The Mask of Zorro (1998)
Directed by Martin Campbell
It has been twenty years since Don Diego de la Vega fought Spanish oppression in Alta California as the legendary romantic hero, Zorro. Having escaped from prison he transforms troubled bandit Alejandro into his successor, in order to foil the plans of the tyrannical Don Rafael Montero who robbed him of his freedom, his wife and his precious daughter.
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What critics compared The Mask of Zorro to
Viewers unfamiliar with the original work or previous adaptations will obviously recognize the underlying, universal revenge theme as well as similarities to films such as "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" and "The Mask of Zorro," both of which borrowed some elements or at least were inspired by Dumas' work.
So why is this year’s reimagining of The Count of Monte Cristo the best swashbuckler since The Mask of Zorro ?
Enjoyable swashbuckler that’s similar to The Mask of Zorro in that it benefits from being played mostly straight – it’s well made with good performances and some impressive set pieces including a stunning Gratuitous Balloon Entrance.
She made a splash in silly (but lucrative) entertainments like "The Mask of Zorro" and "Entrapment" in which she confidently flaunted her lush physicality, only to turn around and flex her acting chops with a supporting role in Steven Soderbergh's "Traffic."
For the first time since her breakthrough in 1998’s “The Mask of Zorro,” she gives a feisty, gutsy, no-holds-barred performance that shows what she’s truly capable of.
The lengthy action scenes with swordplay and the movie's tongue-in-cheek humor will remind viewers of "The Mask of Zorro," which starred Anthony Hopkins and Antonio Banderas.
The writing team of Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio have combined the derring-do of their "The Mask of Zorro" with their wisecracking humor in "Shrek."
The screenwriting team of Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio (Small Soldiers, The Mask of Zorro) actually get some decent one-liners and character bits in the movie, and remarkably, not all of them belong to Depp.
These two have given us the "The Mask of Zorro" (1998) and "Shrek."
Anyway, thanks to Depp's goofy portrayal of woebegone, gold-toothed Captain Jack Sparrow; an equally adroit performance by Geoffrey Rush as the nefarious Captain Barbossa; deft pacing by director Gore Verbinski; clever writing by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio ("Aladdin," "Shrek," "The Mask of Zorro"); spectacular sets and scenery courtesy of producer Jerry Bruckheimer (think "Armageddon," "Black Hawk Down" and "Pearl Harbor" and forget "Kangaroo Jack" and "Bad Boys II"); nifty stunts; and a colorful supporting cast, "Pirates" comes off as a better entertainment than you might expect.
While Antonio Banderas ("The Mask of Zorro," "Desperado") and Norse actor Dennis Storhoi (making his American film debut) have plenty of charisma to spare and create some likable characters, they're left high and dry by the weak and unimaginative script.
Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan (Antonio Banderas: The Mask of Zorro ) is an exiled Islamic poet travelling through central Europe when he encounters a band of marauding Vikings.
Such with Banderas films like Evita, Desperado, The Mask of Zorro, Original Sin and Once Upon a Time in Mexico may be few and far between, but they are always worth the wait to me -- which brings us to The 13th Warrior, an adventure thriller released back in 1999.
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Warner put the pseudo-bankable Ryan Reynolds in the lead role and hired as director Martin Campbell, the man who successfully rebooted Zorro in The Mask of Zorro and James Bond in Casino Royale (this after getting cold feet on letting producer/co-screenwriter Greg Berlanti direct).
Director Martin Campbell (The Mask of Zorro, Casino Royale) has a way with action set-pieces that shines whenever this story takes flight into the CGI-infused reaches of outer space and Oa, but it can't sustain the more earthbound sequences and endless, endlessly confusing (to newcomers) expositional passages.
Green Lantern, based on the DC comic-book series and directed by Martin Campbell (who, in the past, has made exemplary entertainments like Casino Royale and The Mask of Zorro), takes forever to get going and then goes nowhere.
I’m not really sure any director could have saved this: I thought Martin Campbell was a pretty decent one already (his The Mask of Zorro is fantastic; so is his Casino Royale ).
Directed by Martin Campbell ("Casino Royale," "The Mask of Zorro"), the film wears its nerdy heart on its sleeve, which is endearing, and often falls just short of hitting the mark, which isn't.
Given its ups and downs, “Green Lantern” is fortunate to have Martin Campbell (“The Mask of Zorro,” “Casino Royale”) as director.
And although she towers over him, the star has real heat with Banderas, who is more enticing as the hapless (but certainly not helpless) photographer than he's been in anything since "The Mask of Zorro."