Trailer:
"The thing about Zorro is he could be anywhere."
It’s like Batman in the Wild West, and you can compare them until you’re blue in the face, but reality is the creation of Zorro predates Batman by quite a few years. We have had superhero hybrids before but I don’t think there has ever been a western one before or since Zorro (unless you count the Lone Ranger). Yet this movie does not center itself around the traditional Zorro, Diego de la Vega (Anthony Hopkins), but rather his protégé Alejandro Murrieta (Antonio Banderas) as they both team up in a well-crafted, swashbuckling revenge tale reminiscent of The Count of Monte Cristo.
The film opens with an aging Diego still working as Zorro as the Spanish are forced out of Mexico. He manages to stop the evil governor Raphael Montero from executing three innocent men before being exiled. Unfortunately Montero discovers who Zorro really is. He murders his wife, steals his child and imprisons Diego for twenty years as he returns to Spain.
Alejandro meanwhile is introduced as a wanted criminal, but his Robin Hood gang is caught by an American, Captain Luv, working for Montero. Alejandro’s brother is murdered and his other partner captured and placed in a work camp. Alone and penniless he sits and drinks, dreaming of finding and killing his brother’s murderer.
That’s when Montero returns to California once more, with an all new scheme. Learning of it Diego breaks out of prison but the presence of his daughter complicates matters and his is forced to team up with the bumbling drunkard Alejandro in an attempt to stop Montero’s plans and get his own revenge.
The film benefits extremely from the addition of the classic Zorro as well as the new one. Not just because the role is played by Anthony Hopkins, who seems incapable of giving a bad performance, but also because it adds an all new dimension to the film. The movie at its core is a revenge tale with both Zorro’s struggling against their own need for vengeance and trying balance that against a larger threat. An old and regretful Zorro who lost everything in his quest to fight for the people can add a lot more than just a younger man hunting for his brother’s killer.
That brings us to Banderas’ character. I don’t feel bad saying that 90% percent of his films are not even worth touching, but Mask of Zorro is proof that he does have acting chops and can pull off a pretty moving performance. Though many times he is just written off as a pretty boy, Banderas has enough charisma here to be the lovable thief, angsty youthful Zorro, and the comedic prankster, all characteristics that have defined the character in the past. He was probably one of the best picks for the role.
The tone of the film ranges between lighthearted and more dark and brooding. Director Martin Campbell managed to do a phenomenal job balancing these two contrasting tones. There are a few moments when the film feels a little rushed at the beginning but it more then makes up for it in the comedy, romanticism and swashbuckling nature. In a way the style and tone is very similar to that of Pirates of the Caribbean. Also the fact that has very little CGI and built almost entirely on practical effects is refreshing to watch when most Superhero films today rely heavily on computer generated effects.
The two villains are also well done and designed. Both actors gave off great performances and provided the characters with different motives. Montero (Stuart Wilson) is probably the better defined villain. Most likely because they constructed a relationship between him and the original Zorro and he is truly sadistic yet believable. Captain Luv is just a man doing his job but at times is sometimes needlessly made overly violent. Yet he provides a much more physical threat than the aging Montero can.
Of course, the lead lady in here is played by Catherine Zeta-Jones, returning to the Superhero genre after her first appearance in The Phantom. She serves two purposes within this film. First she is the daughter of the original Zorro but was raised by his arch nemesis. This complicates Vega’s quest for vengeance and also adds a new dynamic with her. How can he defeat Montero yet still regain the love of his daughter? However, she also serves as the main love interest for the new Zorro and Captain Luv, adding that classic bit of romanticism found in both superhero and westerns as both hero and villain compete for her affection.
The film is a great example of how franchises can be built onto rather than just rebooting. It gave a new and fresh look at the character while still existing as a continuation of the mythology. That combined with great actor chemistry, practical action scenes, comedy, and drama, makes this not only a great swashbuckling superhero but also the best Zorro film to date.
FINAL RATING: 9/10- (90%)
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