Exoticalot People are voting emotionally.

Console best movie i've ever seen.

Casey Duggan It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

HotToastyRag In a strange combination of The Mark of Zorro and The Count of Monte Cristo, John Derek stars as a masked hero out for revenge for his father's murder in Mask of the Avenger. There's really no suspense, though, because in the beginning scene, Anthony Quinn is revealed to be the murderer. It would have added a little intrigue, even if it were just fifteen minutes or so, if John didn't know who killed his father. There's also a watered-down romance between John and Jody Lawrance added into the plot. With the cheesy script, B-movie production values, and tv-esque music, this movie isn't one I'd recommend adding to your list. There are so many other better 1950s adventure movies to choose from.

whitec-3 Mid-twentieth-century historical dramas are worth a look for the sumptuous sets and costumes Hollywood studios might provide, plus their big casts might draw in accomplished character actors. Columbia Pictures' low-budget style unfortunately leaves Mask of the Avenger wanting in both areas. The best sets are brief backdrops of Austrian sailing ships approaching the Italian coastal towns, but most of the action takes place on familiar California riding trails or in formulaic European-looking interiors.The cast is disappointingly small and stereotypical, with one grand exception: Anthony Quinn as the corrupt military governor LaRocca. He makes a stock villain painfully comprehensible and overshadows the film's wan protagonist, Captain Dimorna played by John Derek. Their final sword fight looks like a total mismatch in LaRocca / Quinn's favor until he obligingly steps into Dimorna's blade. (In partial defense of Derek, I appreciated poster William Giesen's sympathetic review of Derek as a miscast character actor.) The only other attraction derives from the story's origin in a Dumas novel I haven't read. The town has a statue of "The Count of Monte Cristo" with the late Count's sword in a glass case in the statue's plinth, which DiMorna brandishes in an effort to convince the townspeople that he has resumed the Count's battle on their behalf. Beyond that, the film may be interesting as a late specimen of the swashbuckling genre, threatened with extinction by the rise of television and the decay of the studio system.

William Giesin At one time actor John Derek appeared to have a very promising career in films after appearing in various supporting roles in such quality films as "Knock On Any Door" (1949) and "All The Kings Men" (1949). These films afforded him the opportunity to portray character roles that focused on a range of expressions, emotions and flaws of the character he was playing. It wasn't too long after these initial successes that he soon became a "star/leading man" in films like "Rogues of Sherwood Forrest"(1950) and "Mask of the Avenger" (1951). Obviously, the studios were trying to cash in on Derek's good looks, and were trying to make him the next Errol Flynn or Tyrone Power. Unfortunately for Derek, films like "Mask of the Avenger" paled in comparison to films such as "Mark of Zorro" and "Adventures of Robin Hood". Even the talented Anthony Quinn, who had just returned from a long successful run on Broadway as Stanley Kowalski in "Streetcar Named Desire" could not save this Saturday matinée turkey. It would be unfair to blame John Derek for this film's failings. Personally, I blame the people who adapted the Alexander Dumas novel (Ralph Gilbert Bettison, George Bruce,Jesse Lasky, Phillip MacDonald). Perhaps it was a case of "too many cooks spoil the broth." The writers not only seemed to have difficulty with the films wooden and lifeless dialog, but also in deciding who the real hero was. In fact, when Derek (Capt. Renato Dimorna)is fighting Quinn (Viovanni Larocca) he loses his sword and is temporarily relieved by his girlfriend Jody Lawrence (Maria d'Orsini)in a manner similar to a low budget tag team wrestling match. Consequently, it was films like this that eventually drove Derek out of Hollywood, and relegated him to the real life role of husband and photographer of some of the screens most beautiful women.... Ursula Andress, Linda Evans, and Bo Derek. To this day, I believe John Derek had the talent to be a leading actor but because of his "pretty face" he became a stereotype to "B" swashbucklers to which he was not suited.

Melissa Alice It's a pretty good movie, with swordplay, secrets, murder, and horseback riding...reminiscent of the old Zorro movies. There's a bit of romance, too. Good over all.