It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

The Mark of Zorro starts in Madrid in Spain as expert swordsman & dueling champion Don Diego (Frank Langella) announces his return home to California, upon arrival back home in California he finds things are not well. The locals that his father once served are now in a state of fear & hate as the new Governor Don Luis Quintero (Robert Middleton) kills, beats, tortures & taxes them making their lives a misery. Don Diego is shocked at what he sees & speaks with his father Don Aleandro Vega (Gilbert Roland) who is powerless to stop Quintero & his bloodthirsty soldiers lead by Captain Esteban (Ricardo Montalban), Diego acts like a clueless buffoon but things are not always what they seem as Diego decides to don the black mask & hat of the legendary outlaw Zorro to right the wrongs around him & put an end to Quintero's tyranny...Directed by Don McDougall this made for telly adventure film was a remake of the classic The Mark of Zorro (1940), I have never seen the 1940 version but apparently the two are virtually identical & while this isn't the type of film I usually watch I thought I would give it a go since it was showing on telly over here. To be fair I didn't think that much of this at all, it's fairly colourful & lasts for less than 80 minutes but there's not much here to get excited about unless your a die-hard Zorro fan. The script moves along at a decent pace but there's little build-up to anything & it tries to juggle some adventure, some romance & sword fighting action without much success. The mark of Zorro just feels so pedestrian & like the afternoon telly film that it is, sure it's watchable if your bored but it never excited me or particularly interested me. It's all rather predictable, from handsome heroes who save the day to family feuds that are resolved to the villains getting their comeuppance. The character's are all broad clichés & I doubt people acted like this back then, a pretty simplistic story that the script doesn't really flesh out to any great effect. I don't know, it's not the type of film that I usually watch so I will go easy on it & it's middling entertainment I suppose so while I can't say I liked it I won't say I hated it, at least I watched it all without getting too bored along the way.Another big problem with this version of The mark of Zorro is the lack of action & when the action occurs it's pretty forgettable stuff with some wimpy sword fights & not much else. This 70's Zorro is certainly a colourful production with vibrant costumes & locations, in fact it looks a little too colourful at times & maybe both the tone & look of the film should have been a bit darker on occasion. Just to emphasise the similarities between this & the 1940 Zorro film this actually reuses the original musical score from the 1940 version by Alfred Newman.Filmed in Tuscon in Arizona this is quite well made on what must have been a tight budget. The acting is alright, Langella is OK but it's difficult to believe no-one recognises Diego & Zorro as the same person, telly regulars Ricardo Montalban & Yvonne DeCarlo provide decent support.The Mark of Zorro is a fairly mundane action adventure that feels like Robin Hood set in the Californian desert as Zorro robs the rich & evil to give back to the poor, it will pass 80 odd minutes but that's about the best thing I can say about it.

Excellent cast delivers a very strong re-make of the Tyrone Power 1940's film about the legendary swashbuckler in Spanish colonial California. All performances are strong, especially Frank Langella, Gilbert Roland and Ricardo Montalban. It is especially nice to hear Hispanic accented English, and correctly pronounced Spanish words and names. This film will definitely entertain fans of the genre, whether familiar with earlier depictions of Zorro or not. The lack of budget and the fact that the film was made for TV are easy to overlook. These aspects of the movie will only bother those who require lots of special effects in order to enjoy a movie. Another commentator observed that the crowds were small. Yes, they are, but so what? That doesn't detract either. Enjoy!As a kid, I loved the "Zorro" TV series in the late '50's starring Guy Williams. I have seen the Tyrone Power film a number of times, too. I recommend all of these renditions, as well as "Zorro, the Gay Blade," for a more comedic spin on the legend. It features George Hamilton camping it up a la "Love at First Bite."

Are you kidding me? They could not even try for an authentic accent. Poor direction, poor choreography of fight scenes, poor acting. If you want to laugh at the campiness of this version, go for it like you're watching a beauty pageant and commenting on the talent portion. Richardo Montalbaum is authentic, right down to the tight pants (you may want to shield young viewers). Anne Archer seems just to desperate in each scene. If you would like a true authentic Zorro film to watch, catch Catherine Zeta-Jones and Antonio Bandares in the first Zorro they did together. (The sequel doesn't contain enough "Z"'s for a Zorro fan.)

This movie was my introduction to Zorro; and, for the time, it was a fine introduction. I loved this film when it first aired (I was 7) and I spent weeks afterward slashing at everything with a stick. The film is still rollicking adventure, even if it doesn't hold a candle to the 1940 version.Frank Langella made a decent Zorro, although he was a little too serious for a swashbuckler. Still, he handled the dual role well and looked the part. Ricardo Montalban, on the other hand, was perfect as the villain. He relished the role and had the right amount of menace, with a twinkle in the eye. He was meant for a role like this.The rest of the cast are fine, with varying degrees of ability. The story moves well and the duels are exciting. The TV budget hampers the spectacle, but not too badly.After viewing it once, I was able to see the film again, nearly 25 years later. By that point, I had seen the Disney Zorro, the 1940 version, the silent version, the Alain Delon version, Zorro the Gay Blade, and a couple of others. The 1940 version is still superior (in my book) but this was still entertaining. The acting was worse than I remembered, but the action was still exciting and Ricardo Montalban was still wonderful. I'd put this ahead of Disney and George Hamilton, but on equal footing with Delon. Tyrone Power is still the king, although Anonio Banderas was great the first time out. This is a worthy entry in the series, even with its faults.