The Mask of Zorro: Special Edition (Superbit)

Writing in VL-11/98, Scott Renshaw said that: "Zorro is a lot like James Bond, the last iconic hero directed by Martin Campbell (GoldenEye)…you're halfway to satisfying the audience just by putting them on screen. Here, Antonio Banderas plays a thief trained by the original Zorro (Anthony Hopkins) to continue his work as protector of the oppressed, battling an old nemesis with a plan to turn California into his personal fiefdom. The two make a decent enough pair--Banderas the impulsive pupil and Hopkins his graying Yoda--but The Mask of Zorro only truly comes to life when Banderas brings his roguish swagger to the role…whether crossing swords or burning up the dance floor with Catherine Zeta-Jones." Different strokes for different critics: on DVD, I found The Mask of Zorro: Special Edition to be a satisfying swashbuckler with a good sense of humor. Presented in either widescreen or full screen, this double disc DVD set also boasts a 45 minute "making of" documentary, director's commentary, deleted scenes, and a music video. Recommended. [Note: on September 17, 2002, Columbia TriStar released The Mask of Zorro, Superbit Deluxe edition, a double-disc edition virtually identical to the double-disc special edition, though--unfortunately--minus director Martin Campbell's engaging commentary track. Once again, I'm not convinced that the minor improvements in image and audio quality (and if you check out the level of detail on the petal-strewn walk leading up to the evil Don Rafael's hacienda in chapter 15, you will see the difference) are worth the loss of Campbell's considerable insights. Bottom line: the special edition is still preferable to this new superbit edition.](R. Pitman)[Blu-ray Review—Dec. 8, 2009—Sony, 137 min., PG-13, $24.95—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1998's The Mask of Zorro sports a great transfer with DTS-HD 5.1 sound. Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Martin Campbell, an “Unmasking Zorro” behind-the-scenes featurette (45 min.), a behind-the-scenes segment and exclusive scene from the 2005 sequel The Legend of Zorro (7 min.), deleted scenes (5 min.), the music video “I Want to Spend My Lifetime Loving You” by Marc Anthony and Tina Arena, and the “movieIQ” BD-Live function. Bottom line: a fine Blu-ray debut for a popular swashbuckler.]