The Mask of Zorro
TriStar Pictures | Release Date: July 17, 1998 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
62
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 22 Critic Reviews
Positive:
13
Mixed:
9
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
The New York TimesJanet Maslin
This is hot-weather escapism so earnestly retrograde that it seems new. Read full review
80
VarietyTodd McCarthy
The return of the legendary swordsman is well served by a grandly mounted production in the classical style. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
A lively, old-fashioned adventure yarn with just a twist of modern attitude, it's the kind of pleasant entertainment that allows the paying customers to have as much fun as the people on screen. Read full review
80
NewsweekDavid Ansen
This spirited rerun, neatly mixing parody and panache, squeezes a surprising amount of fun out of the old war horse. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
The film is a display of traditional movie craftsmanship, especially at the level of the screenplay, which respects the characters and story and doesn't simply use them for dialogue breaks between action sequences. Read full review
75
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Proudly old-fashioned in every way except the often excessive violence that director Martin Campbell splashes across the screen. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
A great deal of excitement and adventure, all brought to the screen by using a somewhat irreverent tone that keeps the mood light without trivializing the characters. Read full review
75
Entertainment WeeklyStaff(Not credited)
This pleasant movie anachronism, an assemblage of traditional Robin Hooded scenarios (and superior swordplay) that, in the right light, is a nostalgic treat, and in shadow evokes Monty Python. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam Lacey
The return to an Errol Flynn-style hero, who can swing from chandeliers, fight with two swords at once and ride a horse backward, recalls a movie era both sexier and more innocent. Read full review
70
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
Old-fashioned fun that goes down as smoothly as a vintage cocktail. Read full review
70
L.A. WeeklyManohla Dargis
A screenplay that not only has a way with genre cliché, but manages to score some deviously witty political points Read full review
70
The A.V. ClubScott Tobias
The Mask Of Zorro is disarming for the same reasons, coasting on the charisma of its stars and a few exciting action setpieces. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
A pleasantly vicarious slice of summertime falderol, innocuous in its presentation and often genuinely fun. Read full review
60
The New YorkerBruce Diones
Director Martin Campbell's lumpy direction doesn't coalesce into anything much beyond a pleasant assembly of set pieces. Read full review
50
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
Spectacular, fast, never boring. But it's also one of the more disappointing movies I've seen recently. Read full review
50
Chicago ReaderLisa Alspector
Antonio Banderas signs up for charisma lessons from Anthony Hopkins -- but they just don't take. Read full review
50
San Francisco ExaminerBarbara Shulgasser
A slew of writers and an enthusiastic cast all do their jobs admirably enough to provide a couple of hours of unembarrassing entertainment. Read full review
50
Film ThreatAnthony Miele
Nothing really works on any level above mediocrity. Read full review
50
Rolling StonePeter Travers
Lavishly produced swashbuckler that should have been far more entertaining. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
Entertaining, but it's about one notch below being something anybody really needs to see. Read full review
50
New York Magazine (Vulture)David Denby
Anthony Hopkins and Antonio Banderas work with professional skill in a ludicrous vehicle. Read full review
40
Dallas ObserverPeter Rainer
A romantic adventure-movie slapstick that's too screwy for the action crowd and too old-fashioned for the Home Alone contingent. Read full review
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