Review of The Mask of Zorro (1998) by Filipeneto — 22 Jan 2020

In this film, the legend of Zorro, a Mexican masked hero who fights for justice against oppressive Spaniards, comes to life. And the film is excellent in all aspects. Here, the story of the film is intertwined with political intrigues involving the independence of the Republic of California and the American desire to expand from coast to coast.

The story is interesting and gives us good moments of romance and adventure. The time when everything happens is interesting and shows the decline of the Spanish Empire and the expansion of the USA. It is a historical time that allows for excellent costumes and scenery, and it was very well portrayed, almost as a compliment to Hispanic culture. Of course, there are certain things that didn't go so well and the historical details of the sets and costumes can be the subject of some debate.

António Banderas gained fame and projection, in good part, with this film. Besides being a handsome man, he showed talent and did a good job as an actor. Good moments of action, good sword fights and a certain rebellious boldness characterize his character and the actor was able to meet what was asked of him. Another very evident and very well accomplished thing was the intense chemistry with Catherine Zeta-Jones, with whom he acted and made a romantic pair. She, in turn, was also very well here, exuding sensuality and personality. Next to them, Anthony Hopkins, always impeccable. Stuart Wilson and Matt Letscher are good at villain roles and do their job very well here.

In addition to the very good scenarios and costumes, the film has good cinematography, good colors, an elegant light, good fights, good action and a permanent sense of adventure help this film to become pleasant and even memorable. In fact, it was one of the best adventure films of the nineties.