FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Micah Lloyd Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.

Billie Morin This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Yazmin Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

sheilahcraft In 1961, Louis Jourdan portrayed Edmond Dantès / Comte de Monte Cristo in what I feel is the most compelling of all portrayals of this hero. In 1975, he returned for his second film version of this classic tale, this time portraying De Villefort.How intriguing to see both films and Monsier Jourdan's two very different roles. In the 1961 film he is the victim who seeks revenge, and I empathize with him. He breaks my heart. In 1975, he is the one who victimizes Edmund (Richard Chamberlain), and he does portray evil very convincingly. He proved that for the first time in 1956's "Julie." I admit that I am a Louis Jourdan completest. I own nearly all of his films, and I watch them each multiple times. Yes, he is breathtakingly gorgeous, but he is a far greater actor than most people realize. This film is worth watching even if you do not have access to the 1961 film (which is in French, by the way). But if you can, I suggest that you watch them both to see just how brilliant Louis Jourdan is in both roles: the hero and the villain.

WakenPayne I have never seen nor read any other version of The Count Of Monte Cristo. But I do know that it is probably the most popular revenge story of all time. I decided to sit down and watch this movie because I kind of liked the director's movie Small Sacrifices, even though it's depressing. So I found this and watched it tonight. It actually is pretty good.The plot for those who don't know is that in 1815 Edmund Dantes is on top of the world. He's getting married to a woman who loves him, he's about to be promoted to a captain of a ship and will use the money he earns to help buy his father a proper house. When he sees the person under him in ship ranking, a man in love with his fiancée and a thief that he took prisoner talking, he thinks nothing of it. On the day before his wedding he is charged for conspiring with Napoleon Bodepart. When he is taken to the prosecutor Demund reveals that the old captain was dying and demanded Edmund deliver a note.It turns out the old captain is working with Bodepart, and the person he will deliver the message to is actually the prosecutor's father. Under the impression that Edmund was to be taken to the church where he was to be married, he instead is taken to a living hell of a prison. 10 years later he meets an old man who is digging his way out to the sea wall but instead finds Edmund. So they decided to dig together out of the prison.It turns out with both of them digging would take another 4 years and the old man teaches Edmund everything he knows and also helps him piece together who actually conspired against him and why. Driven by revenge he continues digging and the old man then dies but not before giving him a treasure map over 3 centuries old. Edmund takes the old man's place in the body bag and gets thrown off the island. He then gets picked up by Italian smugglers.He finds the treasure and uses it to assume the identity of The Count Of Monte Cristo, where he uses diabolical schemes to destroy the social status of the people who framed him and helped his father starve to death. However, after nearly 2 decades of him being imprisoned and hatching the scheme there are people who will be caught in the crossfire. Such as his former fiancée and her son.The acting is great, Richard Chamberlain makes way for a great Edmund Dantes and is very believable. Everyone else is also good but Chamberlain is the stand out. The writing is also good and makes way for a sad movie. David Greene's direction is also pretty top notch for a movie of this kind. The more I see some of the movies this guy has done the more I want to see the rest in my opinion.Just as a compliment... a minor compliment I find the scenery in this movie to be very good. I was actually surprised at the scenery and how convincing it was as 1800's France. I might be giving TV Movies like this a lack of credit (I wouldn't know I barely watch TV Movies, period) but I was surprised.If there is a complaint with this it would definitely be the pacing of the first few scenes. We barely have comprehension why these people are conspiring to put Dantes behind bars in the first place and it's only made clear by the old man. It might be a nitpick because it is actually explained later but I really was confused as to why that was going on.So if you can find it my advice would be to watch it now. It really captures the pain Dantes is going through as well as how to an extent what he is doing is hurting people he barely knows. It is worth a look and for a TV movie it is one of the best.

SeussMeTub Although this made for TV movie has been overshadowed by the other, more famous and lavish versions, this particular adaptation happens to be the most faithful to Dumas' novel.Richard Chamberlain is quite effective as Edmund Dantes, the sailor who is wrongfully imprisoned by three of his former friends who happens to escape many years later to find the lost treasure of Monte Cristo- he dons a new identity as the Count and unleashes a complex but highly satisfying revenge on his enemies.Because of its short running time, it dispenses with many of the novel's subplots but it actually makes this film better because it focuses on Dantes' revenge and does it quite well. The ending is ironic and it seems, the only version that keeps Dumas' original plot intact unlike the big Hollywood version with Jim Caviezel that was made in 2002.Excellent supporting performances by Louis Jourdan as De Villefort (Jourdan actually starred as the Count in a 1961 version of this same movie!), Trevor Howard as the Abbe Faria and Donald Pleasance as the slimy Danglars while Tony Curtis hams it up a bit as the evil Mondego- but his exposure is limited and he is still quite good. Highly recommended.

Lee Eisenberg My mom learned about Alexandre Dumas's "The Count of Monte-Cristo" in the movie "Sleepers" and recommended it to me. I read the novel and was quite impressed by this version. Portraying sailor Edmond Dantes (Richard Chamberlain) getting falsely accused of being a "Bonapartist" in early 19th century France, and then escaping from jail and taking revenge, they really got the movie right. Two really dramatic scenes are the trial scene (because of how they film it) and the sword fight. One can certainly see how the novel influenced the boys in "Sleepers". The 2002 version with Jim Caviezel wasn't half bad either. Also starring Kate Nelligan, Tony Curtis and Donald Pleasance.Oh, and that school project? I made a video done like "Masterpiece Theater" and used scenes out of this movie.