Zorro’s final train battle in The Legend of Zorro is more than a sword fight on a moving vehicle. It is a race to stop a shipment of nitroglycerin from reaching a gathering where California’s future is about to be decided. If the train reaches its destination, the explosion could kill everyone nearby.
Antonio Banderas returns as Alejandro de la Vega, the masked hero who protects the people of California from powerful men who abuse their position. Catherine Zeta-Jones plays Elena, his wife, and Adrian Alonso plays their son Joaquin. The family is at the centre of the story, even as Alejandro struggles to balance his role as a father with his work as Zorro.
The main villain is Count Armand, played by Rufus Sewell. He presents himself as a wealthy and respectable French aristocrat, but he is secretly involved in a plot to stop California from becoming the 31st state of the United States. His plan involves a dangerous explosive shipment and a conspiracy with people who want to keep control of the territory.
Alejandro discovers that Armand’s train is carrying nitroglycerin. The explosive is extremely dangerous, and the train cannot simply be stopped by an ordinary roadblock. Zorro has to get aboard and prevent the shipment from reaching the planned target. Armand also takes Elena and Joaquin hostage, making the mission personal.
The final sequence divides the action across the train. Zorro fights Armand in a sword battle near the front, while Elena works to protect Joaquin and stop the henchmen. Their son also has a part to play. Joaquin gets away with Zorro’s horse, Tornado, and helps redirect the train away from the ceremony where the statehood bill is due to be signed.
The sword fight is a fitting test for Alejandro. Armand is not only a political enemy. He is also the man who has come between Alejandro and Elena. The duel gives the film a classic swashbuckling finish, with both men trying to keep their balance on a moving train. Zorro has to use timing and skill rather than brute force.
Elena’s part is just as important. She is not waiting to be rescued. She fights Ferroq, Armand’s henchman, and helps remove the explosive threat from the train. The family works together, even though they have spent much of the film arguing about Alejandro’s double life.
Director Martin Campbell returned after making The Mask of Zorro in 1998. The sequel also brought back screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, with a story by Orci, Kurtzman, Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio. Steven Spielberg was among the producers. The 2005 film combines historical adventure with a fictional version of California’s path to statehood.
The train finale is deliberately larger than life. A masked swordsman, a family rescue, a moving train and a dangerous explosive create the kind of adventure that defined classic Zorro stories. Yet the climax also resolves the family conflict. Alejandro has to trust Elena and Joaquin rather than trying to protect them by keeping them in the dark.
The Legend of Zorro ends with the train destroyed and Armand defeated. California’s statehood plan moves forward, and Alejandro’s family stands together. Zorro saves the day with his sword, but he also learns that his family can fight beside him.
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