Image Courtesy of Amazon.com
Director:
Martin Campbell
Cast:
Antonio Banderas……….Alejandro Murrieta/Zorro
Anthony Hopkins……….Don Diego de la Vega/Zorro
Catherine Zeta-Jones……….Elena Montero/Elena Murrieta
Stuart Wilson……….Don Rafael Montero
The Movie
If there’s ever a need for an action hero whose bilingual, the first call is always to Antonio Banderas. From his work in the Mariachi trilogy, Banderas has proved adept at being a credible star in the arena. Equally noted in his action repertoire is The Mask of Zorro.
Set in 1820s Mexico, Banderas is Alejandro Murrieta in The Mask of Zorro. He is a criminal, left to die in the desert, when he is saved miraculously by a stranger. And it’s not some ordinary stranger; it’s Don Diego de la Vega (Anthony Hopkins). In what feels like a past life, Vega was the masked avenger Zorro, striking back for those who could not stand up for themselves. Murrieta even helped his masked hero growing up; Vega has been in hiding ever since his identity was found out by his archrival Don Rafael Montero (Stuart Wilson). After having Vega’s wife killed and taking his daughter (Catherine Zeta-Jones) away to raise as his own, Montero has Vega imprisoned.
Vega escapes his prison and wants a successor to his mask. The people need a hero, he reasons, and Zorro is about due for a comeback. After Murrieta shows some swordsmanship ability, Vega trains him to be his successor. And over 20 years since Zorro last walked the Earth he rides again. And a familiar enemy is back, as Montero has hatched a scheme to make a fortune on the backs of the peasants.
From here on it’s a fight for the older Zorro and his protégé to save the day from the evil Montero, filled with lots of swash-buckling goodness, a resoundingly awesome score and a fast-paced, simple plot. There isn’t anything complicated or unforeseen; Campbell isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel, he’s just trying to create a good action movie.
What also makes The Mask of Zorro a better than average entry into the genre is that level of talent provided. With two Oscar Winners (Hopkins and Zeta-Jones) to go along with Banderas, who is at his best in an action environment, The Mask of Zorro is a film with a cast that is taking their roles seriously. There are no sleepwalking or going half-speed.
Ultimately, the first installment of the envisioning of Zorro is a good action movie that wants to do no more than just entertain and succeeds in it.
Score : 8 / 10
The Video
Presented in a 2.35:1 widescreen ratio, the film looks as good as it has in countless TNT repeats as well as the original release. While the colors have been cleaned up somewhat, it isn’t a drastic upgrade from prior versions. It still looks great but the improvement from prior releases is not as drastic.
The Audio
Presented in a Dolby Digital sound, the movie sounds better than it has in releases past. It’s a film that relies on a lot of sound as well as a great score and the new release brings it to life in a much fuller manner than it did before.
The Extras:
Exclusive Behind-The-Scenes Sneak Peek at The Legend of Zorro is a look at the upcoming The Legend of Zorro, due out in theatres Halloween weekend. At around five minutes, its brief and about how the movie came together as the director & main stars are returning and as such wanted to be able to have enough time between movies to develop a great script, etc.
Exclusive Scene from The Legend of Zorro contains a build in to one of the scenes shown in the trailer of Zeta-Jones and Banderas slicing their initials into someone’s pants. It’s a short action sequence that looks great, at least.
“Unmasking Zorro” Documentary is a retrospective on Zorro’s origins as well as the creation of the film. Running around 45 minutes, this is the sort of documentary that all special editions should contain as they cover everything about the making, casting, and design of the film. It’s an extra that could be its own disc.
Two Deleted Scenes are also included. The first is a sequence between Banderas and Hopkins that is charming, but not necessary for the film. The second is an addendum to the movie’s finale featuring Banderas’ villain from Desperado Joaquim de Almeida as General Santa Anna. It’s interesting to see, but ultimately it isn’t demanded for insertion back in the film.
Photo Galleries: Costume Design & Publicity Portraits are a gallery of shots of the cast and crew normally used in advertising for the film. Nothing special, but is interesting to see a “glamour shot” montage.
Trailer & TV Spots: all of the television spots for The Mask of Zorro are here, as well as the teaser and theatrical versions of the trailer. Also included are trailers for The Legend of Zorro and Bewitched.
$7.50 gift certificate towards a viewing of The Legend of Zorro in the theatre or towards DVD version of Desperado, Once upon a time in Mexico, or either Spider-man movies.
“I want to spend my lifetime loving you” – Music Video By Marc Anthony And Tina Arena
Commentary by Director Martin Campbell
Score : 9 / 10
