I'm obviously a bit of an old misery, but I thought this film was terrible. I had set out to enjoy it as well, but it was completely ruined for my by the fact that I had just watched the most recent version of Feval's 'Le Bossu', which is wonderful. In the matter of breathtaking swordfights, dashing heroes, creepy villains and treacherous plotters, Le Bossu is one of the best films of the 1990s - and it shows the roughly contemporary Mask of Zorro as the sorry, overblown mess that it is.
Which is not to say that I dare dis El Banderas. He's an excellent choice, and has the necessary roguish charisma for the role. I don't particularly mind the plot. I do mind that Catherine Zeta Jones gets another chance to bask in her over-rated glory. Truly, this is a woman with the body of a film-star and the talent of a TV presenter.
I also mind that, presumably, at an early stage of the production the director looked around the set and said "Hmmm... what's missing. I know. Bring out the Hopkins', and sent his lacky to unlock the trunk where they keep the Welsh Windbag until the call of some underwritten star-part stirs him from his sleep. Unless somebody has plans to produce Ivor The Engine: The Movie anytime soon I would severely recommend they keep that trunk locked for the time being.
You know what else I minded? That crazy prospector guy, who looked like he'd stepped out of a Wild West computer game or some theme park ride - though this is very much in keeping with the tone of the rest of the film, to be fair.
This film has lots of loud noise and explosions, is quite over-the-top, and is all the poorer for it. Something of a missed opportunity, really.
Which is not to say that I dare dis El Banderas. He's an excellent choice, and has the necessary roguish charisma for the role. I don't particularly mind the plot. I do mind that Catherine Zeta Jones gets another chance to bask in her over-rated glory. Truly, this is a woman with the body of a film-star and the talent of a TV presenter.
I also mind that, presumably, at an early stage of the production the director looked around the set and said "Hmmm... what's missing. I know. Bring out the Hopkins', and sent his lacky to unlock the trunk where they keep the Welsh Windbag until the call of some underwritten star-part stirs him from his sleep. Unless somebody has plans to produce Ivor The Engine: The Movie anytime soon I would severely recommend they keep that trunk locked for the time being.
You know what else I minded? That crazy prospector guy, who looked like he'd stepped out of a Wild West computer game or some theme park ride - though this is very much in keeping with the tone of the rest of the film, to be fair.
This film has lots of loud noise and explosions, is quite over-the-top, and is all the poorer for it. Something of a missed opportunity, really.