The Mask of Zorro
Arriving in theaters 17 years after Zorro, the Gay Blade, 1998's The Mask of Zorro gave us Anthony Hopkins as the classic hero Don Diego de la Vega who we see imprisoned by the corrupt Spanish Governor Don Rafael Montero (Stuart Wilson) on Spain's retreat from its former colony. With his wife (Julieta Rosen) killed, and his daughter Elena (Catherine Zeta-Jones) stolen to be raised by his mortal enemy, Diego remains imprisoned for 20 years when Montero's return gives him a chance at vengeance and to instruct a new pupil (Antonio Banderas) in the ways of Zorro.
The Mask of Zorro straddles the line between revenge tale and more classic lighthearted action. Diego's pupil Alejandro (Banderas) has his own vengeance in mind against Captain Harrison Love (Matt Letscher), Montero's righthand and the man responsible for the death of Alejandro's brother. Before the end, both Zorros will get their justice.
While entertaining, for me The Mask of Zorro has always been a film where its individual pieces, and standout scenes, work better than the whole. The entire mine subplot leads to lots of explosive action in the film's final act but more classic Zorro scenes, such as Zorro's sword battle with Elena, are far more memorable and rewatchable.
Released several times on home video on VHS, DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K, the film is also available on a number of streaming platforms. It would receive a sequel seven years later returning both Banderas and Zeta-Jones for one more adventure.
- Title: The Mask of Zorro
- IMDb: link
