Celebrating its 25th anniversary. When a power-crazed despot schemes to buy California from Mexico, it takes two Zorros–the legendary Don Diego de la Vega (Anthony Hopkins) and his chosen successor Alejandro Murrieta (Antonio Banderas), a dashing bandit-turned-hero– to battle the tyrant’s unscrupulous plans. Can even their combined skills, bravado and derring-do be enough to achieve de la Vega’s ultimate goal: revenge against the man who killed his wife, kidnapped his daughter and held him prisoner for twenty years?

For thoughts on The Mask Of Zorro, please check out our discussions on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/dxlcPGipsSw?t=1604]

Video Quality

The new 25th anniversary 4K UHD Blu-Ray SteelBook release of The Mask Of Zorro offers a staggering uptick in quality over the accompanying Blu-Ray that was quite good when it was first released years ago. The film was already released on 4K UHD Blu-Ray three years ago in standard HDR10, but we do not have access to that release for easy comparison. The only appreciable difference on the video side of things with this new release is the inclusion of Dolby Vision, which can unlock greater depths within the color spectrum and tidy up any nagging encode issues.

For most the greatest gain for this transfer will be the refinement of the colors and contrast on display. The Dolby Vision/HDR taps into a more robust reservoir of colors that this technology somehow focuses into something quite mindblowing. The brilliant highlights in the film are more pure, yet more tightly controlled with no instances of blooming to be found. Black levels reach greater prominence by staying deep and inky with great detail. The warm colors are more rich and accurate to what was intended by the creative team. Even the dusty colors offer more complexity in every state. Those who are Dolby Vision capable will be impressed by what this film is able to deliver.

This transfer thankfully provides a picture that has virtually flawless film grain that resolves perfectly without any unwanted movement. There has been no digital tinkering on this transfer, so this disc is free of DNR, compression artifacts and other encode issues. The period clothing and production design is presented with impeccable clarity and lovely texture. There are a vast array of subtle details layering every environment that are visible thanks to the 4K resolution. Skin tones appear much more natural and consistent than the Blu-Ray with healthy doses of fine detail apparent on faces such as perspiration and facial hair. This new Dolby Vision transfer presents this film in a way that will have jaws on the floor.

Audio Quality

This 4K UHD Blu-Ray ports over both the previous Dolby Atmos track and the original DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio which gives the film a grand sonic quality with an impeccable precision and saturation. Both of these tracks are unbelievable in their own ways and will more than get the job done when it comes to realizing this world. Those who go with the newer Dolby Atmos track will experience the same powerful journey as the original soundtrack without any age-related flaws, only with a more spacious and involving use of your additional surround and height speakers.

The Atmos track renders atmospheric sound effects appropriately within the mix so that directionality is never a concern. The track provides the expected emphasis on the front channels for dialogue and other distinct sounds while additional activity extends to the surrounds, rears and overhead speakers to make the world feel more three-dimensional. Every single sound feels natural and invigorating in a way that will have you cheering. The sounds up above are deployed well as they fully transport you into the action. The low end effects from the subwoofer supplies the desired extra weight to enhance the action sequences. The film really satisfies when it comes to the tremendous score from Jame Horner which complements the narrative really well. Dialogue is crisp and clear without ever getting overshadowed by the music or sound effects. Sony has delivered a great audio experience for fans.

Special Features

Sony has provided The Mask Of Zorro with a sleek new SteelBook featuring artwork that is truly lovely in person. The front artwork is a silhouette depiction of the titular character behind a “Z” that is on fire, and the rear features a close-up of the character in full costume holding a sword. The interior sports a still of Zorro in action. Video of the SteelBook can be found at the top of this review.

4K UHD

Deleted Scenes: Ten scenes of unused material is provided here totaling nine minutes in fairly rough quality. There are some fairly interesting scenes worth checking out for fans.

Trailers: This disc provides the Teaser Trailer #1 (1:16), Teaser Trailer #2 (1:46) and Theatrical Trailer (3:09).

Blu-Ray

Audio Commentary: Director Martin Campbell provides a very thorough commentary track in which he discusses the production of the film, the inspiration for the opening Zorro silhouette, the James Horner score, the characteristics of the performers, the tricky choreography of certain sequences, the location shooting and much more.

Unmasking Zorro: A pretty great 45-minute archival featurette which takes a look at the history of Zorro, the journey from page to screen, this newest take on the character, what the performers bring to the narrative, the impact of the score, the preparation that went into filming certain scenes, the storyboards, and much more.

Deleted Scenes: Two unused scenes are provided totaling five minutes.

Music Video: A four-minute video is provided for “I Want To Spend My Lifetime Loving You” by Marc Anthony and Tina Arena.

The Legend Of Zorro Behind-The-Scenes Sneak Peek: A five-minute preview of the sequel is provided.

Exclusive Scene From The Legend Of Zorro: A two-minute scene is provided in standard definition.

Final Thoughts

The Mask Of Zorro is a thrilling example of audience-friendly adventure storytelling executed very well within a studio framework. The big draw for this film is a scorching hot Antonio Banderas and his electric chemistry with the ethereal Catherine Zeta-Jones, but that is not all it has to offer. The staging and overall direction of Martin Campbell reminds you that he is one of our most stable action directors as you get set piece after set piece of memorable moments, all of which is balanced with great character moments. Sony Pictures has released a fantastic new Limited Edition 4K UHD Blu-Ray SteelBook featuring a 5-star A/V presentation. If you only own this one on Blu-Ray or not at all, this package is welcome addition to any collection. Highly Recommended

The Mask Of Zorro is currently available to purchase on Limited Edition 4K UHD Blu-Ray SteelBook and Digital.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.