Last night I was in the mood for adventure, for the sort of film that pumps the blood, sets the imagination running, and is filled with heros and villains. Quickly sorting through my growing collection I settled on the 2002 version of The Count Of Monte Cristo. (I specifically did not call this a remake. A remake is where you go and use an earlier film as your source material, sometimes using the exact same script for production. A new version ignores other production in favor of the original source material)

I must admit that I have always been drawn to the ‘righteous fury’ moments in films. The particular moment in time when the hero (in general) is exacting a long due moment of justice. In Star Trek: The Wrath Of Khan when the Enterprise rises up behind Reliant it always sends my heart racing.  The Count Of Monte Cristo is really just one long build to those ‘righteous fury’ moments. It is populated with wonderful characters set amid dazzling backgrounds and fascinating history.

This version stars Jim Caviezel as Edmond Dantes a good, moral, but hopelessly naive young man. Edmond has as his best friend Fernand Mondego, played by the terribly talented Guy Pierce, a weak drunkard of a man with a bitter and frustrated nature that Edmond is blind to. Between the two men is the lovely Mercedès Iguanada, played by Dagmara Dominczykv, steadyfast, loyal, and intelligent Mercedes is on love with edmond constantly rebuffing Fernand’s improper advances. The triangle would have stood unbroken save an ill-fortune voyage of Edmond’s ship that sees the captain stuck down and Edmond making an emergency landfall upon Elba. Elba prison to the exiled Napoleon. Abused edmond’s nature Napoleon uses the young man to send a message to his loyal supporter, landing edmond in a dread prison. illiterate, friendless, and with the world believing him to be an executed traitor Edmond must find a way for the justice he needs.