User Reviews

Excellent cast delivers a very strong re-make of the Tyrone Power 1940's film about the legendary swashbuckler in Spanish colonial California. All performances are strong, especially Frank Langella, Gilbert Roland and Ricardo Montalban. It is especially nice to hear Hispanic accented English, and correctly pronounced Spanish words and names. This film will definitely entertain fans of the genre, whether familiar with earlier depictions of Zorro or not. The lack of budget and the fact that the film was made for TV are easy to overlook. These aspects of the movie will only bother those who require lots of special effects in order to enjoy a movie. Another commentator observed that the crowds were small. Yes, they are, but so what? That doesn't detract either. Enjoy!

As a kid, I loved the "Zorro" TV series in the late '50's starring Guy Williams. I have seen the Tyrone Power film a number of times, too. I recommend all of these renditions, as well as "Zorro, the Gay Blade," for a more comedic spin on the legend. It features George Hamilton camping it up a la "Love at First Bite."

A sensational cast led by Frank Langella and Ricardo Montalban seems to be having a fabulous time in this 1800's California action adventure where Langella is quite the gentleman without the mask yet once he puts it on shows himself to be a true swordsman even though without it, he claims to hate it. That's just part of his act, playing a rather effeminate returnee from Spain reunited with his parents, Gilbert Roland and Yvonne De Carlo, and romancing Anne Archer while in disguuse in order to get the corrupt Montalban out of power. "So inside the peacock, we find a hawk", Montalban declares, and indeed, Langella is very amusing, at one point complaining about a tepid bath while everybody is worried about Zorro's next move.

The great Louise Sorel of daytime's "Santa Barbara" and "Days of Our Lives" has a showy role as a flamorous local matron, flirting with Langella and amused by his droll witticisms, yet having earlier been robbed by Zorro not even recognizing him even though the voices are very similar. Veteran stage actor Robert Middleton is the pompous puppet governor dominated by the evil Montalban. It's great to see one of the Latin lovers of the 1930's (Roland) with one of the great Latin lovers of the 1950's (Montalban). This focuses more on the comic elements of the double life of Langella's character rather than the epic scope of previous and later versions. The handsome Langella and the suave Montalban are terrific foes. Never a dull moment in this TV adaption.

I've seen various Zorros and can never remember which is which; I vaguely remembered this as one of the good ones (which is not what you would expect from a 1970s TV movie) and tuned in to see when it was broadcast again on television this afternoon. To my surprise and pleasure, I still thought it was pretty good.

I can't at this lapse of time remember how much the script takes from the famous 1940s version, but it's not only competent but admirable; I'd infinitely watch a low-budget film with a polished script than a big-budget blockbuster where all the cash has gone on special effects, and this undoubtedly falls into the first category! Don Diego, of course, gets all the quips, but Frank Langella does them ample justice, and is impressive in his dual role, especially in the two episodes at the beginning when you can see his intelligent Diego assessing the situation and coming up with his 'spineless fop' act more or less off the cuff, mid-scene. Ricardo Montalban wins the personality contest by a whisker -- although a really good villain always has an unfair advantage over the hero of the piece. Gilbert Roland doesn't get much to do; I was looking forward to seeing him in this, but had to look up the cast afterwards in order even to be certain which character he'd been playing...

Anne Archer as the heroine was the only real disappointment, although the rather abridged plot here doesn't offer much scope for her to duel wits with her lover. Her performance seemed uninspiring, especially compared to Louise Sorel in the part of her vain, self-serving aunt.

The main faults I'd find with this version are twofold; first of all, it seems to get more and more compressed as it races towards the end. The opening scenes are expansively paced, but once the Zorro identity has been established, the masked avenger hardly has time to do anything before it's time for the finale! He tears down one notice, pays a nocturnal visit to frighten the Alcade, meets Esteban in his father's house... and then an aristocratic revolt breaks out, and the final duel is due. Not much of a heroic career, really, and I assume this is the result of a TV time-slot and budget.

The second problem, possibly related, is that the actual swashbuckling action -- with the exception of said final duel -- doesn't impress very much. We get one of the parody-prone sequences where the villain's henchmen unintelligently attack the hero in ones and twos and are duly dispatched, and a similar old chestnut of a horse chase, where the hero hides behind some bushes and watches the pursuit thunder obliviously past, and that's about it. There's nothing wrong with sticking to the good old conventions, but this isn't the most inspiring rendition of either trope. The duel, however, *is* well done... even if I can't help feeling that killing your enemy by revealing your true identity and then attacking while he is still off his guard with astonishment isn't quite cricket, Diego old chap! Very practical tactics, though.

Anyway, on the whole I liked it a good deal. At the beginning of the film I'd probably have considered awarding it an 8, but sadly Anne Archer's 1970s starlet performance and the rather rushed timing later on reduce it from that level. Watch for the Ricardo Montalban/Frank Langella/Louise Sorel triangle, if nothing else; Inez is a wonderfully self-centred character, and the two men play well off each other.

Enjoyed Ricardo Montalban's Captain Montenegro but the real hero was use of the original soundtrack.

The Mark of Zorro starts in Madrid in Spain as expert swordsman & dueling champion Don Diego (Frank Langella) announces his return home to California, upon arrival back home in California he finds things are not well. The locals that his father once served are now in a state of fear & hate as the new Governor Don Luis Quintero (Robert Middleton) kills, beats, tortures & taxes them making their lives a misery. Don Diego is shocked at what he sees & speaks with his father Don Aleandro Vega (Gilbert Roland) who is powerless to stop Quintero & his bloodthirsty soldiers lead by Captain Esteban (Ricardo Montalban), Diego acts like a clueless buffoon but things are not always what they seem as Diego decides to don the black mask & hat of the legendary outlaw Zorro to right the wrongs around him & put an end to Quintero's tyranny...

Directed by Don McDougall this made for telly adventure film was a remake of the classic The Mark of Zorro (1940), I have never seen the 1940 version but apparently the two are virtually identical & while this isn't the type of film I usually watch I thought I would give it a go since it was showing on telly over here. To be fair I didn't think that much of this at all, it's fairly colourful & lasts for less than 80 minutes but there's not much here to get excited about unless your a die-hard Zorro fan. The script moves along at a decent pace but there's little build-up to anything & it tries to juggle some adventure, some romance & sword fighting action without much success. The mark of Zorro just feels so pedestrian & like the afternoon telly film that it is, sure it's watchable if your bored but it never excited me or particularly interested me. It's all rather predictable, from handsome heroes who save the day to family feuds that are resolved to the villains getting their comeuppance. The character's are all broad clichés & I doubt people acted like this back then, a pretty simplistic story that the script doesn't really flesh out to any great effect. I don't know, it's not the type of film that I usually watch so I will go easy on it & it's middling entertainment I suppose so while I can't say I liked it I won't say I hated it, at least I watched it all without getting too bored along the way.

Another big problem with this version of The mark of Zorro is the lack of action & when the action occurs it's pretty forgettable stuff with some wimpy sword fights & not much else. This 70's Zorro is certainly a colourful production with vibrant costumes & locations, in fact it looks a little too colourful at times & maybe both the tone & look of the film should have been a bit darker on occasion. Just to emphasise the similarities between this & the 1940 Zorro film this actually reuses the original musical score from the 1940 version by Alfred Newman.

Filmed in Tuscon in Arizona this is quite well made on what must have been a tight budget. The acting is alright, Langella is OK but it's difficult to believe no-one recognises Diego & Zorro as the same person, telly regulars Ricardo Montalban & Yvonne DeCarlo provide decent support.

The Mark of Zorro is a fairly mundane action adventure that feels like Robin Hood set in the Californian desert as Zorro robs the rich & evil to give back to the poor, it will pass 80 odd minutes but that's about the best thing I can say about it.

This movie was my introduction to Zorro; and, for the time, it was a fine introduction. I loved this film when it first aired (I was 7) and I spent weeks afterward slashing at everything with a stick. The film is still rollicking adventure, even if it doesn't hold a candle to the 1940 version.

Frank Langella made a decent Zorro, although he was a little too serious for a swashbuckler. Still, he handled the dual role well and looked the part. Ricardo Montalban, on the other hand, was perfect as the villain. He relished the role and had the right amount of menace, with a twinkle in the eye. He was meant for a role like this.

The rest of the cast are fine, with varying degrees of ability. The story moves well and the duels are exciting. The TV budget hampers the spectacle, but not too badly.

After viewing it once, I was able to see the film again, nearly 25 years later. By that point, I had seen the Disney Zorro, the 1940 version, the silent version, the Alain Delon version, Zorro the Gay Blade, and a couple of others. The 1940 version is still superior (in my book) but this was still entertaining. The acting was worse than I remembered, but the action was still exciting and Ricardo Montalban was still wonderful. I'd put this ahead of Disney and George Hamilton, but on equal footing with Delon. Tyrone Power is still the king, although Anonio Banderas was great the first time out. This is a worthy entry in the series, even with its faults.

What's the point? Why do they do it? The original "The Mark of Zorro" was not exactly a cinematic classic but it was rousing fun with everyone hamming it up.

Well, this is not a shot-for-shot remake, but it uses the same score and lifts some of the dialog from the original. Why? I guess another nickel might be squeezed out of the adventure tale. I can't think of any other reason to remake a film that was about as good as it could be expected to be.

Nothing quite measures up to the original. Nothing wrong with Frank Langella as Zorro. He's convincing enough in his prissy disguise. Further, I admire Langella as a man and as an actor. His craft was important enough for him to write a piece for the New York Times, when, in Italian-American households, according to Gay Talese, being "literary" is a bit of a stigma. If you write a novel like, say, "The Blackboard Jungle," you change your name.

Beyond that consideration (whatever that consideration was -- I've already forgotten), the acting is simply not up to snuff. Frank Langella, okay. Maybe. Although he's given a fashionable 1974 hair style in contrast to Tyrone Power's curly Spanish locks. And Gilbert Roland brings so much history to his role that it's hard to criticize him. The rest of the performances are no better than TV standards. Anne Archer is a beautiful woman, but she is not a virginal teenage Lolita. Makeup has been unkind to her. Ray Middleton as the alcalde lazes his way through the part as if on opiates. Ricardo Montalban is actually pretty good, but not up to the required standards of evil established by Basil Rathbone in the original.

In short, well, watch the original if only for one reason. It's better.

I'll admit to being a huge Frank Langella fan, but he definitely adds a demeanor to the role that is less 'superhero' as in the other Zorros. He plays the buffoon part well and Ricardo Montalban is a super antagonist to his Zorro. Everyone plays right into the game and Langella's voice and mannerisms (acting) really makes the role. While there is some romance, it does not detract from the main goal of Zorro. The scenes with him and his promised bride are short, intensely romantic without being over the top. He also plays the role with his father while showing the pain it causes in his heart to deceive his father. He plays the parts so well