Antonio Banderas returns as the 19th-century caped hero in The Legend of Zorro, a sequel to the 1998 blockbuster The Mask of Zorro. This time, Zorro and his wife Elena (Catherine Zeta-Jones) are caught in a conspiracy masterminded by evil European count Armand (Rufus Sewell) in 1850. The count is planning to equip the Southerners with weapons of mass destruction so that America can never be united. The plot, which makes little historical or common sense, has as many holes as Zorro's cape. Screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman's characters lack subtlety, with even Zorro's 10-year-old son (Adrian Alonso) belting out macho and patriotic lines promoting contemporary America's version of freedom. Fortunately, there is an interesting romantic subplot in which Elena, growing tired of her husband's dangerous hero antics, seeks a divorce. She turns up later in the film at a vineyard party flirting with Armand, an old schoolmate who is eager to win her love. The love triangle provides some of the best comedy in the movie, particularly the scenes in which the jealous and lonely Zorro drinks and talks to his horse. Director Martin Campbell cooks up enough swordfights to keep the audience entertained. But Banderas, who looks older and heavier, is far from his best. Scenes of him wielding a bullwhip or sword look dated in the face of recent action or sci-fi films like Spiderman and Transporter. The director swings back and forth between sitcom and action, and the film fails to produce a coherent and interesting story to grab the audience. The sinister plot of Armand is exposed too early and the film loses its momentum once the suspense is gone. Even some brilliant romantic scenes cannot save the film from degenerating into a circus of clumsy swordfights and not-so-spectacular explosions. Zeta-Jones is as gorgeous as ever, and her character, despite being limited by silly dialogues and a poor story, radiates charm. Young Alonso is also appealing as the naughty son. But it's Zorro's black horse, a stunningly beautiful animal that drinks and smokes a pipe in the movie, which steals the show. Perhaps the third instalment of the Zorro series should allow the animal rather than the clumsy hero to take centre stage. The Legend of Zorro is now showing