The Mask of Zorro

The Mask of Zorro has built a real following in Australia on Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel, and in the US on Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel among viewers who want their action grounded in something real. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. Its 7/10 TMDB score, built from 4,377 ratings, reflects a title that consistently delivers. Antonio Banderas anchors the chaos with real screen presence. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, The Mask of Zorro is worth clearing space for. The choreography in The Mask of Zorro serves the story instead of interrupting it. 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. Antonio Banderas and Anthony Hopkins lead a cast that gives the action real stakes. The Mask of Zorro came out in 1998. The action sequences are expensive-looking without drawing attention to their own budget — they serve the story rather than interrupting it. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

The Mask of Zorro is the kind of thing you put on to unwind and find yourself sitting forward twenty minutes in. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Antonio Banderas anchors the chaos with real screen presence. Every set piece here is doing more than one job at once.