Zorro

It is remarkably easy to confuse your Zorros. The original book character is considered to be the first ever "superhero" with a secret identity. The original 1920s silent film is an awesome piece of film-making, one most modern viewers will unfortunately never get a chance to see. THE MARK OF ZORRO 1940 is an extraordinary self-contained film that made my IMDb list of the best films of all time (see below). Disney's 1958 version was, at the time, the most expensive TV show of the era, and Disney supervised the show personally. Guy Williams was brilliant, even after the show was cancelled, he remained a lifelong icon in Spain. Antonio Banderas was uncomfortable in his 1990s portrayal, most likely because the deluded writers made him share credit with ... Anthony Hopkins? This version is a well-produced re-imagining. The two leads, Bernardeau and Notni, are so good-looking they could start their own gene pool. The major flaw seems to be the desperate desire of the producers to turn this in a drawn-out multi-year serial, and the story suffers considerably from that. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

The show itself is good. The storyline, the acting, the action, that's all pretty good. I actually like the show except for the English overdub. It seems as though the overdub is trying to reflect the feelings or situations of the characters in the moment, but misses the whole context of them. The overdub lacks everything that you see on the screen. Did they hire professional people to do the overdubs? If they did, they surely did not get their monies worth. That's why I gave it an 8 rating, the overdubs. For that reason I don't see a season 2 going forward. The overdub has to be much, much better than season 1.

It's harder and harder to find a decent interpretation of classic stories in our age and time so this Spanish production came as a surprise.

In times of endless reimaginings, reboots and "fixing for modern audiences" trends it is refreshing to see series that more or less follows the traditional roots of the tale.

Of course this Zorro is different from all the other Zorros before him and this story has its own twist that might not be the best, but it's what it is. There are no major and drastic changes that would overturn the character of Zorro and make him unrecognizable, like so many other movies/shows do nowadays. The main plot points that characterize Zorro are still there: The masked avenger who leads double life; Robbing the rich to give to the poor etc.

Sometimes the story goes into extreme left area where people are labeled "bad" just for the sole reason for them being rich, while all of the "poor" characters are portrayed as noble and decent fellows.

This kind of gullible approach is common for all Robin Hood trope stories though and I'd suggest to switch off Mr. Adam Smith in your brain and look at it lightly...

The mandatory part of all the Zorro movies and series - fencing, is done rather well. There is no shortage of fighting scenes here and they're mostly staged competently. (But in no way realistically). If we take Princess Bride duel between Westley and Inigo Montoya as an example of realistic and Antonio Banderas' Zorro as an example of unrealistic, it leans much more towards Banderas.

Actors playing their part very well in most cases and you shouldn't really have many problems with them. Musical score is also nothing to complain too much about but it's not anything extraordinary as well. I'd say, Zorro deserves better.

The series certainly had its problems with pacing, some plot-holes, inconsistent or underdeveloped characters and so on, but if you don't think about them too much, they can be forgiven.

Overall - if you like action, period drama, fencing and some mindless fun, watching this series won't hurt you for sure.

As one who has been a fan of Zorro since the Walt Disney version, and definitely a fan of the Banderas movies, this interpretation isn't bad at all.

The inclusion of the Native American and the strife they endured is definitely a new twist. The scene settings and location shooting were top notch.

The storyline was intriguing to say the least, the acting on the other hand wasn't Oscar worthy, yet it was very tolerable and enjoyable.

All in all the series was an entertaining experience. I would definitely recommend it to friends and family.

I rated it 7 stars, I wouldn't mind seeing a second season.

The serialized storyline makes for an engaging and suspenseful narrative. The characters are well developed and very likeable. The tone of the show is well balanced between light-hearted and serious, even though this show is darker than the classic Disney Zorro show. In terms of production design and visual effects, the show looks incredible. The action scenes are varied and brilliant. The casting and performances are excellent. While the show is originally in Spanish, the English dub is also great. This show is an incredible reboot of the Zorro franchise and just a great show in general. This show is a perfect template for how to successfully reimagine a franchise while also being faithful to it's roots.