Movie Plot – The Mask of Zorro: A young thief seeking revenge for his brother’s death. However, he encounters the once great but old Zorro, who trains him.

Director: Martin Campbell
Writers: John Eskow, Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio
Cast: Antonio Banderas, Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Stuart Wilson

The Mask of Zorro

The beauty of ‘The Mask of Zorro’ is the pure entertainment that the film radiates from beginning to end. The story is nothing special and has already been staged in countless other films. You know stories where the protagonist(s) has been wronged and revenge must be taken. But with honor, not by stupid, escalating stairs of violence. And for justice, not mainly for personal satisfaction. This makes the story at least above the cliché, even if a hero needs to be trained in skills to fight the bad guys and win the heart of a beautiful lady. In this respect, the film has a predictable course. No unexpected plot turns here, but old-fashioned good Hollywood entertainment.

The film was directed by Martin Campbell, a mainstream director who can often lead a character into a new era. He did so twice with James bond (GoldenEye and Casino Royale) and here with the figure of Zorro. But of course, a lot of praise also goes to scriptwriters John Eskow, Ted Elliott, and Terry Rossio, who made the decision to perform not one but two zorros. A daring move, but the duo Banderas-Hopkins works perfectly, and in terms of story, we have a great interaction between the old and new generation, as well as a lot of comic entertainment. Who doesn’t love that opening scene with the appearance of Zorro? Even Batman was a fan of him.

Zorro and the rest

Hopkins, reliable as ever, gives the tormented soul of the elder Zorro a high degree of credibility and it is, therefore, impossible not to take sympathy for him. Like Elena Montero, Catherine Zeta-Jones is the famous damsel in distress but turns out to be fierce and can do more than just squeal and move her bosom up and down in breathlessness. She also knows how to defend herself with a sword. There is also remarkable chemistry between her and Banderas.

What I love about Antonio Banderas is that he looks like a selfish man. However, inside he has a good heart. Even at the beginning of the film, it feels like he’s being Zorro for himself, to find out he also cares about the people. There is an internal struggle in him; on one side, he wants to take revenge, but on the other side, he wants the best choice for the people who needs him.

In addition, Patrick Wilson has excellent villainy like Don Rafael Montero. He did not only stole Hopkins’ daughter (guess who) but also has nefarious plans with California and thousands of Mexican workers. The relatively unknown Matt Letscher is an effective creep as Captain Love (who really seems to have existed and whose last name wasn’t a cynical joke from the makers) who has some bizarre hobbies like putting heads on strong water.

Conclusion

It’s all unpretentious entertainment old style, so many chases, sword fights, breakneck rides on horses, and explosions. And all that with one of my favorite heroes, Zorro!

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