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Count
it out
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The latest big-screen Monte Cristo loses the duel
by JOANNE LATIMER
 The
Count of Monte Cristo should come with a warning: “From the director
of Waterworld.” The much-maligned Kevin Reynolds had a chance to
shore up his career here, but instead made another swash-buckling fiasco.
Despite the lure of pirates, treasures, damsels, duels and corrupt nobles,
The Count of Monte Cristo feels longer than Edmond Dantes’ jail
term at the barbaric Chateau d’If.
Alexandre Dumas’ classic novel is the primer behind the plot—a
plot that Reynolds seems terrified to adapt to the screen. This over-blown
revenge tale collapses under the weight of its own nonsense, with our
hero, Edmond (James Caviezel), enjoying unimaginably good luck after
a nasty setback in prison. His boyhood friend (Guy Pearce) frames him
on a charge of treason, then he loses his fiancée (Dagmara Dominczyk)
to the cad. Once in jail, where he’s subject to tedious whippings
from the warden, he meets Richard Harris, who sets about educating our
working-class hero.
Edmond escapes from prison with the ability to read, duel and argue.
He’s also armed with Harris’s map to a famed treasure. He
enjoys some heady days as a pirate, off-screen, and secures their help
to claim the treasure. With this money, Edmond can buy his revenge,
while assuming the identity of The Count of Monte Cristo.
But why can’t anyone recognize him? Only 16 years have passed.
He looks exactly the same behind that feeble goatee. We’re watching
a film, not reading a book, so audiences are reminded how implausible
it would be for his fiancée and their mutual acquaintances to
ignore the likeness. No one says a word.
Sixteen years of Edmond’s revenge fantasies end in a duel, where
he gets to show off his swordsmanship. Revenge is had, of course, but
the darker side of Edmond gets only a brief airing. The characters remain
safely Good or Bad, with a devoted sidekick (Luis Guzman) and a progeny
of questionable parentage. It’s tempting to root for Pearce as
the evil noble, just to be difficult and make things interesting. Hey,
isn’t that Reynolds’ job? :
The Count of
Monte Cristo opens Friday, Jan. 25
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