Zorro

For us that grew up in the '70's... THIS was our Zorro film!

It was kinda campy, but then again... so was Batman reruns. Watching it again now, it's hard to compare with films made nowdays, but I still enjoyed it. This time around I got the subtle jokes (Zorro sticks his foot in front of Garcia and says, "Have a nice trip").

The common themes of Zorro are there - The freeing of the slave labor, the little boy that assists Zorro in slapping the soldiers around, the priest, the Diego character. Also all the familiar swordfighting cliches (i.e, the candle cut, the jump up on the table).

I recently found this at Wal-Mart for $4.99, so I bought it not expecting much. From the moment I heard the silly Zorro theme song, I knew that this was the Zorro movie from my youth!

Get this and enjoy it!

It's not the slickest Zorro movie ever, or the most faithful version of the Zorro legend, but Alain Delon's "Zorro" is a lot of fun. In a way, its lack of polish works in the movie's favor and gives it a certain amateurish energy and charm, like an energetic high school play.

Alain Delon makes an appropriately aristocratic Diego, and he (or his stuntman) provide an athletic, agile Zorro. The villain, Colonel Huerta, is grandiose in the comic book tradition, and Moustache as Sergeant Garcia is nice and bumptuous. The heroine, Hortensia (wow, what a name) is adequate, and the mute servant is good for a few laughs.

The only complaint I have with this movie is that Zorro theme music. If you've seen the movie, you know what I'm talking about - it's this weird upbeat pop song that they play almost every time Zorro is onscreen: "Here's to you and me / Flying high and free / La la la la la la / Now that Zorro's back!" Now I can't get that song out of my head!

Okay, so I paid $1 for it as a masked double feature DVD. The other film was Clayton Moore's The Lone Ranger, even though the cover featured the '81 Spilsbury schlock-fest. I was mislead by the use of the artwork from the later version of the masked rider of the plains' flick.

However, it was fun. I, like others, actually found the title song addictive in an annoying way.

The cast is good and the action satisfying. I don't mind the movement of Diego as returning son to indebted friend. However, since the villagers all know the mark of Zorro, does this film act as a sort of sequel to a previous version?

Now, if only they could get rid of the overdubbed dog!

Tongue in cheek romp, clever action shots, slap stick comic relief, silly theme song, great scenery and lavish costumes, what more can one ask from a $1 DVD?

I found this DVD in the dollar bin at Big Lots along with several others. The rest were not saving, but Zoro is a keeper.

The interplay between Zoro (Alain Delon) and Col. Huerta (Stanley Baker) is excellent. They spar verbally in the first half of the film, which climaxes in a long sword fight between the two. Incidentally, Stanley Baker died the year after completing Zorro, at age 49.

Ottavia Piccolo plays the female role to perfection.

I was introduced to Zorro by the Guy Williams version which were regularly repeated when I was a kid. Those Disney Zorro's will always have a special place for me.

Alain Delon starred in a curious Italian version filmed in Spain and set in South America.

Delon is Don Diego. When his friend Miguel is killed in the eve of his departure to the New World, Diego takes his place as the new governor who has arrived from Spain in order to avenge his friend's death.

Diego plays the Governor as prissy and fey in order not to be seen as a threat. He finds the people are oppressed by the cruel and corrupt Colonel Huerta (Stanley Baker) who has plans to become the new Governor and was involved in the death of Miguel

Inspired by the tales of the masked black fox by street kids he dons the mask of Zorro and fights for justice which enrages the Colonel and his militia.

Alain Delon enjoys playing the dual roles as foppish Diego and the devilish and dashing Zorro. He is matched in one of his last film roles by Stanley Baker as the mean villain but an expert swordsman which leads to a terrific and thrilling final duel between the two.

Minor characters provide humour such as the mute sidekick and Seargent Garcia.

The film does come across like a curious and campy B film with a diverse cast. The French actor Delon as the Main hero, Welsh actor Baker as the villain and the rest of the cast seem to be mainly Italian.

However the action scenes are well choreographed and it does feel like a Zorro movie and it is very unpretentious.