kent-grinnekullen102

So I have actually read the book, the real book(s), and not the watered down version you find in the book store. That story is compelling, charcter driven, intricate and the details tell how it all comes together. This while a totally ok movie has nothing of that besides the outlines of the main plotlines. There isnt the good besides the bad, there isnt the ambivalent ending and there isnt the base of it all, the relationship between the Abbé and Edmond who basically becomes a son. Also missing is the back story from the escape to Edmonds arrival in Paris that makes the whole revenge plot believable in the first place. I also cant help but miss the old Mr Villefort whose story while peripher is so central to who Edmond really is as a person. So want to see a french drama during the 19th century that is pretty ok with some good actors, go ahead. Want to immerse yourself in the real story of the Count of Monte Christo? Find and Antiquarian because that is the only place you find this masterpiece.

This is the seedy underworld of spies as it most probably is, which is far away from Mission Impossible. Gary Oldman is surrounded by a bunch of misfits and losers but at the same time they are his losers and you love them, because they are you when you are at your worst. The acting of everyone involved is superb, and the casting is even better, whoever did that should get a medal, but no one is better than the old man Oldman himself with his loving internal nemesis, Kristin Scott Thomas with whom he has a love/hate/disgust/respect relationship with. At the same time as its a parody, a drama and a comedy its also real and when people make mistakes, people die, and make no mistake people in this are like you and me and make mistakes.

So the first few episodes are pretty good and from then on it just goes downhill. Clue number one is that in the first shootout scene, the FBI agent runs out of bullets and have no spares, it just makes me cringe. What FBI agent doesnt have a spare clip or three? And later on when "stuff" really hit the fan and you see and have conspiracy all around you and you are on the most wanted list, you dont seek out a reporter for help and you dont disguise yourself and you dont get a gun for protection and you use a boat that you "loan" and then go back and stay at the harbor that you took it from. There are so many things wrong with this series that I just cant disregard them. The good guys act like 8 year olds on steroids and this is an FBI agent we are talking about, good grief.

I say no spoilers and there are none when it comes to the plot just a lot of things that are stupid. If the above is considered spoilers I appologize and will take this into future reviews

I give it a four because of the promise of what could have been but ruined by the above and then some.