Antonio Banderas Movie:

Editorial Review:
The Zorro brand of hot-blooded derring-do returns with The Legend of Zorro, starring Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones in the roles that brought them stardom with The Mask of Zorro. Now married for ten years and parents to young rascal Joaquim (charming Adrian Alonso, perhaps being set up for a future Son of Zorro), dashing swordsman Alejandro (Banderas, a Spaniard playing a Mexican) and sultry spitfire Elena De La Vega (Zeta-Jones, a Welshwoman playing a Spaniard) abruptly divorce, sending Alejandro on a drunken binge--which only gets worse when he learns Elena is being wooed by the mysterious Armand (Rufus Sewell, a Brit playing a Frenchman). Little does Alejandro know that Elena has ulterior motives, and that a worldwide conspiracy and a secret weapon will soon threaten the integrity of the U.S. The Legend of Zorro has way too much plot, leaving room for only two genuinely preposterous donnybrooks and a handful of lackluster brawls. Banderas and Zeta-Jones flash a bit of their considerable charisma, but by and large they (and the movie as a whole) are on autopilot. Not awful, but lacking any real spark. --Bret Fetzer

The Legend of Zorro Reviews:
Not Bad !!!
2008-11-11 - You need to see part 1(The Mask of Zorro) first, not that it is a must but just to understand a few minor details. Not as good as the ist but a fair movie nonetheless...

Zorro, the Fox
2008-11-08 - First let me say that this has no context in history. We have beutiful people portaying themsevles to be Mexican. California was no where near the hot bed of Mexican-American culture.

For one:

1) Texas was the first shot of supposed American independce.

2) Mexico considered slaverly as abhorrent. The main reason Mexico went to war agaisnt the United States was becuase it didin't wont slaverly. Becuase it had been subjected to slavery against Spain.

3) Meixicans became slaves under the United States. Second class citizenes and thus far have remained second class citizens.

God bless America. I will fight for her no matter what! This movie proofed no of that. Europeans trying to pass themelves by as heroes of Mexican heritage.

Not good
2008-09-19 - The Mask Of Zorro was a 1998 sleeper hit, directed by Martin Campbell, that saw Antonio Banderas in the role he was born to play, that of the 19th Century Mexican-American superhero Zorro, aka Don Alejandro de la Vega. The film was notable for two other reasons- first, it was a very good film, even considering it was in the action-superhero vein, and two, it was America's introduction to the almost flawlessly gorgeous Catherine Zeta-Jones, a co-winner of the female genetic perfection sweepstakes, along with Halle Berry.
Since that film, Jones has become a household name with her films, marriage to Michael Douglas, and an Oscar nomination. The rest of the Zorro crowd has not fared as well, and this 2005 sequel, The Legend Of Zorro, set a decade after the first film, is only a so-so follow up....If only the film had taken more advantage of the seven year hiatus. After all, it's not like they rushed a sequel into production. Yet, that's exactly what this film feels like, despite its good fun. Overall, I can give this film a marginal recommendation, especially as family fare, but I suspect that there will be no more sequels, at least not with Banderas and Jones, in this franchise's future.


An adventurous comedy, saved by the beauty of Catherine Zeta Jones and by the charm of Antonio Banderas
2008-07-17 - The movie is a little bit too much of a comedy, but other than that it's good.

Romance is Back and So is Zorro!
2008-07-15 - What woman can resist a mysterious masked man with a delicious accent and a horse that can rear up on command just in time for a photo op against the setting sun? Zorro is one Latin lover who has been charming the ladies for decades. Who better to portray him in THE LEGEND OF ZORRO than the luscious Antonio Banderas, reprising his role from 1998's THE MASK OF ZORRO. For those of you who remember that film, Banderas was something of an anti-hero in that movie--a wisecracking ne'er do well recruited by Anthony Hopkins to don the infamous mask, defend the common man, and win the heart of Hopkins' winsome long-lost daughter Elena.

In LEGEND, ten years have passed and Alejandro/Zorro is still married to his beloved Elena and is the doting papa of little Joaquin, a precocious budding Mini-Zorro. Taking a cue from SHREK II, the screenwriters amped up the romance in the movie by driving a wedge between Zorro and Elena at the very beginning of the movie. This sets the stage for several humorous and passionate encounters worthy of any historical romance with a feuding hero and heroine destined to end up in each others' arms.

I'm happy to report that Antonio is still hot and even after bearing 2 of Michael Douglas's children, Catherine Zeta-Jones is still so beautiful it hurts your eyes to look at her. (And after seeing her in those gorgeous 1850's period costumes, I'm convinced she's the only actress working today who could actually do the role of Scarlett O'Hara justice.)

If you're a sucker for an old-fashioned swashbuckler with delightful touches of humor and a sexy undercurrent of romance, I highly recommend you grab the family and take in THE LEGEND OF ZORRO. (Although there is a little violence, I think I can recommend it for most ages. There was a little boy behind us who was plainly delighted by the entire movie, especially little Mini-Zorro.)

(Originally published on the website of Teresa Medeiros at [...])