‘Zorro’ sequel is plenty of fun
ZorroWhat do you get if you mix romance and action? Answer: a “romaction” movie. I’m not sure if that’s a word but I’ll take the credit.
Romaction is the best way to describe “The Legend of Zorro,” a fun little film that I enjoyed.
“The Legend of Zorro” is a sequel to the 1998 “The Mask of Zorro” and stars the same cast.
It’s now 10 years later and Zorro (Antonio Banderas) and Elena (Catherine Zeta-Jones) are married with a young son. Like many married couples, they’re having serious problems. Elena wants her husband to get a 9-to-5 job but Zorro wants to continue to fight crime. Elena files for divorce and breaks Zorro’s heart. Ouch!
Three months after the divorce is finalized, Elena starts dating an obscenely rich businessman who wants to stop California from becoming a free state. As my divorced friends would say, “typical chick.”
But Elena is no typical woman. She’s worth fighting for and Zorro must save California and win back the love of his life. That’s the movie in a nutshell.
There are big holes in the plot. Who cares? This is a Saturday afternoon popcorn flick. You want plot? Read a book. “Zorro” is a 129-minute, PG-13 thrill ride the whole family can enjoy.
The best part is the chemistry between Jones and Banderas -- their scenes together really sizzle.
If I were Michael Douglas, I’d keep a third eye on my wife around Antonio. That dude is smooth.
The score and filming are solid but some of the stunt doubles don’t even come close to looking like the real actors. I love stuff like that!
The highlight is the train wreck at the conclusion of the film. It’s almost as good as the finale of “Under Siege 2: Dark Territory.”
Yes, I just made a reference to a Steven Seagal movie.
Get over it.
“Zorro” is a great date movie. The audience at my screening was 75% men and 25% women.
You may ask, Matt, how can you be so exact with your percentages?
Because there were only four people in the theater and I’m not joking.
Let’s close this out: “Zorro” is a cheesy film with a thinly sliced plot.
I happen to like cheese and cheesy movies. It wasn’t very nutritional, but “Zorro” filled me up.
REEL FACTOID
“The Legend of Zorro” went through many title changes in pre-production. It was originally called “The Mask of Zorro 2” but that was changed to “Zorro Unmasked,” which had been the original script title by Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio. After their script was not used, the title changed again to “Zorro 2” then to “The Return of Zorro” before Sony pictures finally settled on the title “Legend of Zorro.”
* MATT BELLNER is an actor/mathematician from Burbank.
20051112i4xf2hkf(LA)Matt Bellner