The Mask of Zorro starring Antonio
Banderas, Anthony Hopkins,
Catherine Zeta-Jones, Yolanda
Orisaga, Paco Morayta
Superbit Was Supergood!
In this day of movies in which one cant tell whether the action was
manufactured by computer generation or by a cookie cutter, The Mask of
Zorro is a grand throwback. It recalls and celebrates the fantasy workshop
that Hollywood was and can be at its best. Its an audience pleaser in the
best sense of the word, combining great-looking performers with gorgeous
vistas and production design, a story that is familiar yet never insults the
viewers intelligence, and plenty of eye-popping action. Anthony Hopkins
stars as the original Zorro, a masked vigilante protecting his people from
official corruption in Mexico and what will become California (from
Hannibal Lecter to Merchant-Ivory to action hero--is there nothing this man
cannot do?). Hes imprisoned for his troubles, and upon his release,
mentors an impetuous pupil (Antonio Banderas, more suave than ever) in
the fine arts of swordplay and triumphing over evil. Catherine Zeta-Jones
capably portrays the beauty linked to both men--Zorro Is daughter, Zorro
IIs object of desire. The plotting contains few surprises, but the interplay
between the three leads is always winning, and the winks to the
swashbuckling genre are playful without ever being heavy -handed or
campy. --David Kronke
For 90 years, many fans of "Zorro" have seen quite a few adaptation of the
swashbuckling hero who dons a black mask, cape, clothing and his sword.
From the original books from 1919 by pulp writer Johnston McCulley to the
silent films by Douglas Fairbanks and one of my favorites, the 1958-1960
Disney television series starring Guy Williams. But there has been a sort
of lull when it came to "Zorro" films and before the 1998 film "The Mask of
Zorro", we were left with the George Hamilton comedy "Zorro, the Gay
Blade" in 1981.
But in 1998, producer Steven Spielberg ("Indiana Jones" films, "Schindler's
List", "E.T.", "Jurassic Park" films) along with director Martin Campbell
("Casino Royale", "Vertical Limit", "GoldenEye") began working on a new
action film based on the hero for a new generation of moviegoers.
Featuring a screenplay by John Eskow ("Air America", "Pink Cadillac"),
Ted Elliott ("National Treasure"and "Pirates of the Carribean" films) and
Terry Rossio ("Pirates of the Carribean" films), music by James Horner
("The Spiderwicke Chronicles", "Troy", "Enemy at the Gates") and
cinematographer Phil Meheux ("Casino Royale", "Around the World in 80
Days", "GoldenEye").
The film was released in theaters during the Summer of `98 and with a
budget of $95 million, the film went on to make over $250 million worldwide
and was received positively by critics.
VIDEO & AUDIO:
"The Mask of Zorro" is presented in 1080p High Definition (aspect ratio
2:40:1). I was quite pleased with the picture quality of the film as there
was pretty good detail on the texture of the Mexican and Spanish clothing,
detail of the interiors of Don's cave hideout and the dirt and grime on the
Murrieta boys. A good number of shots were outdoors, so there was a
good amount of lighting. Skin tones were natural and you can see
Anthony Hopkins blue eyes quite clearly. I tend to get a bit unnerved with
some films shot during the 80's and 90's because they look a bit waxy but
"The Mask of Zorro" looks very good for a 1998 film.
As for audio, the film is presented in English, French and Portuguese 5.1
DTS-HD MA (and Spanish 5.1). The soundtrack for the film is actually
fantastic. For an older film, I was expecting a front and center channel
driven soundtrack but "The Mask of Zorro" really takes advantage of the
surround and rear surround channels and also some LFE. You hear the
crowds clapping all around you during a scene when Montero arrives back
to California. Horses galloping and thunder is also well heard. Fighting
sequences, gun shots, explosions are really utilized quite well and for the
most part, similar to "Air Force One" which is a 90's film that was given
great audio by Sony, the same can be said for "The Mask of Zorro". The
lossless soundtrack is clear, understandable and qui te immersive during
the action sequences.
Subtitles are in English, English SDH, French, Portuguese and Spanish.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
"The Mask of Zorro" comes with the following special features presented in
standard definition, English stereo and optional Portuguese or Spanish
subtitles:
* movieIQ - With BD-Live, you can obtain information about the film
online while watching the film (optional).
* Director's Commentary - Featuring audio commentary with director
Marc Campbell. Campbell provides insight on each scene and very
thorough in his explanation of the talent, the set and more.
* Exclusive Documentary: Unmasking Zorro - (45:05) The making of
"The Mask of Zorro" featuring director Martin Campbell, Anthony Hopkins,
Catherine Zeta-Jones, Antonio Banderas and more talking about the film,
the history of Zorro, the production and costume design of the film, the
music and more.
* Deleted Scenes - (4:50) Featuring two deleted scenes: The Wallet and
The Resolution.
* "The Legend of Zorro" Behind-the-Scenes Peek - (5:02) A behind-the-
scenes look at the making of "The Legend of Zorro" and interviews with
Catherine Zeta-Jones, Antonio Banderas and director Martin Campbell
who talk about reuniting seven years later for the sequel of "The Mask of
Zorro".
* Music Video by Marc Anthony and Tina Arena -(4:51) Music video for
"I Spent My Whole Life Loving You" by Marc Anthony and Tina Arena.
* Exclusive Scene from "The Legend of Zorro" - (1:43) A short sneak
peek of the 2005 film "Legend of Zorro".
JUDGMENT CALL:
It actually has been a Zorro month for me during Fall/Winter 2009. Having
watched the complete "Zorro" TV series from 1958-1960, I was enchanted
by the humor, drama and the action. So, watching "The Mask of Zorro", I
felt that it was perfect timing on my part because the film was almost like a
continuation of previous films and even the TV series because you forward
to the future in which the hero Don de la Vega is now an older man,
married and knowing that he's getting too old to be doing jumps and
escaping harm.
I was a bit skeptical at first seeing Anthony Hopkins taking on the role of
Don Diego. Mainly because I've gotten so used to seeing Guy Williams
playing the role of "Zorro" but because this role calls for an older Don
Diego, Hopkins is such a talented actor, that he makes you feel
comfortable towards his character.
You easily accept him and sympathize for him as Don Diego goes through
the worst, imaginable things that the hero has ever experienced. But enter
Antonio Banderas. One thing that Guy Williams captured in the classic TV
series is a character with class, charisma and is able to deliver in the
action. Banderas starts off as a bit of a ruffian but through the course of
the film, we see the thief become the hero and much more refined.
And as for Catherine Zeta-Jones, she looks absolutely beautiful in this film
and together, she and Banderas played their characters of Alejandro and
Elena quite well. They both have that chemical/sexual attraction towards
each other but also, aside from the dramatics, the two also have a good
repertoire for utilizing their characters to earn some laughs from the
audience.
One thing that the original TV series had was high production value in
which Walt Disney himself made sure "Zorro" utilized. So, when Steven
Spielberg was the name behind the producing of this film, you knew that
there would be significant action scenes and most of all, a film that would
receive good financing to pull off these fight scenes that Zorro is known for.
May it be him battling with a sword, climbing on rooftops or chandeliers,
being chased on horseback to Zorro taking on dozens of men, fight
choreography was done well and cinematography was also solid and for
the most part, those scenes were highly enjoyable.
"The Mask of Zorro" was definitely a hallmark for Zorro films. After that
periodic lull of having nothing satisfying since the late 1950's and early
60's, it was great to see the character of Zorro done well for this film. A
screenplay that is not only action-driven but also character driven and you
get all the humor and sexual attraction in this film as well.
Having seen the TV series and a few of the Zorro films in the past, I'm
confident to say that "The Mask of Zorro" is the best Zorro film ever made
thus far. For those of us who grew up watching the adventures of Don
Diego de la Vega, this film is simply the passing of the title to a new
character for a new generation of viewers. Fortunately, the film was
handled quite well and I really enjoyed seeing this film again and I'm sure
you will too. Definitely recommended!
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