The Legend of Zorro

Last updated

The Legend of Zorro
The Legend of Zorro poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Martin Campbell
Screenplay by Roberto Orci
Story byRoberto Orci
Alex Kurtzman
Based on Zorro
by Johnston McCulley
Produced by Walter F. Parkes
Laurie MacDonald
Lloyd Phillips
Starring Antonio Banderas
Cinematography Phil Meheux
Edited by Stuart Baird
Music by James Horner
Production
companies
Distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing [1]
Release date
  • October 28, 2005 (2005-10-28)
Running time
130 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguagesEnglish
Spanish
Budget$75 million
Box office$142.4 million

The Legend of Zorro is a 2005 American Western swashbuckler film directed by Martin Campbell, produced by Walter F. Parkes, Laurie MacDonald and Lloyd Phillips, with music by James Horner, and written by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. It is the sequel to 1998's The Mask of Zorro ; Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones reprise their roles as the titular hero and his spouse, Elena, and Rufus Sewell stars as the villain, Count Armand. The film takes place in San Mateo County, California and was shot in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, with second-unit photography in Wellington, New Zealand. [2] The film was theatrically released on October 28, 2005, by Columbia Pictures (instead of TriStar due to Columbia holding the sequel rights to TriStar's pre-1999 film library)

Contents

The Legend of Zorro earned $142.4 million on a $75 million budget. [3] It received poor reviews, with critics generally praising its acting, but criticizing the screenplay, special effects, tone and humor.

Plot

In 1850, California votes on whether to join the United States as a state. Zorro, formerly Alejandro Murrieta, now known to the public as Don Alejandro De La Vega, foils a plot to steal the ballots. During the fight with a gunman named Jacob McGivens, he loses his mask, and two Pinkerton agents see his face. Alejandro's marriage with his wife, Elena, becomes strained after he refuses to stop being Zorro when the election ends. The couple fights, and Alejandro moves out. The following day, the Pinkertons confront Elena, who later divorces Alejandro.

The separation and the feeling the people no longer need Zorro demoralizes Alejandro. His childhood guardian, Father Felipe, takes him to a party at the vineyard of French Count Armand. Alejandro discovers Elena is dating Armand, an old friend from her time in Spain. Drunk and angrily leaving the party, Alejandro witnesses an explosion near the vineyard and becomes suspicious of Armand. The next day, McGivens leads an attack on Guillermo, a farmer and friend of Alejandro, to seize his land. Zorro rescues Guillermo's wife and son, but Guillermo is killed.

While at Armand's mansion for a date, Elena surreptitiously investigates his secret study, discovering information about a plot involving explosives and a group called Orbis Unum (One World in Latin). Zorro sneaks into the mansion and overhears Armand discussing his plan to build a railroad through Cortez's land with McGivens.

The next day, Alejandro's son Joaquin sneaks out of a class field trip and hides on McGivens’s cart. McGivens's bandits catch Joaquin as they receive a cargo shipment in a cove. Zorro saves Joaquin from the bandits and sees the cargo consists of bars of soap, with the phrase Orbis Unum printed on the crates. Father Felipe tells Alejandro it is the symbol of the Knights of Aragon, a secret society Armand is a member of, which has secretly ruled Europe for millennia. The Knights have deemed the United States a threat and plan to destroy it.

The Pinkertons capture and imprison Alejandro. They reveal that they confronted Elena with knowledge of his identity as Zorro, blackmailed her into divorcing Alejandro, and seduced Armand to learn of the Knights' plans without Zorro's aid. Because California is not a U.S. state yet, they cannot search Armand's home themselves. Joaquin frees Alejandro from captivity.

At Armand's mansion, Zorro finds Elena. They spy on Armand as he gives a speech to the Knights, revealing the soap bars contain an ingredient for nitroglycerin. The vineyard is a cover for the production of the weapon, which will be given to the Confederate army, with the help of Colonel Beauregard, to launch a sneak attack on Washington, D.C., and destroy the Union. Zorro and Elena reconcile while he prepares to destroy the train carrying the explosives. McGivens arrives at Felipe's church to look for Zorro. Unable to find him, he shoots Felipe and kidnaps Joaquin. Armand discovers Elena's deception and takes her hostage with Joaquin after killing the Pinkertons. Zorro is captured and unmasked in front of his son. Armand takes Joaquin and Elena away on the train and orders McGivens to kill Alejandro. Felipe, saved from the bullet by the cross he wears, rescues Alejandro, who kills McGivens.

Zorro catches up with the train by riding his horse and fights Armand. Elena helps Joaquin escape, then fights Armand's henchman Ferroq and throws him from the train with a bottle of nitro near Beauregard at their prearranged meeting point, killing them all. Further along the tracks, the governor prepares to sign the bill to make California a Union state. Joaquin rides Tornado, Zorro's horse, off the train and diverts it onto another track, away from the bill signing ceremony. Seeing the track as a dead-end, Zorro overpowers and ties Armand to the engine and escapes with Elena. The train crashes, setting off the nitroglycerin and killing Armand.

The governor signs the bill, and California becomes the 31st U.S. state. Alejandro remarries Elena and apologizes to Joaquin for his secrecy, recognizing Zorro's identity should be a family secret. With Elena's support, Zorro rides off on Tornado to his next mission.

Cast

Music

The Legend of Zorro: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Film score by
ReleasedOctober 25, 2005
Recorded2004–2005
Length75:34
Label Sony
James Horner chronology
Flightplan
(2005)
The Legend of Zorro: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
(2005)
The New World
(2005)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
SoundtrackNet Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg
Track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Collecting the Ballots"3:27
2."Stolen Votes"6:31
3."To the Governor's... And Then Elena"4:05
4."This Is Who I Am"3:05
5."Classroom Justice"1:50
6."The Cortez Ranch"6:35
7."A Proposal with Pearls / Perilous Times"3:58
8."Joaquin's Capture and Zorro's Rescue"5:00
9."Jailbreak / Reunited"5:36
10."A Dinner of Pigeon / Setting the Explosives"5:04
11."Mad Dash / Zorro Unmasked"3:20
12."Just One Drop of Nitro"2:40
13."The Train"11:11
14."Statehood Proclaimed"5:00
15."My Family Is My Life..."8:14

Reception

The Legend of Zorro currently holds a rating of 47 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 33 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [4] It holds a 27% "Rotten" score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on 139 reviews with an average rating of 4.8/10. The site's critics consensus states, "Zorro can survive a lot of things, but it looks like he can't survive marriage". [5] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale. [6]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film a below-average review, awarding it one and a half out of four stars, commenting that "of all of the possible ideas about how to handle the Elena character, this movie has assembled the worst ones." [7] James Berardinelli of ReelViews gave The Legend of Zorro two out of four stars, saying that "the action is routine", "the chemistry between the two leads, which was one of the highlights of The Mask of Zorro , has evaporated during the intervening years", and that the movie "fails to recapture the pleasure offered by The Mask of Zorro." [8]

Stephanie Zacharek of Salon.com praised the film, calling it "entertaining, bold, and self-effacing at once", noting the civic and parental questions it raises. [9] Slate Magazine critic David Edelstein also praised the film, in particular the action scenes, villains, and chemistry between Banderas and Zeta-Jones. [10] Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle said the film was "watchable – not remotely enjoyable, but watchable." [11] Nathan Rabin of The Onion 's A.V. Club gave the film a lukewarm review, saying that "director Martin Campbell doles out action sequences stingily", and added that "The Legend of Zorro still feels like a half-hearted shrug of a sequel." [12] Brian Lowry of Variety said that The Legend of Zorro is "considerably less charming than The Mask of Zorro", but added that the film "gets by mostly on dazzling stunt work and the pleasure of seeing its dashing and glamorous leads back in cape and gown." [13] Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly awarded the film a "B−" score. Schwarzbaum said that "too many scenes emphasize gross butchery over the elegance of the blade", but added that the film is "well-oiled" and praised the "fancy fight sequences". [14]

Stephen Hunter of The Washington Post reacted negatively, calling The Legend of Zorro "a waste of talent, time, and money" and "stupid and boring". [15] Marc Savlov of the Austin Chronicle was also not impressed, remarking that "there are precious few things for a Zorro fan – or a film fan, for that matter – not to loathe about The Legend of Zorro." [16] [17] The film did reasonably well at the box office, grossing $142,400,065 internationally, but did not match the success of its predecessor. [18]

Home media

The film was released on DVD and VHS on January 31, 2006. It was later released on Blu-ray on December 11, 2007. [19] A 4K UHD version was later released on August 22, 2023. [20]

Cancelled crossover sequel

In June 2019, Quentin Tarantino had picked Jerrod Carmichael to co-write a film adaptation based on his crossover comic book series, Django/Zorro which was a crossover with Django Unchained . [21] Tarantino and Jamie Foxx have both expressed interest in having Antonio Banderas reprise his role as Zorro from The Mask of Zorro and The Legend of Zorro in the film in addition to Foxx returning as Django Freeman. [22] In a 2022 interview with GQ, Carmichael revealed that the film had been cancelled. [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quentin Tarantino</span> American filmmaker (born 1963)

Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American filmmaker, actor, and author. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue often featuring much profanity, and references to popular culture. His work has earned a cult following alongside critical and commercial success; he has been named by some as the single most influential director of his generation and has received numerous awards and nominations, including two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antonio Banderas</span> Spanish actor (born 1960)

José Antonio Domínguez Bandera, better known as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish actor. Known for his work in films of several genres, he has received numerous accolades, including a Cannes Film Festival Award and a Goya Award, as well as nominations for an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, and a Tony Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zorro</span> Fictional character

Zorro is a fictional character created in 1919 by American pulp writer Johnston McCulley, appearing in works set in the Pueblo of Los Angeles in Alta California. He is typically portrayed as a dashing masked vigilante who defends the commoners and Indigenous peoples of California against corrupt, tyrannical officials and other villains. His signature all-black costume includes a cape, a hat known as a sombrero cordobés, and a mask covering the upper half of his face.

<i>Kill Bill: Volume 1</i> 2003 American film by Quentin Tarantino

Kill Bill: Volume 1 is a 2003 American martial arts action film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It stars Uma Thurman as the Bride, who swears revenge on a group of assassins and their leader, Bill, after they try to kill her and her unborn child. Her journey takes her to Tokyo, where she battles the yakuza.

<i>Jackie Brown</i> 1997 film by Quentin Tarantino

Jackie Brown is a 1997 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, based on the 1992 novel Rum Punch by Elmore Leonard. It stars Pam Grier as Jackie Brown, a flight attendant who smuggles money between the United States and Mexico. Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Forster, Bridget Fonda, Michael Keaton, and Robert De Niro appear in supporting roles.

<i>The Mask of Zorro</i> 1998 swashbuckler film by Martin Campbell

The Mask of Zorro is a 1998 American Western swashbuckler film based on the fictional character Zorro by Johnston McCulley. It was directed by Martin Campbell and stars Antonio Banderas, Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Stuart Wilson. The film features the original Zorro, Don Diego de la Vega (Hopkins), escaping from prison to find his long-lost daughter (Zeta-Jones) and avenge the death of his wife at the hands of the corrupt governor Rafael Montero (Wilson). He is aided by his successor (Banderas), who is pursuing his own vendetta against the governor's right-hand man while falling in love with de la Vega's daughter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin Campbell</span> New Zealand film and television director (born 1943)

Martin Campbell is a New Zealand film and television director, based in the United Kingdom. He is best known for his works in the action and thriller film genres, including the James Bond films GoldenEye (1995) and Casino Royale (2006), The Mask of Zorro (1998) and its sequel The Legend of Zorro (2005), Vertical Limit (2000), and The Foreigner (2017). Earlier in his career, he directed the critically-acclaimed BBC drama serial Edge of Darkness (1985), which earned him a British Academy Television Award for Best Drama Series. He later directed the 2010 theatrical film adaptation of the serial.

<i>The Mark of Zorro</i> (1940 film) 1940 film by Rouben Mamoulian

The Mark of Zorro is a 1940 American black-and-white swashbuckling film released by 20th Century-Fox, directed by Rouben Mamoulian, produced by Darryl F. Zanuck, and starring Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell, and Basil Rathbone.

<i>The Mark of Zorro</i> (1920 film) 1920 film

The Mark of Zorro is a 1920 American silent Western romance film starring Douglas Fairbanks and Noah Beery. This genre-defining swashbuckler adventure was the first movie version of The Mark of Zorro. Based on the 1919 story The Curse of Capistrano by Johnston McCulley, which introduced the masked hero, Zorro, the screenplay was adapted by Fairbanks and Eugene Miller.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joaquin Murrieta</span> Historical figure in early California (1829–1853)

Joaquin Murrieta Carrillo, also called the Robin Hood of the West or the Robin Hood of El Dorado, was a Mexican figure of disputed historicity. The novel The Life and Adventures of Joaquín Murieta: The Celebrated California Bandit (1854) by John Rollin Ridge is ostensibly his story.

<i>Zorro</i> (1957 TV series) American action-adventure western drama series

Zorro is an American action-adventure Spanish Western television series produced by Walt Disney Productions and starring Guy Williams. Based on the Zorro character created by Johnston McCulley in his 1919 novella, the series premiered on October 10, 1957, on ABC. The final network broadcast was July 2, 1959. Seventy-eight episodes were produced, and four hour-long specials were aired on the Walt Disney anthology series between October 30, 1960, and April 2, 1961.

Tornado is a horse ridden by the character Zorro in several films and books. Tornado is said to be intelligent and fast. His name is pronounced in the Spanish way, "tor-NAH-do". Being as jet-black as Zorro's costume enables horse and rider to more easily elude capture at night.

<i>Django</i> (1966 film) 1966 film directed by Sergio Corbucci

Django is a 1966 spaghetti Western film directed and co-written by Sergio Corbucci, starring Franco Nero as the title character alongside Loredana Nusciak, José Bódalo, Ángel Álvarez, and Eduardo Fajardo. The film follows a Union soldier-turned-drifter and his companion, a mixed-race prostitute, who become embroiled in a bitter, destructive feud between a gang of Confederate Red Shirts and a band of Mexican revolutionaries. Intended to capitalize on and rival the success of Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars, Corbucci's film is, like Leone's, considered to be a loose, unofficial adaptation of Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo.

<i>Zorros Fighting Legion</i> 1939 film by John English, William Witney

Zorro's Fighting Legion is a 1939 Republic Pictures film serial consisting of twelve chapters starring Reed Hadley as Zorro and directed by William Witney and John English. The plot revolves around his alter-ego Don Diego's fight against the evil Don Del Oro.

Puss in Boots (<i>Shrek</i>) Fictional character in the Shrek franchise

Puss in Boots is a main character in the Shrek franchise. He made his first appearance in the film Shrek 2 (2004). He is portrayed as the title character and protagonist in the 2011 spin-off film Puss in Boots and its 2022 sequel, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Puss also appears in the Netflix television series centered on him, The Adventures of Puss in Boots (2015–2018).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julio Oscar Mechoso</span> Cuban actor (1955–2017)

Julio Oscar Mechoso was a Cuban-American actor who played detective Ruiz in Bad Boys and appeared in such films as Blue Streak, Jurassic Park III, The Legend of Zorro, The Lost City, Little Miss Sunshine and Rules Don't Apply. He had over 120 well known films and TV roles.

<i>Zorro</i> (1990 TV series) 1990 American TV series or program

Zorro is an American Western superhero television series featuring Duncan Regehr as the character of Zorro. Regehr portrayed the fearless Spanish hero and fencer on The Family Channel from 1990 to 1993. The series was shot entirely in Madrid, Spain and produced by New World Television (U.S.), The Family Channel (U.S.), Ellipse Programme of Canal Plus (France), Beta TV (Germany), and RAI (Italy). 88 episodes of the series were produced, Raymond Austin directed 55 episodes and produced 37. There were 10 more episodes made than the first Zorro television series, which was produced by Disney in the late 1950s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Five Joaquins Gang</span> California outlaw gang (1850-1853)

The Five Joaquins were a mid-19th-century outlaw gang in California which, according to the state legislature, was led by five men, identified as follows: "... the five Joaquins, whose names are Joaquin Murrieta, Joaquin Ocomorenia, Joaquin Valenzuela, Joaquin Botellier, and Joaquin Carrillo, and their banded associates."

<i>Django Unchained</i> 2012 American Western film by Quentin Tarantino

Django Unchained is a 2012 American revisionist Western film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, starring Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, and Samuel L. Jackson, with Walton Goggins, Dennis Christopher, James Remar, Michael Parks, and Don Johnson in supporting roles. Set in the Antebellum South and Old West, it is a highly stylized, revisionist tribute to spaghetti Westerns. Its title refers particularly to the 1966 Italian film Django by Sergio Corbucci. The story follows a slave who trains under a German bounty hunter with the ultimate goal of reuniting with his wife.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quentin Tarantino's unrealized projects</span>

The following is a list of unproduced Quentin Tarantino projects in roughly chronological order. During his career, American film director Quentin Tarantino has worked on a number of projects which never progressed beyond the pre-production stage under his direction. Some of these projects were officially cancelled and scrapped or fell into development hell.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "The Legend of Zorro". AFI Catalog of Feature Films . Archived from the original on December 3, 2019. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  2. "The Legend Of Zorro To Shoot In New Zealand". Scoop. December 16, 2004. Archived from the original on June 3, 2010. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  3. "The Legend of Zorro". Box Office Mojo. October 26, 2005. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  4. "The Legend of Zorro Reviews". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Archived from the original on May 11, 2008. Retrieved March 18, 2012.
  5. "The Legend of Zorro". [Rotten Tomatoes]]. Fandango Media. October 28, 2005. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  6. "Home". CinemaScore . Archived from the original on January 2, 2018. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  7. Roger Ebert (October 27, 2005). "The Legend of Zorro Movie Review (2005)". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on February 19, 2018. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  8. Berardinelli, James (2005). "Review: Legend of Zorro, The". Reelviews. Retrieved March 18, 2012.
  9. Stephanie Zacharek (October 28, 2005). "The Legend of Zorro". Salon. Archived from the original on January 3, 2007.
  10. Edelstein, David (October 28, 2005). "Laugh Laugh Scream Scream". Slate. Archived from the original on February 19, 2018. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  11. LaSalle, Mick (October 28, 2005). "This guy just can't hang up his mask". The San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on March 10, 2006. Retrieved March 18, 2012.
  12. Rabin, Nathan (October 26, 2005). "The Legend Of Zorro". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on May 15, 2018. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  13. Lowry, Brian (October 23, 2005). "The Legend of Zorro". Variety. Archived from the original on March 12, 2018. Retrieved March 18, 2012.
  14. Schwarzbaum, Lisa (October 26, 2005). "The Legend of Zorro Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 29, 2007. Retrieved March 18, 2012.
  15. Hunter, Stephen. "The Legend of Zorro". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 5, 2013. Retrieved March 18, 2012.
  16. "The Legend of Zorro - Film Calendar". The Austin Chronicle. Archived from the original on December 23, 2008. Retrieved March 18, 2012.
  17. Savov, Marc (October 28, 2006). "Film Review: The Legend of Zorro". The Austin Chronicle. Archived from the original on January 11, 2018. Retrieved March 18, 2012.
  18. "The Legend of Zorro (2005)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved June 15, 2010.
  19. https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Legend-of-Zorro-Blu-ray/597/
  20. https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Legend-of-Zorro-4K-Blu-ray/341041/
  21. Sneider, Jeff (June 3, 2019). "Exclusive: Quentin Tarantino Working with Jerrod Carmichael on 'Django/Zorro' Movie". Collider . Archived from the original on June 4, 2019. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
  22. Moss, Emma-Lee (July 28, 2014). "Comic-Con 2014: Quentin Tarantino on the Django-Zorro crossover". TheGuardian.com . Archived from the original on July 28, 2014. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
  23. Sharf, Zack (June 21, 2022). "'We Wrote a $500 Million Film': Tarantino's 'Crazy' Django/Zorro Film Hooked Antonio Banderas". Variety. Retrieved July 3, 2023.