James Horner brought epic romance and
Enya to his
Titanic score. For
The Mask of Zorro, his first major work since
Titanic, he recaptured much of the same territory, but if anything this score is richer and more varied. Blowing up Latin and Mexican motifs to cinemascope size,
Horner doesn't trade in subtlety. He prefers large gestures, and that's what his sweeping, melodramatic score for
The Mask of Zorro is all about. It's not something that fans of such sophisticated film composers like
Bernard Herrmann will like, but it is exciting populist music that matches the spirit of the adventure movie. The album contains one vocal track -- the love theme "I Want to Spend My Lifetime Loving You," as performed by
Tina Arena and
Marc Anthony. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine