THE LEGEND OF ZORRO

RATING:

Starring: Antonio Banderas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Rufus Sewell, Nick Chinlund, Adrian Alonso. Written by: Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci. Directed by: Martin Campbell.

Rated PG for sequences of violence/peril and action, language and a couple of suggestive moments

The Legend of Zorro is set in the year 1850 ten years after "The Mask of Zorro". Don Alejandro de la Vega/Zorro (played by Antonio Banderas) and Elena de la Vega (played by T-Mobile spokesperson Cathy Zeta Jones) are married and have a 10-year-old son, Joaquin (Adrian Alonso).

Alejandro continues to don the mask of Zorro to protect the poor and oppressed residents of the California territory from the greed of the overlords, and helps California enter into statehood with the United States. Due to the fact that the territory of California is seeking to become the 31st state of the union, but certain unscrupulous individuals, members of a mysterious medieval organization, are determined to prevent this event from transpiring.

Now that California is to enter statehood, Elena tells Alejandro that this is a good opportunity for him to retire as Zorro and spend more time with the family especially his son Joaquin who misses his father, who is rarely at home. And when he is home, Joaquin finds himself wishing that his father behaved more like his idealized hero Zorro – having no idea that the two men are the same person.

Don Alejandro is torn between his duty and his desire for a more normal life. Of course Alejandro doesn’t feel like hanging up the mask, the whip and sword just yet, and when he chooses not to give up being Zorro it leads to a big argument between Elena and Alejandro. Elena feels betrayed and kicks him out of the house. Soon after, she serves him with divorce papers. But there is more to it than that, I won't go on why she really divorces him.

Three months pass and Alejandro is still separated from Elena only to find out that a former schoolmate of Elena’s, the French aristocrat Armand (Rufus Sewell) moves to California to start a winery, he is thrilled to discover that Elena has separated from her husband. He immediately begins to woo her, while at the same time attending to his duties as the head of the Knights of Aragon, a secret ancient fraternity. Armand may be involved in a scheme to undermine California's efforts to join the Union.

At the same time, a corrupt robber baron McGivens (Nick Chinlund) is intimidating the law-abiding residents of California, seizing their land and threatening their livelihoods.

Zorro now finds himself caught in a dilemma between his obligation to serve the oppressed and threatened people of California and his responsibilities as husband and father.

That is pretty much what it film is about.

What I liked most about the film was Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones they have great chemistry together. Zeta-Jones is as hot as ever to look at and it is cool to see her return to the role that made her a star. I think Antonio Banderas is a good action hero, he gets very into it with his physicality, and he looks good as Zorro, I mean HE IS ZORRO. I really can’t see anyone else play the role. He also brings the comedy relief to the film, which was good for some laughs. Action…. there’s plenty of it in this movie, some great action and sword fighting scenes. Nice to know that Antonio did all the sword-fighting scenes. The movie opens with a chase sequence and ends with the big finale on a train. Now don’t get me wrong some of the action sequences were kind of wacky like Zorro actually jumps off a cliff with his horse and lands on a moving train, very unreal. Speaking of the horse, there were a few good horse-chasing scenes.

But folks Joaquin steals the show as the son of Zorro. Watch them make the 3rd Zorro film in another 10 years when son of Zorro is a young man and inherits the sword. I wouldn’t be surprised if they did. But now I hear that they are doing a prequel to Zorro, yes folks another prequel. Actually I reading the book that the film might be based on called ZORRO a novel by Isabel Allende, which reveals for the first time how Diego de la Vega (Anthony Hopkins in The Mask of Zorro) became the masked man we all know so well.

My only gripe is that the movie is a little too long at a tad over two hours and the 2nd act tends to drag and bore a little. But once the action gets going again then it is cool. I also wish they would go a little harder and edgier with Zorro but they (studio, director, producers) were very careful with the violence by not showing Zorro actually directly killing someone like in the first film cause the film is also aimed at kids. But overall, a good family film, The best family fun you'll experience this year and it’s cool to see a Latin hero on the big screen again. If you liked the original then check out this sequel.