The Legend of Zorro
Columbia Pictures | Release Date: October 28, 2005 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
47
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 33 Critic Reviews
Positive:
9
Mixed:
18
Negative:
6
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
SalonStephanie Zacharek
The picture is almost shamefully entertaining, bold and self-effacing at once: Its intelligence reveals itself as a devilish gleam, not a pompous layer of shellac. Why can't more Hollywood movies be like this one? Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterKirk Honeycutt
Turning "Zorro" into a family movie with domestic squabbles and sitcom situations takes some of the luster off the romantic adventure of Old California. Read full review
70
VarietyBrian Lowry
Bigger, louder and considerably less charming than its predecessor…Still, there are enough crowd-pleasing moments amid the frenetic action. Read full review
70
SlateDavid Edelstein
Good as it is, The Legend of Zorro would be a hollow feat without leads who are drop-dead-gorgeous movie stars and spectacular clowns. Read full review
67
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
Banderas uses all his old wiles in this well-oiled, businesslike, quite clangingly violent sequel to "The Mask of Zorro." Read full review
63
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
You must cast aside all rules of our space-time continuum to appreciate a fantasy like this one, though even then you might consider 130 minutes to be too much of a good thing. Read full review
63
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie Rickey
A movie-movie - big, lush and sexy. And formulaic, saddled with more plot than it needs and more "Spy Kids" references than it should have, but still . . . Read full review
63
USA TodayMike Clark
Of all things, this movie has the same problem "Ghostbusters 2" had, which is this: You can't take bigger-than-life screen types and toss them into everyday, regular-folk situations. Read full review
63
PremiereRyan Devlin
The family dynamic, paired with a few delicious action scenes, is engaging enough that we hardly notice the fillm's major flaw, a rather flimsy and sometimes jingoistic subplot having to do with California's independence. Read full review
60
EmpireKim Newman
If the series wants to become a franchise, a rethink and new blood will be necessary -- maybe Banderas can get mortally wounded in reel one of The Son Of Zorro, passing on the mask and sword to, say, Gael García Bernal. Read full review
60
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
Not as satisfying as the old and unimproved version. In a zealous attempt to broaden its appeal, the Zorro franchise has drifted from the qualities that made the previous film so successful. Read full review
58
Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam Arnold
The movie is full of action and stunts, but after the gangbusters opening, it loses steam and imagination very quickly. Read full review
58
Baltimore SunMichael Sragow
Director Martin Campbell and a quartet of screenwriters dump in everything from the rise of the Confederacy to the development of Weapons of Mass Destruction. What escapes them is the cool, clear line of action that would enable Banderas and Zeta-Jones to flaunt their amorous charms without huffing and puffing and stretch their swashbuckling muscles with dash, not balderdash. Read full review
50
The A.V. ClubNathan Rabin
Feels like a half-hearted shrug of a sequel, an attempt to put a lucrative franchise on life support. Read full review
50
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
Cursed with two of the least interesting bad guys in recent memory. While McGivens and Armand are unquestionably villainous, there's nothing about them to cause audiences to hiss. They're boring. Read full review
50
Dallas ObserverBill Gallo
It's a workmanlike adventure yarn, intermittently reverent to the canon but not very inspired, and it must be said that Banderas is starting to show signs of wear. Read full review
50
The New York TimesStephen Holden
This is a hiss-the-villain, cheer-the-hero kind of movie. Read full review
50
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
Spasms of kung fu wire fighting, Spider-Man acrobatics, huge explosions and a lethal polo game can't replace the first film's beating heart and witty soul.
50
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
This unnecessary and overlong sequel fails to recapture its predecessor's zing. Read full review
50
New York Daily NewsJack Mathews
Two hours of ludicrous action, forced humor and self-conscious romance. Read full review
50
New York PostLou Lumenick
There'll likely be more Z's in the audience than on the screen. Read full review
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam Lacey
A big bloated bore-o. Think of a combination of "Wild Wild West" and "Spy Kids." Read full review
50
Miami HeraldConnie Ogle
Antonio Banderas looks a little older, Catherine Zeta-Jones snares a bigger role, and the powerful charms of both are weighed down by an absurdly plot-heavy script. Read full review
42
Christian Science MonitorPeter Rainer
The Legend of Zorro, starring Antonio Banderas as the masked one, made me long to re-watch "Zorro the Gay Blade," the great spoof starring George Hamilton. In that film, the Spanish accents were meant to sound deliberately fake. Read full review
42
Portland OregonianMarc Mohan
Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones are back, as is director Martin Campbell, but the result has the all-too-common feel of an expired equine redundantly abused. Read full review
40
L.A. WeeklyScott Foundas
The Legend of Zorro is a Saturday matinee entirely lacking in Saturday-matinee thrills or brevity -- what's passable for the first 80 minutes or so becomes intolerable as the movie ticks past the two-hour mark. Read full review
40
Village VoiceMatt Singer
Most of Mask's cast and crew return, but they forgot to bring the last film's romantic aura and dry sense of humor with them; Anthony Hopkins is deeply missed. Instead, the picture is beset by typical sequel problems like awkward slapstick and allegedly adorable kid sidekicks. Read full review
38
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
The Legend of Zorro commits a lot of movie sins, but one is mortal: It turns the magnificent Elena into a nag. Read full review
38
Chicago TribuneMichael Phillips
Well, it's pretty bad, a long way from the dash and satisfactions of the earlier picture. Read full review
30
Washington PostStephen Hunter
What a waste of talent, time and money. And guess what else? Not only is The Legend of Zorro stupid and boring but -- ta-da! -- it's also really long! Read full review
30
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
I missed the first half hour of this Zorro adventure, and it's a tribute to the idiot-proof screenplay that I had no trouble following the rest. Read full review
25
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
Yet, it's watchable -- not remotely enjoyable, but watchable. Read full review
20
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
There are precious few things for a Zorro fan – or a film fan, for that matter – not to loathe about The Legend of Zorro. Read full review
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