I was nervous going in. I waited all summer for one movie and one movie alone -- The Mask of Zorro. But part of me dreaded it too.

For baby boomers like me, hunky Guy Williams, who played the role in the 1950s television series, was the definitive Zorro. What would director Martin Campbell (Goldeneye) do with my Zorro? Would it go George Hamilton camp or Val Kilmer Batman-serious? Dare I hope for a Zorro the equal of Christopher Reeve's Superman?

The answer came in the first five minutes. Zorro is back -- sexier, bigger and better than ever. Campbell's Zorro is wildly entertaining -- full of humor, action and romance. As an added bonus, the script supplies the actors with lines we actually want to hear them say.

The Mask of Zorro serves up two Zorros -- the elder Zorro, Don Diego de la Vega (Anthony Hopkins) and his young protégé, Alejandro Murieta (Antonio Banderas). One Zorro would have been sufficient; two are sublime.

The tale grows from the Zorros' love of family and need for revenge. The movie opens with Don Diego's rescue of three peasant rebels. Soon thereafter, he loses his wife to murder, his infant daughter to kidnapping and his freedom -- all at the hands of one man, Don Rafael Montero (Stuart Wilson), governor of Alta California.

Twenty years later, Don Diego escapes Montero's prison and encounters a down-on-his luck thief, Alejandro Murieta, in a seedy cantina. Alejandro is trying to drink away the memory of his brother's hideous death at the hands of Captain Harrison Love (Matt Letscher), now in Montero's employ. Don Diego sees in Alejandro the future Zorro and takes him under his wing. Together they plot revenge.

As the elder Zorro, Hopkins is great -- sleek and elegant. Genuine warmth and good-natured humor infuse his scenes with Banderas, hinting at a father-son relationship seldom seen in real life.

Banderas as the young Zorro is Zorro... period. It becomes impossible to imagine anyone else in the role. Banderas conveys everything we want Zorro to be -- sexy, lithe, athletic, romantic and kind.

Long a star in Spain (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Law of Desire), Banderas has been a supporting star waiting to happen in the United States. In Zorro, it happens. Banderas dances the tango and duels masterfully -- without a stunt double. He also displays a real flair for comedy, especially when he's literally horsing around.

Not to be outdone in the dance or in the duel, is Catherine Zeta-Jones as Elena, Don Diego's long-lost daughter and Alejandro's love. More beautiful than any woman has a right to be, Zeta-Jones ignites her every scene. Her chemistry with Banderas sizzles right off the celluloid.

Kudos also must go to the supporting cast. Stuart Wilson and Matt Letscher provide just the right touches of evil and tenderness. And the appearance of L. Q. Jones as Alejandro's three-fingered pal gives Western fans a real treat.

The Mask of Zorro is rollicking, old fashion entertainment in the best sense. Thank you, Martin Campbell and Antonio Banderas, for being so kind to my childhood friend. This Zorro is Zorro for the ages.

Joan Fuchsman

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