The Legend of Zorro (English, 2005)

While Bollywood seems to be getting the knack of sequels, Hollywood seems to have lost it. The Alejandro/ Zorro (Antonio Banderas) and Elena (Catherine-Zeta Jones) that we all loved in The Mask of Zorro are still there, the swashbuckling sword-fighting, the comic timing of actions and dialogues is still there, but the soul of the movie is missing. The movie gives you the feel of an aging performer doing "one more gig".

The Legend of Zorro picks up ten years after the point where The Mask of Zorro left off. Alejandro de la Vega has been fighting for last ten years, California is about to become a part of the USA and its time for Zorro to hang up his sword and live happily with his wife and son. However, Count Armand (Rufus Sewell), a dashing French aristocrat intervenes, steals Elena from Alejandro and plots to cause a civil war in USA. Now its upto Zorro to save the country as well as win his wife back.

The performances are good enough, the direction of scenes is good enough. But the audience watching a sequel is cruel. Good-enough is not good enough. A sequel has to be linked to the original, yet have some originality of its own. And that is where The Legend of Zorro fails. The movie has nothing new to offer. Throughout the movie, you have a feeling - I would rather watch the original again. And that makes this movie an absolute drag.

Recommendation - Watch it if you must watch all Zorro movies, otherwise avoid it.
Rating - ✘