Popcorn Reviews With Cybèle: Mask of Zorro 

By Cybèle Elaine Werts  
CybeleW@aol.com

Popcorn Kernel Rating (four possible): 2.5 Kernels. Two kernels for Anthony Hopkins alone, 1/2 kernel for Antonio Banderas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and the plot combined.

I’ve read several reviews of The Mask of Zorro, and they thought the whole thing was pretty whiz-bang. I was disappointed that I didn’t enjoy it that much, despite my high expectations. In fact, I was distracted several times and wandered away from the video, even once considering not bothering with the ending. Reason being that whatever the ending was, it wouldn’t be a surprise, which is pretty much the bottom line. I may never have seen the original version with Douglas Fairbanks Sr., but I’ve still seen it in a general cultural sense. So have you. Famous Spanish hero of the people rescues peasants and does good deeds. Arch enemy kills Zorro’s (Anthony Hopkins) beloved wife, kidnaps his baby daughter, burns his house, and throws him in prison for 20 years. Old Zorro then escapes, (still in excellent physical and mental shape) trains young feisty new Zorro (Antonio Banderas) who falls in love with said daughter (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and carries on the tradition. Yeah yeah yeah.

The good parts are these. There are lots of lively action scenes that are well choreographed and cool to watch. Anthony Hopkins is, as always, subtle and strong in his portrayal of the older Zorro. Very sexy man is Hopkins. Banderas and Zeta-Jones are sexy too, but not sufficiently so to keep me locked onto the screen. In fact, I was a little annoyed at Banderas’ angry downtrodden Spaniard act. I just didn’t buy it dispite the glowing coals of his dark eyes. And although Zeta-Jones did the wide-eyed trembling lips thing well, that stopped being entertaining about ten minutes in. Her saving grace was her one duel with Banderas where she held her own only long enough to be stripped down by his rapier blade. Sexist? You bet. I didn’t see her equally rapier blade stripping off any of his clothing, and a view of Banderas’ butt would have gone a long way toward improving my rating of this movie.

Suggested Gustatory Accompaniment: If it wasn’t worth the "whole enchilada," I guess 1/2 will have to do.

Copyright 2000