The comic book bubble still shows no signs of bursting after two decades, but not everyone to have grown tired of superheroes and spandex needs to launch a Martin Scorsese-style offensive on the artistic merits of the genre. Instead, they can check out The Mask of Zorro, a fantastic big budget adventure that features a different kind of costumed crimefighter.
Taking a hero that debuted in 1919 and updated them for the modern age is no easy task, but director Martin Campbell pitches the tone perfectly. An old-fashioned swashbuckler packed full of action, heart, humor, and romance, it’s not a coincidence that co-writers Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio would go on to create Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise – because the shared DNA is there for all to see.
It’s been 24 years since The Mask of Zorro won strong notices from critics, rave reviews from audiences, hauled in an impressive $250 million at the box office on a $90 million budget, and landed itself a pair of Academy Award nominations, with the consensus positively radiating the highest praise from an ongoing Reddit thread highlighting that the fun-filled caper more than holds up against the current crop of Marvel and DC epics when viewed today.
The outpouring of unending adulation warms the soul, because The Mask of Zorro offers nothing but pure, unadulterated escapism of the highest order. It’s got nothing on its mind other than entertainment, something that it manages to accomplish in spectacular fashion from its very first scene to the last.
