Martin Campbell knows how to entertain an audience when he steps behind the camera. Seven years ago when he directed THE MASK OF ZORRO, the film earned Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations and launched the international careers of Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones. He also rejuvenated the James Bond franchise when he directed GOLDENEYE, Pierce Brosnan's first outing as the famed British spy and he is at it again with the announcement of the new James Bond now being played by Daniel Craig. Campbell will again direct the next Bond feature, CASINO ROYALE. I had the opportunity to talk to Martin Campbell EXCLUSIVELY 1:1 while in LA promoting the sequel THE LEGEND OF ZORRO. Here is what Martin Campbell had to say to us:

Latino Review: So how did The Legend of Zorro came about and why did it take so long?

Martin Campbell: Well first of all I think it was about 3 or 4 years we didn't discuss it all after the first film and then for the about the last 3 years we talked about it and then the problem was getting the script together that actually...to be honest we can make as good as the first one, that was the problem, was to find a story that we all were to sign off on that we can make as good as the first one otherwise there was no point in making it. Finally we got one, Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci wrote it and we all loved it and that's why we did it.

Latino Review: Were there any challenges in creating the new adventure like keeping the true identity a secret from Zorro son?

Martin Campbell: Yeah well there were a lot of challenges in the sense of the way the script was structured. Is to whether...when Catherine splits from Antonio or should I say Elena splits from Alejandro and as to precisely what she was up to, like is she involved with Armand (Rufus Sewell)? Isn't she involved with Armand? Is she being she being blacked mailed? What's going on? So we had to keep that story suspended for a while. And also Zorro and his son. Of course the boy not knowing the identity of his father, there is a lovely scene at the end were of course he sees and finds out who his father is. All of that stuff was tricking, to keep all those balls in the air.

Latino Review: From your previous films was this film more complex? Action wise that is?

Martin Campbell: Yeah it was because; there is quite a lot action in it. There is a big action scene at the end of the piece obviously, as there always is in these sorts of movies and that involves a train, and the horse and sword fighting and the train going out of control, people panicking and all that stuff so that was tricking to do.

Latino Review: How much of the stunts did Antonio Bandreas actually do?

Martin Campbell: Well he did all the sword fighting. I never doubled him for the sword fighting simply because he's the best person to do it. There's no stuntman that can match him, he's so good at doing it. Obviously on things like acrobatics I cant allow him to do it because...I'm sure he would if asked him to do it but it's too dangerous. He only needs to twist an ankle and the whole production stops. Be he did a considerable of amount of them, absolutely.

Latino Review: Are you concerned at all with the film getting a PG rating, seems that you didn't want to show any violence like Zorro killing in the first film, which got a PG-13 rating.

Martin Campbell: Well he never does, as a character in the first one the only person he killed was Captain Love and one of the characteristics of Zorro is that he never directly kills anybody, they will fall on their swords, they fall off buildings, they get run over by their own horses or they fall off a train but he never sort of directly kills anybody, he humiliates his enemies but he never actually directly kills them. And the ideal of the PG is that it's a big entertaining film that anybody can go to, that's the great thing. Have a great night out and I hope it's entertaining

Latino Review: And it also seemed that the character Zorro was a bit darker on this film than the first.

Martin Campbell: His character is a little darker cause...

Latino Review: He doesn't pay any attention to his family and focuses more on himself...

Martin Campbell: Right, he doesn't pay attention to his family. It has a lot kind of contemporary echoes because you've got your family on the one hand, he promises to give up work in his case he promises that he's going to hang up the cape and mask and when the time comes he can't do it. And he can't do both jobs at once, look after his own family and look after the wider family, which is the people of California; I mean something has to give. You have to compromise somewhere down the line and that's precisely the dilemma he's in.

And while he's Zorro he tends to neglect his son and there are times were he's very angry and he's very depressed...

Latino Review: That scene were he is angry and storms in the church to argue with...

Martin Campbell: Absolutely where he's in despair, one of his best friends dies and gets very upset about it because he believes that he is just not capable of handling it. There is a lot elements, there's also some funny elements too, where he gets drunk at the party, he gets jealous all that stuff, very Latin. (Laughs)

Latino Review: On my way to LA, I got to watch one of my first Zorro films starring the French actor Alain Delon, I haven't seen the other Zorro films from the 20's or 40's, but are there any elements that you try to bring to Antonio's character as Zorro?

Martin Campbell: That film (Zorro 1975) is actually fun isn't it. I've got a copy of that myself actually. Well if you look at the silent movies the two done by Douglas Fairbanks they are the best Zorro's of all because even thought they are silent and rather crudely shot because they were shot in the 1920's. It has the spirit and the character of Zorro he has it done wonderfully well and Fairbanks did do all of his stunts that was one of his big things. And he's got the humor; he humiliates his enemies, there very funny. The silent ones say a lot about Zorro's character.

Latino Review: So is this you're new habit of yours? Breaking in the new Bond?

Martin Campbell: (Laughs) Well the reason I'm doing Bond is because it's the first book, Casino Royale is the first book...

Latino Review: I've read the novel and I wanted to ask you...

Martin Campbell: I bet there's a scene in you want to talk about.

Latino Review: What? The genitals being cutting off.

Martin Campbell: (Laughs) That's going to be a tough one. I think I'll do it in close up. (Laughs) I think there will a lot of woman that will love that scene. But what's interesting about this is Bond when he's starting out. He's just got his 00's stripes and he's not the perfect Bond at all. I mean he makes mistakes, he's a little raw, he's a little arrogant, he's a bit of a loose cannon, but by the end of the movie of course he becomes the perfect machine Bond that we know.

Latino Review: Do you think the Bourne films have an affect or are going to affect the James Bond films?

Martin Campbell: I don't think so. The truth about the Bourne films, which I love by the way and I think Matt Damon is fantastic in them, but that's a man who is hunted by his past, someone who can't remember his past, he's always on the run and is a very serious kind of...he's just focused on trying to find he's past.

Where as Bond I think has a lot of elements. He has a sense of humor, he's a great womanizer, he's very attractive, he's a great poker player or card player, he's a gambler.   He's all of those things plus he's deadly. So he has all those elements, now that's something Bourne doesn't have.

Latino Review: Yeah but he (Bourne) is deadly.

Martin Campbell: (Laughs) Yeah he is deadly. That's precisely what he is.   But that's all he is in the sense of...a hunted man whose...

Latino Review: Like in this new Bond (film) and in the book Casino Royale, there are no gadgets.

Martin Campbell: No there is no gadgets.

Latino Review: And Bourne doesn't use gadgets.

Martin Campbell: No he doesn't, what he uses is his head. And you're probably right about Bourne and Bond to a certain extent. But Bond will make mistakes these guys aren't perfect when they start off.

Latino Review: Is the film going to be more of an adult prospect type of film?

Martin Campbell: No it will be a PG 13. The way the violence is done and everything else there is no point in doing Bond if it was going to be anything more than a PG 13 because its not...I don't the audience is...I think the major audience for Bond that has to be added is kids. I think kids have to go and see it.

Latino Review: Now you're going in a different direction with this new Bond, no smoking, no gadgets. What direction do you want to go with this Bond?

Martin Campbell: Connery never smoked, did he?

Latin Review: In Dr No he did.

Martin Campbell: In Dr No, that's true. He certainly wont smoke in this film because I think it would be irresponsible. I think kids see this stuff and then they go to the toilet to have a quick cigarette. I think morally that's wrong regardless if the character smokes or not. I mean in the book he smokes 70 a day, it's amazing. And he drinks quiet heavily too. The book is so old fashioned but it's very interesting and again the violence I've got to be careful of because of the kids who are going to want to see this movie.

Latino Review: Do you think you can duplicate the success of Pierce Brosnan with Daniel Craig?

Martin Campbell: Well I hope so. The truth is that I think with the style of movie that Pierce, he's last one for example I think with the gadgets, the invincible car the huge sort of ice palaces, the kind of water skiing off or should I say snow boarding...I mean I just thought it got preposterous and then finally the 747 going down in a massive amount flames that goes on forever. I think they got to a point where you couldn't go any more than that. It was getting to ridiculous.

Latino Review: Why is Daniel Craig the best choice to play Bond?

Martin Campbell: Because first of all he's a terrific actor, and I think it's on Casino Royale were Fleming always said he looked like Hoagy Carmichael, which is a very interesting and he is a very interesting looking guy and I think he has all the attributes to make a much grittier and tougher Bond.

Latino Review: How close is the film going to mirror the book?

Martin Campbell: The second half of the book is very close. The first half isn't and when you read you'll understand why. It's because it's set in the Cold War and the organizations the Russian secret service they have a man in France who they send money to in order to disrupt the union, its very much about the Cold War. It was written in 1953 so obviously that's changed because there is no Cold War. But the rest is going to be pretty much intact, The whole game takes place; Le Chiffre is the bad guy, your genital whacking scene that all remains, so the last two thirds of the movie will be like the book. And then Bond will fall in love with Vesper Lynd as he does in the book. This is the last book that they are filming because they have done all of them.

Latino Review: How much leeway do you have in this film? And how much involvement is the Broccoli family in it?

Martin Campbell: Well they're (Broccoli) great actually. I did GoldenEye and they pretty much gave me my head on that we all incorporated on the script, we all liked the script. This time we definitely wanted to go back to more realistic Bond. More like From Russia With Love, more kind of creditable if you will and that's the directive and that's why we've cast Daniel Craig. I think it definitely needs a change in direction.

Latino Review: There were a lot of rumors on who was going to play Bond and what not. Who actually was in contention for the role?

Martin Campbell: We had that very young chap named Henry Cavill who was really good but I think at the end he was too young, he's 22. But Henry believe me he is going to be a big talent, very good looking, very strong physically and a good actor but he's too young for this Bond basically that was it. When he gets a little more acting experience under his belt he'll be terrific.

Latino Review: Was he the only on in the running for the role?

Martin Campbell: He was the only serious one in the running, yeah.

Latino Review: Cause there were rumors of Hugh Jackman turning down the role and Eric Bana and so on.

Martin Campbell: Well Hugh Jackman and Eric Bana were never approached. Those were just all rumors.

Latino Review: So was Clive Owen ever approached?

Martin Campbell: No he was never approached, I mean the press talks about but I don't remember ever having a conversation about Clive Owen or the other names you mentioned.

Latino Review: Now the novel there is now Moneypenny or Q, will they still be in the film.

Martin Campbell: Well there's no Moneypenny or Q in this film.

Latino Review: Will M be a female or Male?

Martin Campbell: I'm not telling you. (Laughs)