The Count of Monte Cristo

Play trailer

The Count of Monte Cristo

PG-13

2002

2h 11m

Adventure

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

74%

Tomatometer

141 Reviews

88%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

The classic story of an innocent man wrongly, but deliberately imprisoned and his brilliant strategy for revenge against those who betrayed him. Dashing young sailor Edmond Dantes (Jim Caviezel) is a guileless and honest young man whose peaceful life and plans to marry the beautiful Mercedes (Dagmara Dominczyk) are abruptly shattered when his best friend Fernand (Guy Pearce), who wants Mercedes for himself, deceives him.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Though it may not reach for any new artistic heights, The Count of Monte Cristo is an old-fashioned yet enjoyable swashbuckler.

Read Critics Reviews

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

12/28/2010

4/5

A thoroughly enjoyable movie for older kids.

Go to Full Review

Time Out

06/24/2006

A preposterous, expansive and self-conscious attempt to resurrect the historical spectacular.

Go to Full Review

Michael Wilmington

Chicago Tribune

07/20/2002

A big, vacuous, sometimes exciting glamour-puss of a movie.

Go to Full Review

Jeremy Conrad

IGN Movies

11/27/2019

8/10

This is an old-fashioned swashbuckling adventure that's just plain fun.

Go to Full Review

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

11/20/2019

3.5/4

...an admittedly irresistible premise for an old-fashioned adventure...

Go to Full Review

Debbie Lynn Elias

Behind The Lens

11/07/2019

Far superior to the 1934 Robert Donat version, like the book itself, the 2002 version of Monte Cristo is certain to become a classic for the ages.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Agasi G.

@Swagasi 6d

The Count of Monte Cristo is one of those movies that somehow flies under the radar while being wildly rewatchable and endlessly satisfying. This version leans hard into classic, old-school adventure storytelling, and it works beautifully. Jim Caviezel gives Edmond Dantès a grounded emotional core, making his transformation from wronged innocent to calculated avenger feel earned rather than flashy. Guy Pearce is a perfectly hateable villain, chewing just enough scenery without tipping into cartoon territory, and the supporting cast—especially Richard Harris—adds weight and gravitas. The pacing is excellent for a nearly three-hour epic: it moves briskly, hits all the emotional beats, and never loses sight of the revenge fantasy that makes the story so compelling. The score and production design also do a lot of quiet work, making the whole thing feel sweeping and romantic without becoming bloated. If there’s a knock against it, it’s that the film takes liberties with the source material, simplifying some of the moral complexity and trimming subplots for accessibility. Purists might bristle at that, and a few character motivations are streamlined more than they need to be—but those choices also make the movie tighter and more crowd-pleasing, which feels intentional rather than careless. Overall, The Count of Monte Cristo (2002) is a near-perfect revenge adventure—emotionally engaging, sharply paced, and deeply satisfying in a way modern epics rarely manage. Rating: 10/10

See more

Charlie K.

@cmkaniak Dec 21

When it comes to movies based on novels and revenge stories, this is one of the 🐐s

See more

Fox W.

@foxygrandpa910 Dec 19

I have never read the book, however the film was fun through and through. This is one of if not my favorite films ever. This movie is incredibly slept on.

See more

Joanne G

Nov 1

Missed not only the endin and plot but the spirit of the book.

See more

Jerod S

@jeroduptown Oct 17

Caviezel is playing the super long revenge game in the classic story. Solid, but maybe a little stodgy.

See more

Giovana L

Jun 8

É Bom. Mas não é minha praia.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Kevin Reynolds

Director

Jim Caviezel

Edmond Dantes

Guy Pearce

Fernand Mondego

Dagmara Domińczyk

Mercedes

Richard Harris

Abbe Faria

Luis Guzmán

Jacopo

Rough Magic

25%

40%

Rough Magic

Watchlist

The Mask of Zorro

86%

73%

The Mask of Zorro

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Mask of Zorro

In God's Hands

0%

80%

In God's Hands

Watchlist

Danzon

67%

74%

Danzon

Watchlist

The Flyboys

50%

72%

The Flyboys

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Luis Guzman’s Five Favorite Films

View more photos

Synopsis

The classic story of an innocent man wrongly, but deliberately imprisoned and his brilliant strategy for revenge against those who betrayed him. Dashing young sailor Edmond Dantes (Jim Caviezel) is a guileless and honest young man whose peaceful life and plans to marry the beautiful Mercedes (Dagmara Dominczyk) are abruptly shattered when his best friend Fernand (Guy Pearce), who wants Mercedes for himself, deceives him.

Director: Kevin Reynolds
Producer: Roger Birnbaum, Gary Barber, Jonathan Glickman
Screenwriter: Jay Wolpert, Alexandre Dumas
Distributor: Touchstone Pictures
Production Co: Birnbaum/Barber, World 2000 Entertainment Ltd., Spyglass Entertainment
Rating: PG-13 (Adventure Violence|Adventure Swordplay|Some Sensuality)
Genre: Adventure
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 25, 2002, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 12, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $54.2M
Runtime: 2h 11m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

Most Popular at Home Now