Post by MsCali on Jun 23, 2005 18:49:42 GMT -5
I really should type this up closer to the release date and send it to Johnny to post on the site, but I know I'll be too lazy then and forget a lot of details, so I'm doing it now. JB, feel free to cut and paste this for the site at some point, if you want. I'll even come up with some trivia and stuff for you later.
I saw this at one of those free screenings they are so fond of doing in LA (the kind where they make you take a test afterward so they know how to change the movie to make people like it more).
It's a few years (ten I think?) after the Mask of Zorro, and Antonio y Banderas and Catherine Zeta Jones's spanish alter-ego are married and have a small child (approximately 7 or so...he's in school) named Joaquim. California is voting for statehood, so of course there's trouble, and only Zorro can help. Rollicking good fun ensues (Mr. Cali said I sounded like Gene Shallot using a phrase like "rollicking good fun")
If you liked the original Zorro movie, you'll hate this one (according to Mr. C). I personally couldn't stand the original and found this one to be fun and silly - which reminds me of the Family Channel series that I loved growing up (Hey, Rhiannon, how's Phillippe doing?
However, there are several historical inaccuracies that detract from the film for me. Like, California is just now becoming a state - so it's 1849 or 1850 (CA was granted statehood in 1850). Yet, the women have victorian hairstyles and civil war period dresses. Okay, so I'm probably the only dork who would pay attention to that. But there are worse, more glaring errors - like the fact that two Pinkertons are sent to Los Angeles (okay, I'm not really sure which small town they are set in - it didn't sound like Los Angeles, but from my memory, the legends about Zorro were based in LA, so I go with that) to make sure there is no trouble with the statehooding and all that. Except, the Pinkertons didn't start working for the government until Lincoln was elected president - they were the original Secret Service (didn't do a great job, did they?). That was a good ten years later. And you can bet I told them that on my test.
The other thing that detracted from the movie was how silly they made Torenado (Zorro's horse). Is it really necessary to go back to cliched (and overdone) movie devices like making the horse drink from a bottle of liquor, or smoke a pipe?
Oh, and can someone tell me why Zorro is going by the name Alejandro de la Vega? The original Zorro (CZJ's father in the first movie) was Don Diego de la Vega? They wouldn't have the same last name. (Although, it doesn't bug me that much, because I like saying "de la Vega".) And (this is mostly for Rhiannon), wasn't Zorro's father in the Family Channel show named Alejandro? (Not that is should have been here or anything, but I think it would be cool that they used that name).
Moving on with the review...Joaquim was waaaaaaaaay too cute for Mr. Cali and our friend who saw the movie with us. I personally thought he was adorable, and a decent actor for being such a young child. But he is REALLY cute.
Anyway, I would give this film 3 marks - it's a good summer movie if you are in the mood for something lighthearted and silly and can suspend your disbelief for a couple hours. Unfortunately, I don't think it's going to be released until fall, so unless you are a huge Antonio y Bandaras or CZJ fan (Johnny), skip it and wait until the DVD.
(Upon checking IMDB, the film is set for a December release).
Gratuitious Josh Brolin link: Shuler Hensley (I'm using him because he played a character named Pike in Legend of Zorro) was in Van Helsing (heh...as Frankenstein's monster) with Richard Roxborough, who was in Moulin Rouge with Ewan McGregor, who was in Nightwatch with Josh Brolin (and as usual, I refuse to continue on to Kevin Bacon...it stops with Josh Brolin as far as I am concerned).
Oh, and my new title for this film shall be the "Antonio y Bandaras, how you say, ah yes, show."
5 points to anyone who gets that reference.
I saw this at one of those free screenings they are so fond of doing in LA (the kind where they make you take a test afterward so they know how to change the movie to make people like it more).
It's a few years (ten I think?) after the Mask of Zorro, and Antonio y Banderas and Catherine Zeta Jones's spanish alter-ego are married and have a small child (approximately 7 or so...he's in school) named Joaquim. California is voting for statehood, so of course there's trouble, and only Zorro can help. Rollicking good fun ensues (Mr. Cali said I sounded like Gene Shallot using a phrase like "rollicking good fun")
If you liked the original Zorro movie, you'll hate this one (according to Mr. C). I personally couldn't stand the original and found this one to be fun and silly - which reminds me of the Family Channel series that I loved growing up (Hey, Rhiannon, how's Phillippe doing?
However, there are several historical inaccuracies that detract from the film for me. Like, California is just now becoming a state - so it's 1849 or 1850 (CA was granted statehood in 1850). Yet, the women have victorian hairstyles and civil war period dresses. Okay, so I'm probably the only dork who would pay attention to that. But there are worse, more glaring errors - like the fact that two Pinkertons are sent to Los Angeles (okay, I'm not really sure which small town they are set in - it didn't sound like Los Angeles, but from my memory, the legends about Zorro were based in LA, so I go with that) to make sure there is no trouble with the statehooding and all that. Except, the Pinkertons didn't start working for the government until Lincoln was elected president - they were the original Secret Service (didn't do a great job, did they?). That was a good ten years later. And you can bet I told them that on my test.
The other thing that detracted from the movie was how silly they made Torenado (Zorro's horse). Is it really necessary to go back to cliched (and overdone) movie devices like making the horse drink from a bottle of liquor, or smoke a pipe?
Oh, and can someone tell me why Zorro is going by the name Alejandro de la Vega? The original Zorro (CZJ's father in the first movie) was Don Diego de la Vega? They wouldn't have the same last name. (Although, it doesn't bug me that much, because I like saying "de la Vega".) And (this is mostly for Rhiannon), wasn't Zorro's father in the Family Channel show named Alejandro? (Not that is should have been here or anything, but I think it would be cool that they used that name).
Moving on with the review...Joaquim was waaaaaaaaay too cute for Mr. Cali and our friend who saw the movie with us. I personally thought he was adorable, and a decent actor for being such a young child. But he is REALLY cute.
Anyway, I would give this film 3 marks - it's a good summer movie if you are in the mood for something lighthearted and silly and can suspend your disbelief for a couple hours. Unfortunately, I don't think it's going to be released until fall, so unless you are a huge Antonio y Bandaras or CZJ fan (Johnny), skip it and wait until the DVD.
(Upon checking IMDB, the film is set for a December release).
Gratuitious Josh Brolin link: Shuler Hensley (I'm using him because he played a character named Pike in Legend of Zorro) was in Van Helsing (heh...as Frankenstein's monster) with Richard Roxborough, who was in Moulin Rouge with Ewan McGregor, who was in Nightwatch with Josh Brolin (and as usual, I refuse to continue on to Kevin Bacon...it stops with Josh Brolin as far as I am concerned).
Oh, and my new title for this film shall be the "Antonio y Bandaras, how you say, ah yes, show."
5 points to anyone who gets that reference.