The Mask of Zorro (1998)

The Mask of Zorro
(1998) – A young thief is trained to assume the role of the
legendary hero of the people. 

 Directed by Martin Campbell                          Starring Antonio Banderas, Catherine Zeta-Jones,                                                                                                            Anthony Hopkins

Here’s a good
old-fashioned adventure film that hits all the key points. Handsome
hero, beautiful heroine, the wise mentor, and the evil villain. It
balances action, serious story, and comedy. And it looks like the
cast had fun doing it all. The result is just great fun.

As the young thief,
Banderas gives us a juvenile young man, controlled by his passions,
who grows into a real hero. Zeta-Jones brings beauty, intelligence,
and a deft hand with a sword to Elena. Hopkins as de la Vega is a
hero who has aged out of the role who carries the burdens of his
life. The villains are fairly standard, but that’s fine. They are
just the background against which these three will perform.

And what
performances! All of them manage the silly, the serious, and the
sword with the skill and grace the roles demand. This is a big
splashy story that centers on one of the ancestors of the comic book
superhero. Zorro debuts in print in 1919, intended as a one-time pulp
story. But the character was so popular on the big screen that new
stories continued for four decades. And he is a perfect movie hero.
Banderas and Hopkins put a human face on it all. Meanwhile,
Zeta-Jones brings us a fiery, intelligent heroine who doesn’t need
rescuing. She is the perfect partner for the mysterious hero.

Why You Will Like It – It’s just plain fun

Rating – ****
Recommended