Review of The Mask of Zorro (1998) by Conner R — 17 May 2011

This is such a beautiful interpretation of a long absent hero. I remember loving the Disney version when I was little and this was such an exciting moment. Bringing back the character in a way that pays homage to the original incarnation, but also creating a new story is the best way to go about it.

Anthony Hopkins does a great job of brining back Don Diego de la Vega from cinematic death and making him just as charming and undeniably cool. Even when he plays the older version of the character, it's obvious how powerful his performance is.

However, it really is Antonio Banderas' performance as the new Zorro, Alejandro Murrieta, that steals the show and makes you truly feel the weight of the legendary character. His approach is so much fun to watch.

Martin Campbell sure makes an effort to have Zorro appear larger than life. I don't think I've ever seen such a large scale accompanying the character. He gives us ridiculously cool action sequences, amazing sets and a realistic backdrop of California in the 1800s.

This also pits Zorro against two extremely evil villains that make for a lot of intensity. Having a cannibalistic blonde-haired goon is just a taste of the dynamite characters. I remember being completely blown away as a nine-year-old in the theater and it still sort've has the same effect all these years later.