The Mask Of Zorro - Review

First off, watch the trailer to this movie! It must just be one of the best trailers I've ever seen. However, it has the same music as Pirates of the Caribbean, 5 years before Pirates even came out! Interesting bit of trivia. Speaking of Pirates of the Caribbean, this movie feels very similar to it. Swordplay, action, comedy, fun, excitement and adventure. You find all of it in Pirates of the Caribbean and you definitely find it in The Mask of Zorro. Another film this reminded me of was The Mummy. Yes, the Brendan Fraser classic that came out just one year after The Mask of Zorro. The similarities in those films definitely lie in the comedy, the set-pieces, the overall production design (1920's Egypt and 1840's California/Mexico) and definitely in the score. Although The Mask of Zorro may have some more Mexican influence with acoustic guitar and trumpets, James Horner pumps out another great score with some excellent soft melodies along with exciting tracks. A definite boost to an already fun film. That is the one word I would choose to describe this movie. Fun. As soon as it opens with the silhouette of Zorro slicing a giant Z in our face, you know right away that this movie isn't meant to be taken seriously, it is supposed to give you a good time. Three of the major reasons why this film is so enjoyable are Antonio Banderas, Anthony Hopkins, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Banderas plays a Mexican Jack Sparrow type of character with great witty remarks, a large sum of charisma and some prestigious swordplay. He nails the suave, seductive action hero portrayal. His mentor played by Anthony Hopkins also brings a lot to the table. Sometimes when a big star is known for playing serious roles signs on for a movie like this, they can either have total fun with it and give a good performance, or they could completely phone it in (Trigger Warning* Jennifer Lawrence anyone?) Luckily, Anthony Hopkins is such a good actor, that he can pull off the more serious parts of the film as well as the comedic moments without even trying. As for Catherine Zeta-Jones, she might just be the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Yes, I know I said that about Emma Watson in Beauty and the Beast, but Catherine Zeta-Jones is absolutely wonderful. Ladies, I forgot to mention, Antonio Banderas is easy on the eyes too so don't you worry. Back to Zeta-Jones though, she is more than just a pretty face. She can pull off some comedic moments of the film as well as she can hold her own in the action scenes. There is a wonderful battle of both swordplay and wits between Zeta-Jones's Elena and Zorro. Wonderful choreography and wonderful direction. You can feel the sexual tension between the two but also worried one of them might accidentally chop off a limb or destroy and aspect of either of the character's perfect faces. As for the rest of the action, it was so good, I wished there was more of it. Although the story was pretty simple at the core, it was shrouded in a bit too much politics and government mish-mash. I did find myself saying at one point, "Okay, let's get on with it. Where's Zor-- Oh hey! There he is!" And the action would start up again and continue to entertain. Overall, I miss movies like this. A fun adventure that didn't really on heavy effects and relied more on stunt work. A film that isn't afraid to take place in a different and unique setting and not be overwhelmingly dark all the time. You can have a movie just be entertaining you know, and The Mask of Zorro is a great example. A great Friday night watch!