turn into the man who he was wrongly convicted of being.
Edmond's desire to make the one's who wronged him suffer drives the plot forward and the grinning style of the filmmakers put a smile on my face. It's a classic revenge tale. Director Kevin Reynolds, who directed ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES and WATERWORLD, always brings rousing style to his adventures. For better or for worse, he knows how to make things fun. The fight choreography is very good and the cinematography and production design set the atmosphere just right. With better actors and a tighter screenplay from Jay Wolpert, Reynolds makes his best film to date. It's the kind of film that can actually make an audience cheer.
Caviezel and Pearce are perfect. Caviezel handles the emotional range of the character very well. We believe him as a carefree innocent and as an intense cynic with a bloodlust. Pearce just knows how to play a pretentious jerk so well. You love to hate him. Dominczyk is a new screen beauty who could easily inspire friends to fight over her affections. The only real negative thing I could say about the film is that the often-good actor Luis Guzman (BOOGIE NIGHTS), who plays Edmond's right hand man Jacopo, often slips back and forth from a mannered Napoleonic way of speaking to a very modern tone, which is very distracting.
Overall the film is a great escape. One of the great action/adventure tales of all time has been given an enthusiastic adaptation. I'm sure the story of the Count couldn't have gotten a better Hollywood rendition than this one.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
