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Have you heard tale of the masked man? No, not Batman. This guy rides a horse. No, not the Lone Ranger. Or the Phantom. Ok look, we’re talking about Zorro today, alright? Yes, the Spanish sword fighting man who dons black and names himself the Spanish word for fox. Which may make him the worlds first furry.
First up, we have The Mask of Zorro(1998). This is probably one of the better received incarnations in recent memory. Antonio Banderas plays a man rescued by an aged Zorro, Anthony Hopkins, who is seeking revenge on his mortal enemy. Antonio is trained in the ways of the sword and horse by Hopkins. He also seduces the adopted daughter of the villain because that’s what you get with Zorro.
Weltall then has The Mark of Zorro(1940). This contrasts nicely with Tim’s The Mark of Zorro(1974) which was a remake of the 40’s film. Being as they’re remakes, the plot is very close to each other. Don Diego goes home to the California territory where his father has been deposed as the Alcalde, A type of Colonial mayor for the Spanish government. The now acting Alcalde is mean and taxes the peasants mercilessly.
To combat the corrupt Alcalde, Diego takes up the mantle of Zorro. He also pretends to be a weak and foppish man by day so that no one suspects he is the capable bandit. Tim and Wetlall discuss the differences present between the two, the acting, and the execution of the story.
