‘Zorro’ is silly but fun

“Zorro” has been around a long time. The character was originally introduced in a five-part magazine serial in 1919 by Johnston McCulley. Since then Zorro has served as the central character for numerous films and several television shows.

Of particular note are “The Mark of Zorro,” starring Douglas Fairbanks Sr. and released in 1920, and the “Zorro” television show of the late 1950s, starring Guy Williams, which introduced the character to the Baby Boomers.

As sequels go, seven years is a long time between releases. That is how much time passed between the release of “The Mask of Zorro” in 1998 and the appearance of the current edition, “The Legend of Zorro,” which is in theaters now. Given the success of the original and the continued star power of the lead actors, one has to wonder what took so long.

Any Zorro project is about as formulaic as it gets. The wealthy early California don, to all appearances an idle wealthy gentleman rancher, is actually the alter ego of Zorro, the legendary masked figure who fights injustice and evil. In the case of “The Legend of Zorro,” California statehood itself is at risk as evil men try to disrupt the election and drive out the longtime residents.

Set several years after “The Mask of Zorro,” the latest installment finds Don Alejandro (Antonio Banderas) appearing as Zorro whenever he is summoned by five rings of the town’s church bells. In a rousing opening segment, Zorro single-handedly foils the efforts of several desperados who have stolen the town’s ballot box.

Even though the townspeople are wildly enthusiastic about their savior, Alejandro’s wife Elena (Catherine Zeta-Jones) is tired of his absences and dangerous pursuits. The couple now has a young son named Joaquin (Adrian Alonso). Elena thinks Zorro’s antics are interfering with Alejandro’s ability to be a good husband and father. After a particularly nasty fight, Alejandro moves out and Elena files for divorce.

To make matters worse, Elena eventually shows up on the arm of Armand (Rufus Sewell), a dashing French count. Unbeknownst to Alejandro, Elena has been blackmailed into spying on the count by some Pinkerton detectives.

The plot involves a plan wherein the European aristocracy is conspiring to destroy the fledgling United States by supplying the Confederacy with a diabolical new weapon. How the California statehood election of 1850 was involved in the American Civil War is beyond me. There are other glaring historical inaccuracies in the film, including the appearance of Abraham Lincoln.

No matter, the whole point of such a film is to watch Zorro’s derring-do, and there is plenty of that, as the action is nonstop. The stunts are incredible and the blending of computer-generated special effects is seamless. Banderas and Zeta-Jones are one of the more photogenic couples in cinematic history, and they have great chemistry on film.

Everyone seems to be having fun with their roles. Nick Chinlund plays Jacob McGivens, Armand’s primary henchman, with menacing glee. Sewell plays Armand as a smarmy dandy who causes you to involuntarily recoil each time he touches or kisses Elena. Alonso embraces the often thankless kid’s role and really adds to the picture. Worth mentioning is Zorro’s black stallion. Reportedly played by nine horses, each one trained for a single trick, the black beauty is imbued with personality and is magnificent to watch.

In the final analysis, “The Legend of Zorro” is silly and lightweight, particularly compared to the Oscar contenders usually released this time of year. However, it is one of those rare PG movies that will be enjoyed by all but the youngest children. Really, is that such a bad thing?

* VAN NOVACK, 50, is the director of institutional research at Cal State Long Beach and lives in Huntington Beach with his wife Elizabeth.

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