Lawrence.com

What the world needs now ... is not another version of "The Count of Monte Cristo," but here it is � about the 20th adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' tale of betrayal and vengeance, and it's a mildly entertaining diversion during these dull days of the movie dumping-ground season.

Jim Caviezel isn't the world's most compelling hero as the wrongly imprisoned Edmond Dantes, and Guy Pearce is more sniveling than sinister as Fernand Mondego, the jealous friend who frames him for treason.

And Kevin Reynolds � who previously directed the Kevin Costner calamities "Waterworld" and "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" � doesn't keep the pace as peppy as he should for the first half.

But the story picks up steam as Edmond puts his revenge plan into action, and that has more to do with strong supporting work from Richard Harris and Luis Guzman than anything Caviezel does on his own.

Screenwriter Jay Wolper has made some changes � Fernand now is Edmond's best friend instead of just an acquaintance � but the story remains essentially the same.

Fernand tells the prosecutor Villefort (James Frain) that Edmond has conspired to help the exiled Napoleon, prompting Villefort to send Edmond to the island prison of Chateau d'If.

Believing Edmond has been executed, his fiancee, Mercedes (Dagmara Dominczyk), runs to the willing arms of Fernand, who wanted her all along.

Even at his most dashing, though, Caviezel's Edmond isn't nearly as much fun to watch as Pearce as the scheming Fernand. But their climactic swordfights have a sort of old-school swashbuckling charm about them, and thankfully are devoid of "Matrix"-style computer effects that seemingly every action film has these days.