The Legend of Zorro

Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones return for this playful sequel to 1998's The Mask of Zorro. The action, once again directed by Martin Campbell, is set in 1850, with the pair now married and parents to a ten-year-old boy (an irritating Adrian Alonso). It's far more tongue-in-cheek than its Saturday matinée-style predecessor, tinkering with US history as Zorro swoops in to help the people of California who are being prevented from becoming the 31st state of the union by a mysterious medieval organisation. However, Zorro's exploits cause a domestic crisis, resulting in his wife divorcing him. The caped hero's drunken mooching that follows is tediously wasteful, slowing the pace and diluting the excitement generated during the spirited opening scenes. But even when the action resumes, it's undermined by too much cheesy slapstick. Consequently, while the film is colourful and entertaining, it's not quite the relentless swashbuckler it should be.