The Legend of Zorro

The new Zorro film starring Antonio Banderas is hardly legendary.

Herald rating: **

Director Martin Campbell's The Legend of Zorro is the sequel to his 1998 flick The Mask of Zorro, a good old fashioned and charming action adventure film, which turned Catherine Zeta Jones into a star, and Antonio Banderas into a comedian.

The Legend of Zorro picks up the story 10 years later.

Alejandro (Banderas) has married the beautiful and feisty Elena (Zeta Jones) and they have a son Joaquin, who displays a passion for fighting and acrobatics reminiscent of his father, who is of course the mysterious Zorro.

Like all married couples, Alejandro and Elena have their ups and downs.

When Joaquin was born, Alejandro promised to give up his swashbuckling ways and settle into a quiet family life, but he just can't bring himself to give up the mask of Zorro.

A peasant turned hero, Zorro is a servant of the people, and as the folk of California prepare to vote over whether they join the United States union, he must step in to prevent interference in the election.

Along the way, Zorro and Elena (who has kicked him out for not coming home on time, and neglecting their son) discover a plot to topple the 1850 election, and threaten the whole nation.

At this point disappointment starts to set in.

Unfortunately, Hollywood couldn't help itself but turn this action flick into a dull tale of terrorism and the destruction of the United States.

The film drags on longer than it needs to, which only highlights how ridiculous this turn in the plot is. Campbell also chose to invent new ways of fighting such as duels over a polo match, rather than concentrating on the old fashioned swordfights that helped turn the original into a success.

Banderas and Zeta Jones might not look any older, but they just seem to be going through the motions.

Banderas wins the award for worst performance as a drunk, while Zeta Jones' Spanish-tinged voice manages to slip between the accents of the many countries in which she owns houses.

Zorro's horse steals the show, drinking and smoking his way through the film, as if he, too, felt all of the money had been spent on the movie stars, rather than the film's production.

CAST: Antonio Banderas, Catherine Zeta Jones, Rufus Sewell

DIRECTOR: Martin Campbell

RUNNING TIME: 130 mins

RATING: M, contains medium level violence

SCREENING: Village, Hoyts and Berkeley cinemas