The Legend Of Zorro

Martin Campbell's 1998 action-adventure The Mask Of Zorro was a guilty pleasure.

A brilliant, old-fashioned swashbuckler reinventing the myth of Zorro, Campbell's film invested every explosion and fistfight with a sense of humour which was impossible to resist.

The molten screen chemistry of lead stars Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones was also a pleasant distraction.

The Legend Of Zorro continues the story several years hence, though sadly without Anthony Hopkins as ageing mentor Don Diego de la Vega. Don Alejandro de la Vega (Banderas) and his beautiful wife Elena (Zeta-Jones) are still together, and have raised a spirited ten-year-old son Joaquin (Alonso).

Unfortunately, Alejandro isn't around as much as he would like - he is too busy donning Zorro's famous mask and protecting the citizens of his povertystricken Californian territory from corruption and abuse.

Joaquin is completely unaware of his father's heroic alter ego but is beginning, unwittingly, to demonstrate some of the same athleticism and agility. He is the scourge of the school, behaving like his hero Zorro to outwit the teachers and delight his classmates.

Frustrated and upset by the state of her marriage, Elena issues an ultimatum: Alejandro must choose between Zorro and his family. When her husband refuses to settle down, Elena issues divorce papers and soon finds herself wooed by old school friend Armand (Sewell), who is a wealthy French aristocrat with a thriving winery.

Alejandro is consumed with jealousy but his personal feelings have to be put to one side for the good of California.

Plans are afoot for the state to join the Union but the crucial vote is hijacked by criminal Jacob McGivens (Chinlund) and his heavies. Zorro rides to the rescue and gradually uncovers evidence of a covert organisation determined to strike a deadly blow at the very heart of the United States.

The Legend Of Zorro lacks so much of the charm and exuberance of the first film, it's actually something of a bore.

Certainly, there are a couple of decent action set pieces including a fast-paced overture at the California ballot and an outrageous finale on horseback aboard a runaway train.

However, there are not nearly enough thrills and spills to hold our interest for more than two hours. Even the sexual tension between Banderas and Zeta-Jones has dissipated.

Sewell adopts his best cod-French accent but it's youngster Alonso who gleefully scene-steals, running amok in the thick - or perhaps that should be thin - of the action.