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The Mask of Zorro

The Mask of Zorro (1998)

July. 16,1998
|
6.8
|
PG-13
| Adventure Action

It has been twenty years since Don Diego de la Vega fought Spanish oppression in Alta California as the legendary romantic hero, Zorro. Having escaped from prison he transforms troubled bandit Alejandro into his successor, in order to foil the plans of the tyrannical Don Rafael Montero who robbed him of his freedom, his wife and his precious daughter.

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SnoReptilePlenty
1998/07/16

Memorable, crazy movie

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VeteranLight
1998/07/17

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

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TaryBiggBall
1998/07/18

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

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Rio Hayward
1998/07/19

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

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HotToastyRag
1998/07/20

If you missed seeing The Mask of Zorro in the theaters, you missed out on a key milestone of a childhood in the '90s. I remember sitting on the edge of my seat watching what was probably the first action movie I'd ever seen, falling in love with Antonio Banderas's wavy hair and Catherine Zeta-Jones's exquisitely beautiful face. Was there ever a more beautiful screen couple? Well, in 1998 I didn't think so, and the magic of childhood remembrance puts such a glow around them that no other screen couple will probably be able to touch them.In this film version of legend of the masked hero, Zorro is captured at the beginning of the movie. The bad guy, Stuart Wilson, grows his power for twenty years, until Zorro escapes from jail. The problem is, Anthony Hopkins is Zorro, and he's far too old to return to his swashbuckling days. The only solution is to find and train a new Zorro so that the legend will continue and justice will prevail. I'll never forget the exciting and grueling training sequence between Anthony Hopkins and Antonio Banderas: it's a sequence between two good guys, but it's still just as thrilling as the action scenes later on in the film!Moviegoers who like swashbuckling movies, action flicks, or historical romances will love The Mask of Zorro. Antonio lives a double life, since no one knows the true identity of the masked avenger, and he's funny, daring, and charming as he woos Catherine-with and without the mask. There are political discussions, romantic tensions, and incredible fight and action scenes. This thrilling '90s masterpiece is not to be missed-even if you're seeing it for the first time as a grown-up, I'm sure you'll love it.

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hall895
1998/07/21

The Mask of Zorro is quite good fun. In this case good fun is enough. The film promises excitement and entertainment and it delivers on its promise. It even gives you two Zorros for the price of one. Anthony Hopkins plays Don Diego de la Vega, Zorro number one. Unfortunately for de la Vega when we meet him his time as a swashbuckling hero is about to be cut short in rather tragic fashion. He loses everything that is dear to him and is tossed into a dungeon. Twenty years later he escapes and plots his revenge. Only by this point he's a little too old for the Zorro stuff. He needs a protégé. Enter Alejandro Murrieta, played by Antonio Banderas. Alejandro, seeking revenge of his own, is raw and uncultured, nowhere near as suave as the original Zorro. And being suave is part of what makes Zorro Zorro. de la Vega will have to teach the new Zorro so much more than how to use a sword.Conveniently the man who wronged Alejandro, Captain Love, is now the right-hand man of Don Montero, the man who wronged de la Vega. They will take their vengeance together. Of course it's not quite that simple, there are complications. As you would expect in a movie of this sort one of those complications is a stunningly beautiful woman. Catherine Zeta-Jones plays Elena, the daughter Montero stole from de la Vega when she was an infant all those years ago. Elena and Alejandro fall for each other because of course they do. Meanwhile there are still those bad guys who need to be dispatched and a plot to steal California which needs to be foiled. This of course will involve sword fights. Many, many sword fights. Hey, it's a Zorro movie, what were you expecting? The movie greatly benefits from the performances of its three leads. Hopkins is reliably brilliant and clearly enjoying himself in a role which allows him to have some real fun for once. Banderas really grows into the role of Zorro as the movie progresses. He may not be very suave in the beginning but by the end he's quite the charmer. And Zeta-Jones brings a great spark to the proceedings. Elena's not your stereotypical damsel in distress, she gives as good as she gets. Zeta-Jones fits the role perfectly, full of confidence and charisma. Being drop-dead gorgeous doesn't hurt either. Banderas and Zeta-Jones have great chemistry but so too, in a very different way, do Banderas and Hopkins. Everyone plays off one another ever so well. While certainly not as memorable as the three stars the villains play their parts well too. A movie like this needs strong antagonists and here we are not disappointed, these are some truly hissable villains. Captain Love is so over-the-top in his evilness it's a little hard to believe. But the character is based on a real-life figure so give the movie the benefit of the doubt I suppose. Anyhow if you hate the bad guys, and you will, that can only help the movie in the end as you become more emotionally invested. This movie has a lot going for it. Action, drama, romance. A great story, great actors, great visuals, great music. Heroes to cheer, villains to despise. It's certainly not the most serious-minded of films but it's serious enough when it needs to be. Really good swashbuckling fun, that's what this movie is. What more could you want from Zorro?

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ThatMOVIENut
1998/07/22

Based on one of the grandaddies of modern superheroes, this 90s take on the crime fighting swashbuckler starts during Don Diego De La Vega's final days as Zorro, when his world is turned upside down, his wife killed, daughter stolen and he himself locked away by the corrupt governor of California. A few decades later, Diego escapes and eventually enlists vengeful bandit Alejandro to take up the mantle of Zorro and bring down the governor once and for all before he can carry out a murderous land scheme.Surprisingly well thought out, this Spielberg-produced 'Zorro' is a a fun ride that also discusses the inspirational power of symbols, masks to be precise, and their transcendent powers. The compelling father-son relationship between Diego and Alejandro is the heart of the film, as each man learns something from the other and lives up to the heroic mantle of Zorro in their own way. One learns to be better than vengeance, the other to be a hero for the people, an icon of good. Despite these hefty themes, the film still regularly has a sense of humour to prevent excess dourness, mainly in seeing the boorish Alejandro become a cultured gentleman, as well as his stubborn horse Tornado.The cast embrace the old fashioned nature of the material. Antonio Banderas knocks it out as a thief-turned-smiling charmer, while Anthony Hopkins & Catherine Zeta Jones wonderfully run with their respective roles of wise mentor and spunky lover, as does Stuart Wilson and Matt Letscher as the governor and sadistic captain. Naturally, also having some great set pieces, like the mine duels, and a passionate, Hispanic-infused score by James Horner, help out further.In terms of criticisms, Campbell's Mexican adventure fills out any adventure lover's bill nicely, and so complaints about the lack of anything drastic, original or confrontational would be to miss the point of the material. The only major complaint is perhaps Letscher is a one note, boo-hiss sadist lackey compared to his more layered, even slightly sympathetic superior, but again, that's just part of this sort of material. Honestly, it's the best kind of film that 'does what it says on the tin'.

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851222
1998/07/23

Greetings from Lithuania."The Mask of Zorro" (1998) is a superb entertainment, a real crowd pleaser. Made with energy, with and superb performances all over around it's a great flick from start till finish. Like many great revenge stories, this one has everything - a progressing hero, a wonderful central character and so on.Overall, a very solid 8/10 for "The Mask of Zorro" - it's a real entertainment, and you don't have to be a Zorro specialist to truly appreciate this picture, the story is quite simple, but very engaging, acting is the best that could be in this material. Definitely check this flick if you didn't upon it's release.

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