10 Movies That Escaped The Dump Month Curse
7. The Count Of Monte Cristo (2002)
The Count of Monte Cristo is the adaptation of the classic Alexandre Dumas novel and was released on January 25, 2002. The movie stars Jim Caviezel, Guy Pearce, Richard Harris, Luis Guzman, and a pre-Superman Henry Cavill.
A big strength of the film is due to Jim Caviezel. Playing the title role, he embodies the naive nature of Edward Dantes who soon becomes a hardened man due to his unjust imprisonment. The actor has the burden of juggling numerous stages of Dantes' life and thankfully, he succeeds in this task.
One notable point of contention, however, is the changes to the source material, like turning Fernand Mondego into Dantes' friend to add more drama. There are also elements added in for entertainment value such as a climactic swordfight between our primary characters.
Yet despite reservations from Dumas purists, The Count of Monte Cristo received favorable reviews from the critics and the general audience. It also grossed $75.4 million on a $35 million budget due to the resurgence of old-school swashbucklers started by The Mask of Zorro in 1998 and would continue with the original Pirates of the Caribbean in 2003.