Based on the book by Alexandre Dumas', Edmond Dantes (Jim Cavieziel, Frequency) and Fernand (Guy Pierce, Memento) are best friends who travel along cargo ships as crew mates. Edmond has it all, a good marriage, a good job and a happy life. When he is set up as a traitor to his country by Fernand, he is locked in jail for years. Enraged he is trained by an old priest (The late Sir Richard Harris, Harry potter) to learn and fence so that he can someday exact revenge on Fernand. He then escapes from the prison and embarks on a journey to find a hidden treasure where he uses it to become the count of Monte Cristo and his plot begins. I was very skeptical about seeing this; I've come across other high-budget fiascos like this before, (The Musketeer) where there's all razzle and dazzle and no depth to the plot or characters. Well, I must say I was proven wrong; this is an excellent movie with a superior cast that reflects upon the movie well. Jim Caveziel bids well as the lead character Edmond and supplies great silent rage within him. However, all the cast is outdone by the Versatile Guy Pierce who is as slippery and slimy as every movie villain over the years. The movie paces itself and takes its time to tell the story and establish each of the characters as individuals, letting us relate to them on a whole new plain. Sir Richard Harris has a small yet very pivotal role in the film as he trains Edmond in the ways of the sword and challenges him to ponder on whether his pursuit for revenge is futile. The choreography in this movie is excellent with epic sword-fighting scenes that will dazzle any viewer, unlike "The Musketeer" which attempted to stylize the fight scenes and failed miserably. This is visually stunning and a masterpiece.

Fans of the action genre won't get much from this movie. This depends mostly on dialogue and character emphasis rather than the fight scenes which are very few. Women will love the romantic tale and plot twists while men might fancy the fight scenes.

All in all this is an excellent tale of action, betrayal, revenge, and violence. I suggest you pick this one up and give it a chance. It's a rare gem for the times.