The Legend of Zorro parents guide

The Legend of Zorro Parent Guide

For viewers with an appetite for flashing blades, this is a full-course meal. For those who are only peckish, beware the mark of "Z."

Overall C+

Antonio Banderas reprises his role as Zorro and crosses swords (and a plethora of other weapons of death and destruction) with a political terrorist. Meanwhile, his wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones), is demanding he retire the mask and come home to their young son (Adrian Alonso).

Release date October 27, 2005

Violence C-
Sexual Content B+
Profanity B+
Substance Use C-

Why is The Legend of Zorro rated PG? The MPAA rated The Legend of Zorro PG

Run Time: 129 minutes

Parent Movie Review

It is 1850, and the population of Spanish California is deciding whether or not to join the Union and become the 31st State. It’s an important vote that could allow the common people to have their freedom. However, it would also mean those who have become accustomed to exploiting them will be forced to conform to the laws of the American constitution. Generating a fervor of political passion, the anxious citizens may require the assistance of a sly fox like you-know-who to guard the ballot box.

Picking up ten years after the last film (The Mask of Zorro), it is obvious the masked avenger (played again by Antonio Banderas) has used that time to increase his skills and popularity. Making quick work of a gang of gun-toting protesters (alright… it took about 15 minutes of highly choreographed sword fighting, fancy footwork, and agile acrobatics), he saves the election with only two regrets. First, the religious-lunatic ringleader of the mob, McGivens (Nick Chinlund), isn’t taken into custody and second, a slip of the old black cloth may have revealed his true identity.

Yet such worries get swept aside by the domestic displeasure he incurs from his wife Elena (Catherine Zeta-Jones). Tired of having their family life constantly interrupted by the church bell tolling for Zorro’s help, she accuses her husband of missing their son’s life. Figuring the appointment of a new government will make Alejandro’s alter ego obsolete, she demands he retire the black cape and secret shenanigans to devote his full attention to young Joaquin (Adrian Alonso) before he grows up.

This will not come as a big surprise to the audience though, thanks to a predictable storyline. But the amount of violent depictions in this PG rated movie just might. Continuous throughout are portrayals of peril, shootouts, death threats, the use of knives, swords, guns and other objects (like a pitchfork or piece of wood) as weapons. These lead to a climatic conclusion where the heinous villain meets an equally heinous end. While little blood is shown, death is definitely implied.

So why the soft rating? Perhaps the generous advisory is the result of balancing this content against the film’s lighter offerings in the language and sex categories. These include only a few mild profanities, brief sexual innuendos, Ms. Zeta-Jones in low cleavage costumes and head-and-shoulders shots of some naked men playing cards in a communal bathtub.

Where The Legend of Zorro hopes to capture its audience is with an abundance of amazing action/adventure. Improbable situations meet with impossible stunts (such as riding a horse along the top of a moving train), exhilarating explosions (great balls of fire consume the innocent and the wicked alike), and unbelievable coincidences (have you ever seen a railway line with so many sidetracks?). For viewers with an appetite for flashing blades, this is a full-course meal. For those who are only peckish, beware the mark of “Z.”

Starring Antonio Banderas, Catherine Zeta-Jones. Running time: 129 minutes. Theatrical release October 27, 2005. Updated

The Legend of Zorro
Rating & Content Info

Why is The Legend of Zorro rated PG? The Legend of Zorro is rated PG by the MPAA

Don’t let the PG rating fool you—this movie contains a lot of violence. Although little blood is shown and the combat often feels choreographed, the intensity of images will still be disturbing to many viewers. Female and child characters are often put in positions of peril. Death threats, both verbal and physical, are frequent. Humor is derived from a groin injury, the rebellious attitude of a youngster, main characters turning to alcohol in the face of disappointment, as well as a woman and a horse smoking a pipe (the horse gets drunk too). While an attempt is made to point out the importance of spending time with family members, that worthy message gets a bit lost in the scuffle.

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The Legend of Zorro Parents' Guide

Don Alejandro de la Vega and his wife Elena are supposed to be living in 1850, in a predominately Catholic community. How likely would it be for a couple in such a situation to seek a divorce? What other anachronisms (ideas or inventions that are too modern for the historical setting they have been placed in) can you find in this movie?

Home Video

The most recent home video release of The Legend of Zorro movie is December 1, 2009. Here are some details…

DVD Release Date: 31 January 2006
Pull the mask off this superhero movie and find out what’s behind The Legend of Zorro with this release from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Included are featurettes about the stunts and visual effects, as well as behind-the-scenes peeks at Armand’s party and playing with trains. The director and cinematographer offer an audio commentary on the film and some deleted scenes. For those fascinated by the art of filmmaking, there are also two multi-angle scene deconstructions. Presented in either wide or full screen, both DVD versions provide audio tracks in English (Dolby Digital 5.1) and French (Dolby Surround), with subtitles in English and French.

Blu-ray Release Date: 1 December 2009

The Mask of Zorro and The Legend of Zorro also releases as a 2-Disc Blu-ray Box Set with the following bonus extras:

- Commentary from Director Martin Campbell and Cinematographer Phil Meheux.

- Alternate Opening and Closing Scenes (with optional commentary).

- Deleted Scenes (with optional commentary).

- Multi-Angle Comparison

Related home video titles:

The perquel to this film is The Mask of Zorro. Tyron Power played this Spanish vigilante in the 1940 movie, The Mark of Zorro. Other champions of justice to grace the silver screen include: Superman, Spiderman and the more family-friendly The Incredibles.