Swashbuckling. Actually, the first third of the film is all in good fun. Something like those action performances at an amusement park. A set carefully created to run a rat trap full of special effects, exciting getaways, and thwarted bad guys. Believability is dashed in the name of bigger-than-real swashbuckling. It really is quite fun.

A school house scene that is sure to be a movie memories classic crowns the film. A 10-year-old Zorro Jr. teaches his abusive teacher a few lessons in self-defense. The whole class cheers him on and so will you. I was absolutely rolling in the aisles! Great acting, great action, great direction, great timing, great humor.

But then somebody nice dies. The film changes its fun loving tone. Zorro's less benevolent, faulted-macho side begins to show, Catherine Zeta-Jone's accent slips a time or two, and the swashbuckle-step changes from dance to fight. It's still fun, but more serious, less light, while still as implausible.

Overall, the film plays homage to the westerns of yesteryear, with painted back scenes, desert landscapes and horses and cowboys with swords. Swords? Yep. Fun to look at most of the time, but the audio isn't crystal clear and the effects are not all seamless.

Banderas makes a wonderful Zorro, but the 10-year-old Mexican-born Adrian Alonso captures the hearts of the people. Says Banderas; "Adrian is amazing. He's got a tremendous sense of rhythm and timing. He's very funny and understands the film's humor which is very off-beat for kids."