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The Mask of Zorro (1998) More at IMDbPro »

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293 comments in total

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50 out of 58 people found the following comment useful :-
Entertaining, 11 April 1999
Author: Andrew Howe from Sydney, Australia

At the conclusion of The Mask of Zorro I heard something I haven't heard in a cinema for a long, long time – an outbreak of spontaneous applause. It happened because the audience felt so good at the conclusion of the film that they wanted to show their appreciation, to share with others the goodwill which this little slice of magic had brought into their lives. To a jaded movie-goer like myself, it was music to the ears.

This is a simple film, telling a simple story about justice conquering oppression and the power of all that is good in the world to put all that is evil to the sword. Anchored by three great performances from Anthony Hopkins, Antonio Banderas and the luscious Catherine Zeta-Jones, it's a never-ending parade of derring-do which brings to mind the likes of The Crimson Pirate, the kind of film your parents tell you they just don't make anymore. It's played for laughs all the way down the line, but it's not a farce – the humour is gentle, the characters inhabiting a world which we know never existed but which damn well should have, a world where swordfights and horse chases and romantic love are the order of the day. I watched this film in an enraptured stupor, and for a short time I was twelve years old again, thrilling to the larger than life exploits of pirates, musketeers and the sons of Hercules.

Okay, so it isn't going to win any awards for depth of character, and you aren't going to be discussing the finer details of the plot over a bowl of gazpacho when it's over. But in an age when meanspirited movies seem to be becoming more and more common, it's a pure delight to come across something so untainted.

It's the sound of two hands clapping, folks. Miss it at your peril.

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45 out of 55 people found the following comment useful :-
ignore the condescending cynics, 3 August 1998

Author: Andreita from Minneapolis, MN

Wonderful movie, visually rich and a nice blend of comedy, action and romance, well-written. Hopkins is great; so is Banderas as Zorro-in-training, and Zeta-Jones sparkles in her scenes with him. Very little gore or skin, what there is serves the plot instead of BEING the plot. The best movie I've seen in a long time. Note: previews make it look a lot less interesting than it actually is--you just see a lot of things being slashed and blown up, while the comic scenes between Hopkins and Banderas don't really appear (the best part of the film).

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38 out of 44 people found the following comment useful :-
A fine action hero, 23 December 2003

Author: rbverhoef (rbverhoef@hotmail.com) from The Hague, Netherlands

Zorro is one of my favorite heroes. He looks quite cool and not stupid, weird or childish like Batman, Superman, Spider-Man and all of their villains (except The Joker) and he has no superpowers like them, although sometimes it seems that gravity does not really apply to him. His weapon of choice guarantees some spectacular sword fighting scenes as well.

With this hero all you need is a nice story and 'The Mask of Zorro' has a nice story. I will be short about it. Don Diego de la Vega (Anthony Hopkins) was Zorro but is too old now. He needs another one and Alejandro Murrieta (Antonia Banderas) is the chosen one. Their enemy is Don Rafael (Stuart Wilson). His daughter Elena (Catherine Zeta-Jones) is actually Diego's daughter. His wife was murdered and his daughter was taken by Rafael a long time ago. Rafael also made sure the brother of Alejandro was killed by his helper Capt. Love (Matt Letscher). And now he has an evil plan that will kill a lot of people. Time for the new Zorro.

It sounds a little simple and may be it is, but for a movie like this it is a perfect story. Anthony Hopkins who is never bad does not disappoint us here, Banderas has the right charm to play Zorro, Zeta-Jones is absolutely stunning and Wilson and Letscher are very good as the villains. With some nice action sequences and a pretty good soundtrack this is a very entertaining movie.

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29 out of 33 people found the following comment useful :-
Fun, Old-Fashioned Adventure, 22 April 2006

Author: ccthemovieman-1 from Lockport, NY, United States

This movie had just a couple of things I would have changed but the overwhelming minutes of this 137-minute movie were well done: a nice old- fashioned adventure story.

Yes, it's hokey in spots, there is a needless irreverent scene in the confessional and the final action scene goes on too long, but all of that is almost standard fare in today's films. Anyway, the "good" in this film far outweighs the "bad."

Some of the "good" is beautiful cinematography featuring bold colors; good action scenes; very little profanity; interesting and somewhat likable lead characters (played by Anthony Hopkins, Antonio Bandaras and Catherine Zeta- Jones), a fun story and very good 5.1surround sound.

Zeta-Jones was a brand new "face" with this movie and she's never looked better. Hopkins, as usual, is the best character as the older "Zorro" who teaches the young one (Bandaras). Some of the action scenes are almost cartoon-like in credibility (Bandaras doing flips while riding two horses at once!) but they are fun.

The story is a familiar one that seems to always satisfy people: revenge.

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19 out of 21 people found the following comment useful :-
Explosive,thought out hollywood adventure., 13 August 1999

Author: davideo-2 from United Kingdom

The best thing about this movie is the casting.How ingenius,eh? Antonio Banderas as Zorro,eh?And Stuart Wilson as the central villain.This guy is one of the most unrecognised talents around.As a snidy British baddie,he could easily give your average Dennis Hopper a run for his money.Catherine Zeta Jones is also marvellous as the love interest. The action scenes and stunts are fantastic.Real hollywood at it's best.Martin Campbell keeps an efficent and steady pace to proceedings as director. If there's a problem here,it's that it's probably a tad overlong.But luckily,this unwantern time is'nt filled with unnecessary scenes but scenes as visually exciting as the last. It's also marvellous that it's a PG,because such past fare,like Bad Boys,is loud,action packed,exciting and brilliant,it's also rather flatulent and rude.This is just superb action entertainment which can be enjoyed by the whole family.

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16 out of 17 people found the following comment useful :-
Good entertainment!, 6 June 2004

Author: Boba_Fett1138 from Groningen, The Netherlands

Martin Campbell sure knows how to make entertaining movies. After making "No Escape" and "GoldenEye" he brings us yet another entertaining movie; "The Mask of Zorro". He actually used to be one of my favorite directors after seeing those movies I just named but unfortunately he hasn't made anything good lately. Let's hope this change after completing "Zorro 2" that is currently being made.

"The Mask of Zorro" is just some good old fashioned fun with lot's of spectacular moments, good choreographed fight sequences, a love story and a good old fashioned stereotype villain.

The story is told in a good way which I think is mainly thanks to Campbell's directing. The pace is high and the combination between the action, the characters and their relations, romance and some of the comical moments is done very well, unlike some other movies from the same genre.

There is some nice cinematography that help to create a good atmosphere along with the musical score from James Horner. The end fight is good and it has a spectacular big explosion in it that'll make you go; Wow!

Great entertainment for the whole family.

8/10

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21 out of 27 people found the following comment useful :-
The Best "Zorro" Ever Produced., 4 July 2002
Author: tfrizzell from United States

Strikingly entertaining and first-rate in most all cinematic categories, "The Mask of Zorro" is a smart action film that works due to a convincing titled character (Antonio Banderas), the almost unreal beauty of Catherine Zeta-Jones and the professionalism of Anthony Hopkins. Anthony Hopkins starts out as Zorro, but is caught by the evil Stuart Wilson shortly after a wild rescue of three men in the village. Wilson leaves the country and takes Hopkins' baby daughter with him. Fast-forward 20 years and Hopkins has escaped and he begins to teach Banderas (also seeking revenge after the murder of his brother) the way to be a fighter for truth and justice. The baby has grown up to become Zeta-Jones and thinks that she is really Wilson's daughter. A great film that works well due to an adequate screenplay, good characterization and solid direction. A near-perfect success. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

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18 out of 24 people found the following comment useful :-
Slashing story, slicing performances, cutting dialogue..., 19 May 2001

Author: helpless_dancer from Broken Bow, Oklahoma

With the opening frame of Zorro I figured I had been taken to the edge of bad movie making and dropped over. It looked like another corny slash and chatter bomb, but I wound up pretty much liking it. I don't consider it to be a really superb film, but I managed to stay interested all the way through. There was plenty of action, some romance, and quite a few laughs. I think that is what won me over: this picture is a comedy for the most part. A serious comedy. What Zorro is not is what I expected it to be.

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13 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :-
First-rate Entertainment, 12 August 2005
Author: George Attwood from Canada

THE MASK OF ZORRO ****1/2 Stunning, visually rich, and highly acclaimed motion picture that retells the story of the Masked Swordsman (Anthony Hopkins) serving the people of California by saving them from the devious plans and conspiracies the Spanish empire and trained forces carry out. Hopkins trains a new Zorro (properly portrayed by Antonio Benderas) to take his place and save California from a tasteless fate. What subsequently takes place is nothing short of first-rate entertainment. The film has delightful humour and well choreographed sword-on-sword sequences. The musical score by James Horner provides additional supportive elements to capture all of the film's diverse moments. Excellent direction by Martin Campbell. A must-see.

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9 out of 13 people found the following comment useful :-
Zorro for a new generation., 1 December 1998

Author: Peach-2 from USA

I just finished watching The Mask Of Zorro, and it was a spectacular achievement. It all seemed cliched at first, and even though it isn't that original, it still pays off quit well. The cast is great. Anthony Hopkins seems to get away with an English accent in every movie he does,but his acting was solid as usual. Antonio Banderas is teriffic as the new Zorro and there's funny moments between Hopkins and Banderas as teacher and student respectively. Catherine Zeta-Jones is very appealing in her role also. The only real complaint I have is that the bad guys never seem like a real threat. The direction by Martin Campbell is very good and the editing was great. A very good movie.

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