The Count of Monte Cristo - PG-13\nStarring: Jim Caviezel, Guy Pearce\nDirected by: Kevin Reynolds\nShowing: Showplace East 11\nThis past weekend, Kevin Reynolds' adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' "The Count of Monte Cristo" swashbuckled its way across the silver screen, carving out smiles and stealing laughter from audiences. Reynolds has rebounded nicely from his last epic flop, "Waterworld," with a story full of intrigue, excitement, romance and revenge. Set in 19th-century France, the movie sweeps from one lush landscape to the next as we follow the demise of Edmund Dantes and the vengeful rise of the Count of Monte Cristo.\nEdmund Dantes (Jim Caviezel) is leading the simple life of a sailor intent on marrying his gorgeous fiancée, Mercedes (Dagmara Daminczyk). But things soon go very wrong. Dantes is betrayed by his childhood friend, the rather wealthy Fernand Mondego (Guy Pearce). Sent to the Chateau d'If under false charges of treason, Dantes spends the next 13 years of his life being cruelly flogged and engraving "GOD WILL GIVE ME JUSTICE" on the stone walls.\nIt is while enjoying his stay at the chateau that Dantes meets Abbe Faria (Richard Harris), who has accidentally tunneled into Dantes' room in a failed attempt at escape. Faria becomes Dantes' key to revenge, as he teaches Dantes to read, write and master the sword, all the while tunneling towards freedom. Faria also gives Dantes one other crucial thing: the map to the treasure of Monte Cristo. It is from this point on that Dantes is able to begin setting into motion the plan of revenge that he's had 13 years to meticulously plan.\nThis movie is all about sword fighting. It's all about tunneling convicts. It's all about buried treasure, knife-wielding pirates, masquerades in Rome, whispered secrets and undying love. It's all about the good guy spoon-feeding his foes their hearts one bite at a time. In short, this movie is all about simply having fun.\n"The Count of Monte Cristo" is far from being a flawless movie, but that's beside the point. Caviezel turns in one of his best performances since "The Thin Red Line" as the Count. And Pearce becomes one of the most dastardly, slithering fiends to ever creep across the screen. \nKevin Reynolds has managed to make a tribute to the days of Errol Flynn and Douglas Fairbanks with a film that comes straight out of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Don't look for "The Count of Monte Cristo" to be garnering any Oscars at next year's Academy Awards. It's not that kind of a film. But if you're looking for a movie that defines why we have the big screen, a movie that defines entertainment in its purest form, then grab a coke, get some popcorn, and get in line.\n
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