Released: 10/28/05

Viewed: 1:35pm 10/28/05

Starring: Antonio Banderas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Adrian Alonso, Nick Chinlund, Rufus Sewell

Directed by: Martin Campbell

I'm honestly a little surprised it took this long to get another Zorro movie made. Never was a huge fan of the original movie, to be fair I've never seen it all the way through, mostly just that one seen where Zeta-Jones gets her clothes slashed off, but it was a huge hit. And in the modern day world, any movie that makes as much money as that one did gets a sequel. Plus, because of the character and the built in fan base, it's just manufactured to be a franchise. Still, not all sequels should be made. This one had its heart in the right place, but I feel like it did a couple of key things wrong.

Before I get to that I'll talk about the many good qualities The Ledged of Zorro has. The cast and crew are reported to have had a very good time making these Zorro films, and that really shows on screen. There is excellent chemistry all around especially between Banderas and Catherine, but you can tell that there was a lot of love and respect that went into this movie. That's a rare thing these days, and even when it exists it doesn't always translate on to the finished movie. Here it glows.

The movies tone is a perfect modern update of the classic heroism tales of long ago, with all the romance charm and humor that those movies displayed with ease. It takes all of that and adds in dazzling action, which is both clever and original. Especially considering this movie takes place in an era where it took 5 minutes to load a gun. They take the world and era it existed in and work it ?til it bleeds. Even some things that may seem a little "out there" are still believable and grounded in reality.

It's not like in Wild Wild West where a giant steam powered spider thunders across the desert. It's definitely grounded.

And it's genuinely thrilling. Zorro does a few extra back flips that are completely unnecessary, but I found my self won over by the fancifulness of it all. Movies must have been like this all the time, where the hero fends of the villains with a wink and a smile. Zorro holds true to that tradition.

I was never really a big Zorro fan. I'm not sure why, but it could have something to do with growing up on comics where everyone has these fantastic super powers. Looking at Zorro, who is just a man with a sword, I've always been a little under whelmed. But Zorro is so much like the modern comic gods in the responsibilities that come along with being a hero.

The movie starts to explore this and it's where things get interesting. He has a wife that wants him to quit, a son that he barely knows and who doesn't respect him, and a drastic drop in the need for Zorro at all. Yet he continues to be Zorro to fill some sort of void. And they do the thing where he gets smacked around in front of his son and looks like a little bitch, but he can't say anything because his son can't know the truth. Everyone in the theater is like "Dude, you're Zorro! Kick his ass!". And you're supposed to feel that tension, that frustration.

That's classic Spider-man. He's a wimp in his real life, and he wants to tell the world how powerful he is, but he just can't. That's real conflict, that has really been under explored in cinema. This movie toys with but really only scratches the surface. Especially when duality becomes a theme between other characters in the film. It feels like an idea that took a back seat to special effects.

There's about 20 minutes in the first act that I wish would disappear. Zorro hits rock bottom and starts drinking (for reasons that me giving away would count as spoilers), and Banderas' idea of acting drunk is OVER-acting. Very badly. It's hard to watch.

Now, as I said, I do not know Zorro. I don't know how he is typically portrayed on screen or in the books, but there is a moment here that really made me questions the filmmaker's intentions. (Mild spoiler, but I won't go into the details) Zorro kills someone. Not just kills him, but murders him. He makes sure that this person dies and has no chance of living. That is not a Hero.

If you look at your classic hero's they will do whatever they can to stop the bad guys, and in most cases the villain will die but usually of his own fault. Or the hero kills him with a thrust of the sword, but the hero himself is beaten near death and the villains death is more self defense then anything else.

Zorro was fine. Fine enough to do another acrobatic trick, and escape to safety. So someone dies, and you almost forget because the special effects sequence that follows is amazing. But he still dies, and Zorro could have at least tried to save him. I mean, isn't that what heroes do?

It's been a little over a day since I've seen the movie and the more I think about it the more that one point sits with me and sours the entire experience. 5 out of 10 I would say it's a little long , and there is some questionable humor with the horse. (Weird. The sort of weird that takes you out of the moment, but really it's no big deal if you accept it as part of the overall charm and feel of the movie). It really is a fun movie though with a good, if slightly over complicated story and message. There's more good than bad.

May be better as a family outing because the kids will really be enchanted by the overall magic the movie offers. Every 8-year-old boy is going to want a last second Halloween costume switch. .

DVD worthy?: The action really is good but I'm sort of on the fence. If it comes with a free ticket to Zorro three ? sure.

If you liked this movie check out: Spider-man 2

It takes the best ideas that Zorro was playing with and does them better. It doesn't have the same grand old-timey charm, but as far as slick modern action adventures go it can't be touched. The focus on the duality of life as a hero, and the responsibility of a man in his position has always been two of the major themes pushed heavily in the character of Spider-man. Zorro did a lot of that right but lost it's footing. Spider-man 2 is the best example of it being done correctly.

Trailer Hitch: Cheaper by the Dozen 2

I watched this special on Steve Martin that came out as part of a promotional blitz for the movie Bowfinger a few years back. It said that after making Sgt. Bilko in '96, Martin felt unfulfilled as a performer and comedian. Bowfinger was brilliant. I loved it and it looked like Martin was back on track and set for good things. A few funny movies followed that were not only funny, but more importantly, they were smart.

Then Cheaper by the Dozen came out and it was cute and delightful safe family goodness, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it smart. It's ok. Every star has to do the safe family picture so they can keep the career going, but did it really need a sequel?

Dozen 2 looks like a standard pissing contest. I'm better then you, my family can kick your family's ass, and my wife is hotter than your wife. (Bonny Hunt vs. Carmen Elektra ? Yowza) They brought in Eugene Levy which is cool, but I'm not getting my hopes up for this one. I wish Steve Martin Luck and I'll give him the benefit of the doubt but I'll keep those hopes low. Just in case.

If you vote today you'll see the awkward aftermath of today's comic. Thanks, everyone!