Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

Micransix Crappy film

Lollivan It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Mandeep Tyson The acting in this movie is really good.

st-shot The original movie swashbuckler Douglas Fairbanks is in fine form as the enigmatic avenger of the oppressed in The Mark of Zorro. Playing the dual role of the acrobatic swordsman and the wimpish Don Diego, Fairbanks is equally adept at evoking thrills and laughter in this rollicking action adventure that doesn't take itself too seriously.The son of a well to do family in Spanish ruled California, Don Diego returns from Spain unknown to no one that he has become an expert swordsman. Using his talent to defend the weak against a brutal military government he carves the scarlet letter (courtesy of their blood) Z on the faces of his victims. It is as much a game as a crusade to Zorro though as he takes every opportunity to make fools of his pursuers and humiliate braggarts with enough time in between to fall in love. Gliding breezily along on his charm and daring do Fairbanks must have wowed the audiences in 1920 with his athletic swordplay while supplying a wry confident smile in the midst of it. At the same time the hilarious nuance he brings to the meek Don Diego provides the film some with some of its funnier moments and respite from the brawling. Noah Beery is wildly over the top as Sgt. Gonzales and the rest of the cast is less than memorable but it matters little with Doug Fairbanks coming to the rescue in scene after scene.

Cineanalyst Douglas Fairbanks played two roles in his movie career, but in many ways, it seems he only really played one. The first act was in modern comedies, where he often played some ineffectual urban dweller who leaps (often literally) at an opportunity for some adventure or other transformative experience that is in harmony with his exuberance and charm, while winning the affections of the leading lady. The second act of his career began here, with "The Mark of Zorro"--the historical action adventure, costume swashbuckler. This one doesn't have quite the lavish productions values as in some of his later pictures, such as "Robin Hood" (1922) and "The Thief of Bagdad" (1924), but the premise is the same. Moreover, Edward M. Langley's sets seem historically appropriate and well done for the time, and Fairbanks is supported by a well-rounded cast (including a very hammy Noah Beery) and director Fred Niblo, who would continue after this as an expert in producing such historical spectacles.Like the contemporary comedies, the swashbucklers similarly highlight Fairbanks's talents; both are suitable vehicles for his graceful athleticism, boyish masculinity and pep, his smile and light sense of humor. His acrobatics are on full display in this one's climax. Fairbanks does seem to relish the dual roles here, playing Don Diego as a goof, to contrast his noble, graceful Zorro. Fairbanks's role here can't be overstated. He controlled his persona and productions as much as any star back then, producing for his own production company and contributing to scenarios. Reportedly, the "Z" mark of Zorro was a visual motif invented here, and Fairbanks also improvised much of the foppish nature of the Don Diego secret identity, which, however, was quite similar to some of the characters he played in his earlier comedies (i.e. in the first part of "The Mollycoddle" (1920) and "The Lamb" (1915)). Moreover, Zorro was Doug's earlier comedy persona unleashed from the constraints of modern society, and his foppish Don Diego was him pretending to still be constrained—only inversions of his earlier roles. Additionally, Fairbanks spent considerable time being trained by experts for the swordplay and stunts, and the effort clearly paid off. "The Mark of Zorro" is a light, enjoyable vehicle for his talents, and it's also an important touchstone in film history—popularizing the pulp magazine creation of Zorro, establishing the American swashbuckler, action-adventure film and its archetypal hero, while doing so with Doug's characteristic grace, smile and contagious sense of fun.

MartinHafer This film is apparently Douglas Fairbanks' first swashbuckler and for a first, it is very good--though I still think his later film, THE BLACK PIRATE, is easily the better of the two films. And, because it is a first for Fairbanks AND one of the earliest swashbucklers period, I cut it a little more slack and don't score this film quite as stringently as later ones in the genre.Douglas plays the somewhat wimpy and effeminate son of a well-respected member of the California gentry during the final days of Spanish rule. I say "somewhat" because in later Zorro films, these aspects are much more apparent--making his persona seem gay and a coward--much like the Scarlet Pimpernel character (who poses as a fop yet fights for justice). As Don Diego Vega, Fairbanks did a decent job. As Zorro, he was wonderful and athletic--and very magnetic.The direction, writing and acting was just fine. The only problem I found with the film is that the final resolution seemed to happen a little too quickly and easily. I wish it had been drawn out longer and the sword fighting sequences had been a little longer and more complex. Regardless, it STILL is an amazing and watchable film--even in the sound and special effects saturated world of today.

Snow Leopard Besides being entertaining in itself, "The Mark of Zorro" also provides Douglas Fairbanks with a nice showcase, in a dual role that gives him plenty of good material to work with. While other versions of the Zorro legends are now more familiar to present-day audiences, this one is probably still better than any of the others except for the 1940 version with Tyrone Power.The 1998 update had big names and a big budget, but it was of much lower quality, glossy and over-played at a number of points, and with too much material of comic-book quality at other times.Fairbanks works nicely both as Don Diego and as Zorro, and he gets opportunities to display many different talents. He gets to display his swash-buckling yet easy-going persona, and then at other times is able to show a more refined, sometimes vulnerable side. Not only does he make both personalities work, but he melds them together into a believable whole, not so much by means of artifice as by the vigor and sincerity of his screen presence.The story, likewise, presents an interesting situation that works Fairbanks in well with the other characters. Though they are less interesting in themselves, the secondary characters each play a useful role in the story and in the ideas that it suggests. This old version of the Zorro tale holds up well - at least for those who enjoy silent movies - and it presents a nicely paced and entertaining story.