A Brilliant Conflict

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

I believe it was after watching this movie that Michael Douglas famously approached Catherine Zeta Jones with the line " I want you to have my children" and you can see why. Zeta Jones is truly radiant in this role, a true beauty. Her acting is flawless and despite the fact she was relatively unknown at the time she stands up well against the amazing Antonio Banderas. I've seen this movie countless times and don't think I do it justice enough in reviewing it and calling it a "classic" It's a truly amazing story along the old style, action adventure theme of a thief seeking revenge for his brother, and ends up being trained by the great Zorro. Funny in some parts, intense in others, it is a wonderful movie that I would fully recommend.

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.

Applying many of the tricks they would use later for 'Pirates of the Caribbean' writers Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio combine with 'Goldeneye' director, Martin Campbell to bring the legendary hero Zorro to the big screen.It's an entertaining film, with lots of good moments. Antonio Banderas is good fun as Zorro, while I liked the dynamic he had with Anthony Hopkins's character too.It's perhaps a bit overlong, but on the whole this was a good attempt to bring the hero to life for a modern audience.

Released in 1998, "The Mask of Zorro" stars Anthony Hopkins as an aging Zorro and Antonio Banderas as an orphaned delinquent with the potential to take over as the hero in early 1840s California. Catherine Zeta-Jones plays the babe while Stuart Wilson and Matt Letscher play the villains.As my title blurb suggests, this movie is like Batman and Indiana Jones in the Wild West; there's even a "Bat Cave" (although, I should point out, the character of Zorro pre-dates Batman by 20 years, first appearing in 1919). Like the Indiana Jones movies, this is a fun adventure with thrilling, but eye-rolling scenes. It's nowhere near as good as 1981's "Raiders of the Lost Ark," but it's as good or better than the sequels.While some people praise the opening sequence as one of the best in history, I found it to be the weakest part of the movie. The action and tone are just so unrealistic and cartoony it seriously tempted me to tune out. Thankfully, I kept watching because the story later pulls you in as the wannabe hero tries to prove himself a worthy replacement of the original Zorro. The confessional scene is particularly well done and hooks the viewer. Speaking of which, Zeta-Jones' beauty is just unreal.The film runs 136 minutes and was shot entirely in Mexico.GRADE: B- (6.5/10 Stars)