At its simplest, “The Count Of Monte Cristo” is a story of revenge. Edmund Dantes is accused of treason and imprisoned for many years. Upon his escape, he sets out to hunt down those who sent him there and to make them suffer.

Of course, limiting the movie to that is unjust. It’s also a tale of friendship, betrayal, romance, hatred, jealousy, spirituality and class struggle. There are sword fights, knife fights, heroes, villains and much more. The best way to say it is the movie is two hours of solid entertainment.

James Caviezel (“Frequency”) plays Dantes to perfection. In each act of the story, he undergoes a transformation — from a naive sailor into an embittered prisoner and then into the Count of Monte Cristo. While his outward appearance changes drastically with each stage, Caviezel also is able to show us the internal change. He speaks volumes through his eyes and his speech patterns change with each step.

However, all the acting credit can’t go to Caviezel. Not when Guy Pearce (“Memento”) is playing Dantes’ best friend-turned-nemesis, Fernand Mondego. Mondego, who is from a very wealthy family, always has been jealous of Dantes. Even though he’s poor, Dantes is well-respected, happy and has won the heart of Mercedes (Dagmara Dominczyk). This annoys the hell out of Mondego. With Dantes out of the picture, he would no longer have to live in his shadow and he would be free to marry Mercedes. So, he betrays him and gets him arrested for treason with information only a friend could know.

Pearce probably is the best actor in the business and he fills Mondego with energy. I realize I’m being cliché here, but he really is a villain the audience will love to hate. Every time Pearce is on camera, his charisma forces you to sit up and take notice.

The supporting characters were extremely well cast, too. Mercedes could have come off as nothing more than a damsel in distress, but Dominczyk adds depth to the character. We trust her and we trust that her motivations are pure.

Richard Harris brings credibility and experience to the movie. He plays Faria, an old man who spent years in prison digging an escape tunnel only to burrow up into Dantes’ cell. The two quickly become friends, and in exchange for Dantes’ help digging a new tunnel, Faria becomes his teacher and mentor. He teaches him both how to use a sword and how to use his mind. He also gives Dantes something invaluable: A map to a hidden treasure on the island of Monte Cristo.

I loved this movie. Jay Wolpert’s screenplay was a very loyal adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ novel, keeping in tact all the necessity and never once boring the audience. The film is directed with passion by Kevin Reynolds and I hope it will win him back some much-deserved respect after “Waterworld.”

Whether “The Count” will connect with audiences still is to be seen, but it should. It’s a tough sell because there is no one thing that it’s about. It’s hard to describe in a 30-second TV spot – but there is something for everyone in this movie. It’s a good, old-fashioned adventure and a lot of fun to watch.