Revenge rarely gets sweeter than it does in The Count of Monte Cristo, a rousing, impeccably crafted adaptation of Alexandre Dumas père's literary classic. Filmed countless times before, the story is revitalized by director Kevin Reynolds (rallying after Waterworld) and screenwriter Jay Wolpert, who wisely avoid the action-movie anachronisms that plagued 2001's dubious Dumas-inspired The Musketeer. Leading a superior cast, Jim Caviezel (Frequency) expresses a delicate balance of obsession and nobility as Dantes, the wrongly accused Frenchman who endures 13 years of prison and torment, then uses a hidden treasure to finance elaborate vengeance on those who wronged him. Memento's Guy Pearce is equally effective as Dantes's betraying nemesis, and Richard Harris tops his Harry Potter wizardry with a humorous turn as Dantes's fellow prisoner and mentor. Filmed on stunning locations in Ireland and Malta, The Count of Monte Cristo easily matches Rob Roy for intelligent swashbuckling entertainment. -Jeff Shannon.

Jean Renoir's love of the theatrical life was rarely more colorfully expressed than in this wry comedy, which is lit from within by the life force of Anna Magnani. The Golden Coach is set in a colonial town in South America, where a traveling troupe of actors arrives on the same boat that carried the local viceroy's overpriced gold-covered carriage. Magnani has a beau, and the viceroy and a celebrated bullfighter are quickly dazzled by her charms. Her presence soon becomes an affair of state, but Renoir leaves no doubt that he finds the affairs of the heart of primary importance. Most eloquent of all is the poignancy of Magnani's dilemma-that she is most alive when performing, that life can never equal the charge of applause and footlights. Within his proscenium frame, Renoir gears the movie to his leading lady, and hands her one of the great happy-sad final lines in cinema. -Robert Horton.

Warrior woman Lana Clarkson (Deathstalker) survives the massacre of her little village (on the eve of her marriage to a tribal prince) and vows revenge. Surrounding herself with an estrogen brigade of female fighters, she makes quick work of the marauders before moving on to the city to lead the brewing rebellion against the evil king. Don't think for a second that this is about empowered women: every female character is raped or molested in the picture. Ostensibly directed by Héctor Olivera (Funny Dirty Little War), this silly, badly dubbed, shot-in-Argentina production is full of gratuitous nudity and slapdash but serviceable action and is enlivened largely by Clarkson's charisma and energy. Much of the marvelous music is cribbed from James Horner's lush Battle Beyond the Stars score. Clarkson returns in the sequel, Barbarian Queen II: The Empress Strikes Back. -Sean Axmaker.

This 1982, 180-minute television remake of the original MGM feature, produced 30 years before, is the rare makeover of a classic that works quite well under its own steam. Anthony Andrews plays the disinherited knight who returns from the Third Crusades and is determined to raise the ransom to free a kidnapped King Richard (Julian Glover). With his bid rebuffed by his estranged father (Michael Hordern), and the affection of the latter's ward, Rowena (Lysette Anthony), compromised, Ivanhoe looks toward the generosity of the beautiful Rebecca (Olivia Hussey)-whose father (James Mason) he rescued from anti-Semitic Normans-for help. But a plot by faithless friends to discredit Ivanhoe, and his subsequent partnership with Robin Hood (David Robb) to save the day, keep this story from slowing down even for a minute. Originally a miniseries, this production has enough breadth to provide lots of breathing room for the script and cast to mine all the drama they can from Sir Walter Scott's novel. This is also a great-looking movie, with wall-to-wall pageantry, superb costumes-the works. -Tom Keogh.

A tale about a fatherless boy finding dramatically different father figures throughout a remarkable adventure, Treasure Island is an entertaining coming-of-age story, with themes of family, loyalty, friendship, trust, and honesty at its core. While Robert Louis Stevenson's classic adventure tale is popular film fare, it's never been done this well. Charlton Heston stars as Long John Silver and Christian Bale as plucky Jim Hawkins in this TNT production. Directed by Heston's son Fraser (who also directed the excellent family fare Alaska), the film remains faithful to the novel, and draws much of the spirit and excitement of the book. The action scenes are first-rate, and if the ship Hispaniola has never looked better or more authentic, no surprise: the ship is the original from 1962's Mutiny on the Bounty. The opening scenes are dark and rich, as they capture the period well, with careful attention to makeup (the teeth, the body grime!) and costuming. Oliver Reed and Christopher Lee are frighteningly effective as Capt. Billy Bones and Blind Pew, and the film's first half-hour is theirs. The tone shifts and lightens when Heston appears as the legendary pirate. Look for Pete Postlethwaite, Julian Glover, and Richard Johnson in wonderful supporting roles. [+]