![[box cover]](../../reviewimgs/m/maskofzorro_de.jpg)
The Mask of Zorro: Deluxe Edition
When the original Zorro, Don Diego de la Vega (Anthony Hopkins), escapes from prison after 20 years, he vows revenge on lifelong enemy Don Rafael (Stuart Wilson). But as de la Vega is too old to wear the black mask and cape, he takes on two-bit bandit Alejandro Murrieta (Antonio Banderas) and teaches him how to become the lethal Latino. Martin Campbell's popular update of the Zorro legend, The Mask of Zorro (1998), succeeds with simplicity, offering popcorn-munchers a clear plot, liberal doses of humor, and lots of fun swordplay. Campbell (Goldeneye, Vertical Limit) keeps the action moving, while Catherine Zeta-Jones steals every scene she has — one look and it's easy to understand how she shot onto the A-list of Hollywood's leading ladies soon after. A throwback to the days of matinee adventure, The Mask of Zorro isn't just a fun action movie, its an antidote to the bloated, shallow action films that harass us every summer, illustrating that formula can be fun without insulting anybody's intelligence. Columbia TriStar's The Mask of Zorro: Deluxe Edition marks the third release of the film on DVD, arriving in 2005 to promote the sequel The Legend of Zorro. The clean anamorphic transfer (2.35:1) and Dolby Digital/DTS audio options remain unchanged from the previous "Special Edition," as do several extra features, including the 45-minute documentary "Unmasking Zorro," a commentary with director Campbell, two deleted scenes, 12 TV spots, a costume-design gallery, a music video with Marc Anthony and Tina Arena, and cast and crew notes. New to this edition are two additional trailers, a preview scene from The Legend of Zorro, and a "Legend of Zorro Behind-the-Scenes Sneak Peek" (5 min.). Remarkably, the title has been reduced from two discs to one, now in a standard keep-case.
—JJB
