Article: FILM: THE BIG PICTURE: At last, the full Monte THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO (PG) DIRECTOR KEVIN REYNOLDS STARRING JIM CAVIEZEL / GUY PEARCE / RICHARD HARRIS / DAGMARA DOMINCZYK 131 MINS

Intrigue, rivalry, swordplay, romance, betrayal, and a cameo by Napoleon Bonaparte: amazing what a movie can pack into its first 15 minutes. The Count of Monte Cristo has long been overdue a remake (the last one I recall starred Richard Chamberlain) and in director Kevin Reynolds's hands it comes up not merely buffed and gleaming, but fitted with an engine that makes it fairly roar along. Even when it slows down in the middle section, its narrative handling hardly slackens: this is a Monte Cristo you can count on.

Kevin Reynolds first made a splash with Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, which for all its silliness handled the legend with verve and more than a pinch of wit. Too bad his next ...

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