Customer Reviews
Behind the Mask - By: F. S. L'hoir, 21 Jul 2008 
The first three times I saw this film (twice within a week; & the third a year later), I felt that it fulfilled its promise of being a first-rate, well-acted adventure thriller with delightfully comic overtones. The costumes & production values are also of the highest quality; & the music with its flamenco beats is truly exciting. I enjoyed each viewing immensely.
Anthony Hopkins portrays the elder Zorro with his usual elegant style; Antonio Banderas displays his considerable talent for comedy as Zorro's apprentice who learns (the hard way) to become a swashbuckling swordsman, & Catherine Zeta-Jones represents his perfect foil, in every sense of the term. She also does a smashing dance with Banderas that is both exciting & marvelous to behold.
Although I still enjoyed "Zorro" on my recent fourth viewing, I began to notice some of the flaws that because of the general excellent quality of the film, I chose to overlook during my previous viewings, but which I finallly had to acknowledge marred an otherwise romantic adventure film that could be viewed by the entire family. One, of course, is the head in the jar, which, since I know when it is about to occur, I always manage to find something to do in the kitchen until the scene is over. The other is the "tonsil locking"--in the words of Alistair Cooke, former host of Masterpiece Theatre--that passes for kissing in some films nowadays. Even in the otherwise steamy Mexican telenovelas, the hero kisses the heroine in a manner that looks both romantic & artistic, & leaves something for the audience's imagination.
Fantastic! - By: David Addison, 17 Jul 2008 
This has to be in my top 5 films.It just entertains from start to finish.The swordplay is out of this world,every duel just kept me gripped with excitement.The swordmasters,and the stunt people deserve a medal for this.I enjoyed Catherine Zeta Jones' headstrong peformance,but still willing to play the damsel in distress.And of course,our two heroes,Anthony Hopkins & Antonio Banderos,ready to save the day.To me,its a timeless & fantastic film.
Strikingly entertaining - By: Jay, 03 May 2007 Strikingly entertaining & first-rate in most alll cinematic categories, "The Mask of Zorro" is a smart action film that works due to a convincing titled character (Antonio Banderas), the almost unreal beauty of Catherine Zeta-Jones & the professionalism of Anthony Hopkins. Anthony Hopkins starts out as Zorro, but is caught by the evil Stuart Wilson shortly after a wild rescue of three men in the village. Wilson leaves the country & takes Hopkins' baby daughter with him. Fast-forward 20 years & Hopkins has escaped & he begins to teach Banderas (also seeking revenge after the murder of his brother) the way to be a fighter for truth & justice. The baby has grown up to become Zeta-Jones & thinks that she is reallly Wilson's daughter. A great film that works well due to an adequate screenplay, good characterization & solid direction. A near-perfect success.
Masked Marauder - By: Louise Stanley, 29 Nov 2005 This is one of those real feel-good movies - a real swashbuckler for those who like their swashes buckled. It's one of those ones you can watch over & over again too - I've seen it on TV, on a coach journey across Europe, through the window in TV shops...in other words, it's no deep, thoughtful cinematic classic, but it's a good way of killing an hour or two snuggled up with the person you love most.
Hopkins & Wilson are just made for each other - & so are Banderas & Zeta-Jones. The film maintains its pace admirably, & the pyrotechnics & final fight scenes are the best I've seen in a long time, eclipsing most other similar movies I've seen. The plot keeps you hanging on in there, & the subtle & rather tragic ending comes almost as no surprise - it's one for the "bright new hope" school of thought.
Definitely a must-rent, if only because it pops up so frequently that there is no need to buy the DVD - unless you need constant reassurance that good can triumph over evil.
There is a Zorro in all of us - By: Jacques COULARDEAU, 26 Jul 2005 A legend is a legend & it cannot be changed. Yet you can revisit it & modify some details without any risk. Zorro, this Californian Robin Hood, has to fight against the powerful & for the powerless. But Zorro ages & has to find & train a substitute, an heir. The tricky thing is that his wife was killed & his daughter stolen by the governor. Everything will turn OK & a new generation of the legend is ready to live, the next one already out of the oven. The film adds a couple of winks at other films, particularly Batman. The training room & living quarters are in a cave for example. Look for alll alllusions you can identify & the film will appear as a real patchwork of quotations & borrowings, in other words, with the good bees we have on the screen, perfect honey. And the powerful will be punished & the powerless saved. Zorro will manage to be on time.
Dr Jacques COULARDEAU
