Matthew Letscher is
American Captain Harrison Love, a smarmy second foil (two zorros = two villains) that
you’d love to smack on his oily head a few times. He’s a blond-haired killer
who, no-doubt, will get the point by film’s end. Other smaller but key roles are
filled by veteran Mexican actor Pedro Armendariz, Jr. and by the slap happy L. Q. Jones,
the latter as Three-Fingered Jack. I’m not sure I’d call this an ensemble piece,
but the actors all seem to get behind their roles gallantly and gleefully.
Martin Campbell, last behind the megaphone for 1995’s GoldenEye,
does a masterful job handling the period pyrotechnics and blocking his actors before the
camera as they trade barbs and barb swords. Kudos to Paul Meheux’s sun-drenched
cinematography (lovely locations in Mexico subbing for an American West of bygone days),
Cecilia Mantiel’s glorious production design from hacienda to hideout, Graciela
Maxon’s stunning costume design showing our young leads in fine form, and James
Horner’s stirring soundtrack. The filmmakers playfully send up the E.T. bicycle/moon
image early on in Zorro as homage to Steven Spielberg, who adds his illustrious name to
the show as one of the film’s executive producers. And it was Spielberg who brought
Zeta-Jones to Campbell’s attention. Thanks Steven!
The film screams for a sequel and I, for one, second that with a snappy touch and en garde.