The Legend of Zorro

Went to see "The Legend of Zorro" with telepresence last night. It is not a great movie. It's an okay movie; reasonably fun. It could have been about 20 minutes shorter. Its script could have used a little more work. Its story could have been a little clearer, and better-structured.

So, no, it is not on the sublime level that the first movie was -- but I kind of wonder if any second-movie can achieve that, when the essence of the first movie was "we're not expecting much out of this, and... oh my god, not only does this not suck, but this is *exactly* everything it ought to be!" Because that means that part of the reaction to the first movie is not just for how good it is, but how pleasantly surprising it is, you know? Sequels never get to have that "pleasant surprise" aspect. The best they could hope for would be, "pleasant surprise that it is a decent sequel". Talk about "lowerrrrrrrred ex-pec-taa-aa-tions". (POTC, I'm lookin' at you, too.)

Anyway... some specific good points and head-scratching points, behind ( the cut (cause, spoilers, obviously)... )

So in short -- not as bad as some of the reviews are suggesting. Not sublime. Not the magical holy grail, a sequel better than the first movie. Has some flaws. But a fun flick.

Now, when you say "bad"...

Here's what I want to know: has anyone out there actually *seen* "Ishtar"? Because it occured to me that it is *so* axiomatic now of "a really, really bad film of the modern era (that thought it was going to be good, or was trying to be)" -- but I've never actually seen it. So I don't know how bad it *actually* is.

Whereas... okay, I'm watching VH-1's third "I Love the 80s" series, because I'm a sucker for these things, and a couple of episodes ago they actually showed many clips from "Jaws 3-D" (which has a special resonance for them, because this series is in fact called "I Love the 80s 3-D"), and I have to say -- I think that may actually be the worst film, like, ever. Certainly of the modern era. Although I don't think you can say that the makers thought it was good, or were trying to make it be good. But that's another film where, you know, I'd always *heard* it was *bad*... but OH MY GOD, I didn't realize it was *THAT* bad! And knowing that it was 3-D? Makes it indescribably worse. I mean... words fail me. It brings bad to new levels of badness. Lord, it wasn't good.

Also? Right at this precise moment in time -- I would date Wil Wheaton. In a heartbeat. (He's one of the regular commentators this time around.)

(Especially because I just watched the 1987 episode, in which they discuss TNG, right, and he was *hilarious*.)

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