>>REVIEW
THE LEGEND OF ZORRO
STARRING Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones
DIRECTED BY Martin Campbell
Opens Friday, October 28
Check listings
Picking up 10 years after the events of The Mask Of Zorro, Don Alejandro de la Vega (Antonio Banderas) continues to be at the beck and call of the people of California. With five rings of the church bell, he rides to assist those in need, which means he once again rides away from his wife and son. Torn between his devotion to the people as his alter ego Zorro and his loving dedication to his family, Alejandro must face the choice he doesn’t want to make. And while the film deals with this serious dilemma of family versus duty, it never strays far from a light, Saturday matinee tone.
The opening sequence, which includes a man being knocked from his horse by a flying hat, shows the audience that this movie is meant to be fun and they should sit back and enjoy the adventure. Director Martin Campbell ensures that even in a film filled with swordplay, gun battles and fisticuffs, the violence never becomes overwhelming. There’s little blood spilled onscreen, and for the most part Zorro incapacitates instead of killing.
The film’s storyline takes its cue from Hollywood’s recent interest in ancient secret societies, and while it isn’t overly complex, it provides enough twists and colourful characters to keep things interesting. The action is inventive and fresh, with swordfights on bridges, chases with trains and a polo match unlike any other. The real joy in watching Zorro isn’t seeing whether or not he escapes, but how he manages to do it with such flash and style.
Banderas is perfect in the role, playing Zorro and Alejandro with just the right mix of humour, strength and sensitivity. Equally remarkable is Catherine Zeta-Jones as Alejandro’s strong-willed and capable wife, Elena. This is casting at its best, with undeniable chemistry between the actors leading to superb moments in the film’s most sincere and funniest scenes. And in a role that could have turned out to be a cute and amusing annoyance, young Adrian Alonso makes Alejandro’s son a perfect mini version of his father, who is just as entertaining to watch.
The Legend Of Zorro works for both adults and kids. While one group enjoys the offerings of the beautiful lead actors, the other can laugh at a pipe-smoking horse. |
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