The Mask of Zorro (1998)

Director:

Martin Campbell

Writers (WGA):

Johnston McCulley (character Zorro)
Ted Elliott (story) ...

Release Date:

17 July 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Romance | Western

Plot:

The elder Zorro trains his replacement to fight the enemy Montero.

Plot Keywords:

Zorro | California | Revenge | Mask | Young Versions Of Characters

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 15 nominations

Cast

Antonio Banderas	...	Alejandro Murrieta / Zorro
Anthony Hopkins	...	Don Diego de la Vega / Zorro
Catherine Zeta-Jones	...	Elena Montero / Elena Murrieta
Stuart Wilson	...	Don Rafael Montero
Matt Letscher	...	Capt. Harrison Love
Tony Amendola	...	Don Luiz
Pedro Armendáriz Jr.	...	Don Pedro (as Pedro Armendariz)
William Marquez	...	Fray Felipe
José Pérez	...	Cpl. Armando Garcia (as Jose Perez)
Victor Rivers	...	Joaquín Murrieta
L.Q. Jones	...	Three-Fingered Jack
Julieta Rosen	...	Esperanza de la Vega
Luisa Huertas	...	Nanny
José María de Tavira	...	Young Alejandro Murrieta (as Jose Maria de Tavira)
Raúl Martínez	...	Heavyset Lieutenant (as Raul Martinez)

Also Known As:

Die Maske des Zorro (Germany)
Mark of Zorro (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some intense action and violence.

Runtime:

136 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Brazil:12 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Chile:TE | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-8 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Ireland:12 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:11 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG | USA:PG-13 | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba)

Filming Locations:

Atotonilico de Tula, Hidalgo, Mexico

Company:

TriStar Pictures

Trivia:

In order to accomplish the effect of Elena's dress falling off from being sliced up by Zorro, a wire was attached to the dress to pull the dress off. (See also the goofs section.)

Goofs:

Continuity: In the barn, there is clearly a different horse used in the bucking section. Zorro's soon to be horse is large with a thick, wavy mane and tail. The horse that is actually bucking is smaller, with a thin straight tail.

Quotes:

Alejandro Murrieta: Is something funny?
Captain Harrison Love: Strange, actually. This is the second time I've shot this man while he was flying through the air.

Movie Connections:

References Casablanca (1942)

Soundtrack:

I Want To Spend My Lifetime Loving You

The Best "Zorro" Ever Produced.

Strikingly entertaining and first-rate in most all cinematic categories, "The Mask of Zorro" is a smart action film that works due to a convincing titled character (Antonio Banderas), the almost unreal beauty of Catherine Zeta-Jones and the professionalism of Anthony Hopkins. Anthony Hopkins starts out as Zorro, but is caught by the evil Stuart Wilson shortly after a wild rescue of three men in the village. Wilson leaves the country and takes Hopkins' baby daughter with him. Fast-forward 20 years and Hopkins has escaped and he begins to teach Banderas (also seeking revenge after the murder of his brother) the way to be a fighter for truth and justice. The baby has grown up to become Zeta-Jones and thinks that she is really Wilson's daughter. A great film that works well due to an adequate screenplay, good characterization and solid direction. A near-perfect success. 4.5 out of 5 stars.