I absolutely loved the original movie "Mask of Zorro" that came out in 1998. and I could wait to see this one. I did find it rather odd that it took them 7 years to make a sequel...but none the less they finally made it.The good news is that they didn't try rehash the first film all over again with bigger special effects and slightly different circumstances(like many sequels do..example: Die Hard 2) The Bad news is that is cannot hold a candle to the 1998 original. This movie is no where near as good as the first one.Once again, just like with the first film,the music score is great, the actors are perfect for their roles, the scenery is beautiful and the stunts, special effects & action sequences are great.(the first movie got all of those same elements right too)But this movie unlike the first movie, the story isn't as good. at most times the plot is very predictable. However I felt like the writers tried to hard to work in way too much comic relief, and it bogged the story down. The story takes a long time to develop, and when it does finally develop, everything happens pretty much they way you already knew it would.overall its not a bad movie, and it does have its moments. but there is way too much comic relief, and the story moves way too slow.... it is an 5 out of 10. It worth watching once.And if you've not seen the first one...do yourself a favor and watch it

Following on several years after 'Mask', Alejandro and Elena are going through a bit of a relationship tiff, with Elena feeling that Zorro is taking away from proper family time, primarily in being there for their son, Joaquin. The timing could not be worse as a slimy foreign count is on the scene, wooing Elena, Pinkertons are snooping around, and a deadly new weapon that could turn the tide of the Civil War (ten years earlier here) is being tested nearby.Though it still boasts big stunts and tongue-in-cheek jabs at the mythos, 'Legend' swaps matinée charm for grating spousal comedy. A huge part of this, I feel, is down to a change in writers. Instead of Ted Elliot & Terry Rossio, who have built their careers on that kind of balancing act, we get the second screenplay by Hollywood's premiere love-hate duo, Orci & Kurtzmann. Beyond the numerous and headscratching historical errors, including a Confederate movement 10 years pre-Civil War, their trademark obnoxious humour is here, incarnate in the form of an almost childish matrimonial dispute between Alejandro and Elena, that doesn't mesh well with the derring-do.One minute, we have fun, well directed action and some decent carry overs of the whole 'man and mask' motif from the first film, the next, Alejandro is utterly drunk and Elena whines. It gets old really fast. Add to that a rehashed score by James Horner that adds little new flair, and you have something that feels deflated and uninspired.A shame, as the players are still great in their roles, Banderas and Zeta-Jones as fiery as ever together, while Sewell chews scenery as the villainous fop. Even Adrian Alonso as Joaquin is not a half bad child actor, and seeing him play Zorro and duel a teacher is perhaps one of the few funny gags in the film. And well, despite the lax script, Campbell still does a top notch job directing, with dynamic set pieces (such as the opening chase and final train battle), tight editing and beautiful Californian vistas. However, you can't polish average, which is what this is.

It's the year 1850, and California is about to join the Union. Zorro (Antonio Banderas) has defended the people for 10 years. His wife Elena (Catherine Zeta-Jones) wants to take some time to travel with their son. Zorro wants to stay to work for the people. She gets a divorce from him. Or is there more to it? Months later, Zorro finds his wife with wealthy nobleman Armand (Rufus Sewell) who owns a vineyard. They were old friends and got reacquainted. Only he's not what he seems.It's a tough way to start the LOVE story of Elena and Zorro with their divorce. It takes the air right out of the movie. It was tough to see them fighting at all. Of course there is no Anthony Hopkins in this one. That makes the couple's chemistry all the more important, and their split the more shattering.The action is swashbuckling as before. But everything is just a little more somber. The humor isn't there any more. It's all rather depressing.

The Legend of Zorro is a sequel to The Mask of Zorro and it is directed by Martin Campbell. Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones reprise their roles as the titular hero and his spouse, Eléna, and Rufus Sewell stars as the villain, Count Armand.It's 1850. Don Alejandro de la Vega has become aware of a plot by moneyed Europeans to block the campaign for statehood through nefarious means, and it looks as if Alejandro's heroic alter ego, Zorro, may have to return to duty. However, Alejandro's wife, Elena, has grown weary of his secret life, and she demands that he choose between his family and his clandestine career as a champion of the people. This leads to a rift between Alejandro and Elena, and the couple separates, with Alejandro moving out while Elena continues to care for their son, Joaquin. A few months later, Alejandro finds that Elena is already being wooed by Armand, a suave French nobleman who wants her hand in marriage. However, Alejandro also learns that Armand is actually part of a plot to prevent California from attaining statehood by tampering with an upcoming election; meanwhile, there may be more to Elena's involvement with Armand than romantic courtship. Zorro must come to the rescue of the people of California and perhaps his beloved Elena as well before they both fall into dangerous hands.The Legend of Zorro is a campier sequel, occasionally given too much to childish antics. But once the story really kicks in, it transforms into a fine adventure film and a worthy addition to the Zorro film legacy considering its CG-effects to replicate crowds and buildings, the fake scenery, the flimsy plot and the cheap dialogue all spell a budget- conscious production as well as Catherine Zeta Jones' eminent allure and Antonio Banderas' leading man charm.But overall,this is a lesser film compared to the first Zorro film.