In 1919, Zorro, a fictional character, sprung to life across the pages of pulp writer Johnston McClulley short stories and books. Zorro is Spanish for fox. The masked hero is every bit as cunning at outwitting the villains who oppressed the people in California much like the hero from Sherwood Forest.
We loved the first movie, The Mask of Zorro, starring Anthony Hopkins (Don Diego de la Vega A.K.A Zorro), Antonio Banderas (Alejandro Murrieta), Stuart Wilson (Don Rafael Montera – the villain, and Catherine Zeta-Jones (Elena Montera) which hit the theaters in 1998. However, we shied away from getting the second movie The Legend of Zorro when it released on DVD in 2006.
Elated that I found The Legend of Zorro at a reasonable price at Amazon, I persuaded DH to give it a try. In the first movie, if you’ve seen it then you know Anthony Hopkins was Zorro while Banderas was his protegé. However, if you have not seen The Mask of Zorro, then I highly recommend that you do. It’s a great movie!
Alejandro de la Vega A.K.A Zorro (Banderas) and Elena de la Vega (Zeta-Jones) have now been married 10-years. On the off-chance you haven’t seen the first movie, then I’m not going to tell you how it comes to be that Banderas and Zeta-Jones’ characters fall in love. They are now parents to a young fiery lad, Joaquin, (Adrian Alonso).
Sequels tend to falls short, but this one was a pleasant surprise. In the second movie, Alejandro and Elena divorce. Joaquin sees his father as a weak man and idolizes the masked hero. Meanwhile, Zorro is trying to hold his life together without the woman he loves and a son who displays a little contempt for him; all the while battling the villains who seek to keep California from joining the union.
Banderas and Zeta-Jones prove to be a fabulous pair of spitfire full of passion and courage dueling the evil-doers in their own way. You won’t be disappointed in this fast action, sometimes funny, a little romantic, thrill seeking flick. It is sure to entertain the whole family.
Do I see the third movie possibility in the makes? Let’s just say, there is potential where The Legend of Zorro leaves off. I invite you to watch it!