The Count of Monte Cristo

In January, I read (and loved) Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo (review here).  In 2002, that 1000-page book was turned into a 2-hour movie of the same name.  How did it compare?

In my experience, the book is almost always better than the movie- often, it's much better.  In this case, I wondered how would they handle the significant abridgements necessary to fit the story into two hours.  In the beginning of the movie, I was pleasantly surprised.  They seem to get events and characters pretty close to Dumas' version- up to the point when Dantes escapes prison.  From then on, the revenge sequence is hopelessly condensed and markedly lacks the interest, complexity, build-up, and satisfaction of the novel.  Some deviations are pretty significant departures from the plot and tone of the book, which I found most disturbing.  On its own, the film stands out as a reasonable adventure/thriller.  Compared to the book on which it is based, it lacks heavily.  I suspect a more faithful treatment could come only in the form of a TV mini-series.

Rating: B-