The Count of Monte Cristo
Dir: Kevin Reynolds
2002
***
Kevin Reynolds' 2002 adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' classic The Count of Monte Cristo is cheap, formulaic and absolute sacrilege. It's also quite good fun and easy to watch. A perfect adaptation is near impossible in my opinion, better to turn it into a TV series rather than a film but I think Kevin Reynolds gave a 2002 audience mostly what they wanted. It's not at all how I visualised it when I read the book. The characters are either a shadow of what they are in the novel or are completely exaggerated versions of, if they even appear at all. So much is, understandably, left out of the film and the structure and pace seem to work against each other. The passing of time is never obvious, the important part of the story is rushed and the whole production feels like three totally different films put together. However, it's a swashbuckler in the classic sense and everyone likes a swashbuckler. A pure adaptation just wouldn't work, this is an adventure based on the classic and very much a guilty pleasure. It's got a prison break, sword fights, piracy, buried treasure and good old fashioned revenge. It's junk food served on a china plate, garbage but a happy meal indeed.