The Mask of Zorro

Sometimes watching older films can help one appreciate what might be missing in cinema today, and the 1998 action adventure, The Mask of Zorro, reminded me we are certainly in a drought for swashbuckling adventures since The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise finally ran out of steam in 2017. I last saw the masked swordsman on TV, most likely in SD, many years ago but then I came across the blu-ray and wanted to rewatch this to see if it was still as fun as I remembered, and thankfully time has not aged this.

The Mask of Zorro sees a lowly bandit setting out for revenge against a US army captain who had cruelly murdered his brother in 1840s Mexico. But his drunken attempt for revenge is halted by the legendary Zorro, now a man nearing retirement, who has lost everything he once held dear and hopes the two can form an alliance to put wrongs to right. 

Coming off the back of Goldeneye, The Mask of Zorro is directed by Martin Campbell who has had his fair share of lacklustre films but, at the time, he was going from strength to strength as a highly capable action director, and this is no exception. With Antonio Banderas, Anthony Hopkins and Catherine Zeta-Jones, Campbell directs a top cast and is backed by the sword maestro, Bob Anderson, who helped to choreograph the thrilling duels featured throughout this. 

But something I really like is the film's use of practical effects and the decision to film outside of a studio. It all still looks fantastic and combined with Campbell's highly efficient ability for storytelling, this is just such a joy to put on and watch for two hours as the goodies fight against the baddies.

It's a shame the sequel failed to deliver the same great experience in 2005 but that does not diminish what we have here. The Mask of Zorro is an excellent, old-fashioned styled swashbuckling adventure and holds-up perfectly well today making it an easy recommendation.