½ The Mask of Zorro
A few years back, a film was released that became the all-time biggest money waster in film history. It was called Cutthroat Island, directed by the great action director Renny Harlin. Why bring this up? Because both are similar in their nature, but one of them will become a box office success. Why? Because one is based on a popular heroic character and the other was just a pirate film (albeit a very good one). Both are action packed, both are well directed, both cost a lot of money, and both had a good cast. But THE MASK OF ZORRO has Antonio Banderas while the other has Geena Davis. I love Davis as an actress, and if you have seen The Long Kiss Goodnight you know she is a fully-capable action star. But audiences aren't taking to the female hero thing very well.
Ahem... enough of my praising of Davis. Back to this film. THE MASK OF ZORRO is a competently directed and very well crafted film. It's been quite a while (say, about 3 years) that a film of this nature has been shoved into theaters. And audiences, this time, are eating it up. A true, genuine audience pleaser if there ever was one, THE MASK OF ZORRO uses all the classic action cliches and then some. We get numerous sword fights, horse chases, incredible stunts, and something that took me by surprise: humor. I don't think Zorro is exactly known for being funny, but this film takes its comedy seriously (and at times, not so seriously). It thinks its funny, and it is. Instead of laughing at it, we can laugh with it. Comic quibbles are one of the film's strong points.
THE MASK OF ZORRO begins a long time ago, and we get to see the obligatory opening action sequence. However, this time around the action scene may actually have a purpose in the film's plot. It doesn't, but it thinks it does. Zorro here is played by Anthony Hopkins and returns home after a fight to his wife and daughter. Don Rafael (Stuart Wilson) knows who Zorro is and goes to his home (how he knows is left unclear). Here, his wife is shot and killed, and his home burned. His child is kept by Don Rafael as a token, as he was in love with Esperanza (Julieta Rosen). Twenty years later, Don Diego (Hopkins) escapes from prison and discovers Alejandro Murrieta (Antonio Banderas), drunk and incoherent after his brother was slain by Capt. Harrison Love (Matthew Letscher). Murrieta wants revenge and Diego notices the necklace he gave to him at the beginning of the film. Diego wants his daughter back, and so he decides to train Murrieta to become the next-generation Zorro.
After the training sequence (which was actually too short), Zorro (Banderas) proves himself during a fight after trying to steal a horse. Here is one of the best moments in the entire film. While trying to escape, Zorro runs into a huge man and it's like The Princess Bride revisited. Referencing to that great film, Zorro (who also dons the exact same costume that Cary Elwes did) must fight this gigantic man. Thankfully, though, it is not stealing from it blatantly. Because of its comedic side, we know that the film is merely copying a great moment that was done a decade ago. It's a very good scene.
The rest of the film is actually just one big cat-and-mouse sequence where one man will showdown with another. Sometimes this gets irritating, especially since killing them would be much easier than to sit and argue. However, the film speeds along at an incredibly rapid pace that never really lets up. Unfortunately, one of the film's weaker aspects is the length which exceeds two hours. For this type of film, it should have remained under the two hour mark. But the audience has a good laugh and a very good time which is sure to make a dent in the box office (which hasn't really been done at all this year). Word of mouth is sure to spread rapidly with this one.
The best scenes in the film belong to Catherine Zeta-Jones (who was in the 1996 TV version of Titanic). Zeta-Jones and Banderas have this chemistry together that is lacking from most films these days. It recalls a time when playful giddiness was more appreciated then sexual innuendos. Their duelling scene isn't merely a fight to the death, but more of a lover's quarrel. These two fall in love during the combat and you can almost see the tension between the two. Another scene has the two dancing at a party which has so much energy that the audience just smiles with pure enjoyment. Instead of relying on sex, the film relies of comic undertones and chemistry to portray their love. It's ironic that this film contains more romance than anything seen in, say, Wild Things (although comparisons between the two are pointless).
Director Martin Campbell knows how to direct this kind of film, since he did the 1995 James Bond flick GoldenEye. In a way, the films are similar. Spectacular stunts, romance between the good guy and bad guy's daughter, wife, etc., and a plot to take over the world. Campbell's direction is very good because it doesn't rely on any unusual types of story telling that some films use. He takes a simplistic approach and maintains the style throughout. The film is never confusing, but it also doesn't make our minds want to take a nap. His direction of the sword fighting sequences is top-notch and this is one of the best examples of swordplay caught on film. While it doesn't quite compare to the knock-out ending sword sequence in Rob Roy, it certainly has a charm that is irresistable. And of course, the stunts. Most of the time, they actually look like they are done by the actors themselves. The stunts are wild, imaginative, and exactly what you would expect for a Zorro film. If anything, go see this one for the stunts... they are just absolutely incredible. Words can not describe them!
The script has been produced by four writers: Terry Rossio, Ted Elliott, John Eskow, and David S. Ward (uncredited). And judging from the film's intelligence, it's hard to imagine that four writers were able to keep a consistent mood throughout. The smart dialogue contains little to no profanity whatsoever. This type of dialogue is the best kind because it has to actually think of what to say instead of just blurting out overused four-letter words (although, Quentin Tarantino would probably argue against this). The plot is simple enough for the preceedings, with no surprising plot twists popping up anywhere. Also helping is the musical score by, surprise!, James Horner, off of his recent Oscar win for Titanic. The cinematography, though, is stunning. Phil Meheux must have either been very patient or used computer technology to create some of the landscape shots. The sunsets are gorgeous and the sets are captured with a alluring quality. But most importantly, Meheux makes all of the action sequences coherent. The sword fighting is easy to comprehend and the style is kept modest and simple.
Antonio Banderas has never really had many meaty roles in the past (his first being the narrator in Evita), and here he proves himself a perfect actor for Zorro. It was hard for me to picture him as the character at first, but once he donned the cap, he melded into the role. Anthony Hopkins is just stunning as the elder Zorro. Hopkins always brings this aura of importance to any film he is in, and here he dominates the screen by keeping himself in the background. Apart from the opening and closing sequences, Hopkins is mostly a transparent character. He is very crucial to the story but he also knows that the film is centering on Banderas. In this way, Hopkins gives the best performance of the film. Catherine Zeta-Jones gives a very good performance in a role that should land her more in the future. Stuart Wilson is the villain of the movie, and he does a good job of it. This isn't your average one-dimensional villain that we have seen before. He is fully developed and makes us hate him. But Matthew Letscher gives the film its best villain. Yes, two villains (just like a Bond film!). Letscher gives the character much more depth than he would have had. It's a very remarkable performance. While none in this film will receive Oscars (but Hopkins could always land another nomination), they are above adequate for this type of film.
THE MASK OF ZORRO is rated PG-13 but is suitable for most audiences. Only really young children won't be able to understand it. Intense action and some violence give the film it's rating, but it's nothing gory. The film is aimed towards older teenagers and young adults. It's basically just a feel good action film that leaves you smiling at the end. As you can pretty much guess, if this film is successful at the box office, it will become a series. Of course, if it's as entertaining as this one, I will be happy to watch them. For now, this is the best Zorro film to date!