Hello, all!
Much as I enjoyed EL MARIACHI, the sequel to it is really where director Robert Rodriguez starts to hit his stride. The storyline is almost immaterial to the film, at least to some extent, given the creative and kinetic action scenes. If the idea that DESPERADO is better than its predecessor is anathema to you, maybe you’ll be convinced by the fact that the original star makes a nifty and extended cameo in the third act.
And if that doesn’t do the trick, maybe mentioning that Salma Hayek is shown extensively will.
Boomsplosions aplenty and Salma. That’s enough to catapult this one past the original. Yeah, it isn’t much, but you’re not watching films like this for their deep philosophical insights and resonant emotional themes.
I hope you aren’t, anyway. This one is a neo-Western shoot-‘em-up, and by far the best entry in the three films of Rodriguez’s so-called Mexico Trilogy [with ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO being the third film] thanks to the almost stylized action. Think Quentin Tarantino [who has an extended cameo] meets John Woo, and you’ve probably got an idea of the almost comical gunplay. Another comparison might be THE WAY OF THE GUN, except without taking itself nearly as seriously as that one did.
Indeed, this one is a fun flick, and while its plot is fairly threadbare, it works. Banderas plays basically the same role he played in ASSASSINS [released the same year, incidentally], Hayek has her breakout role, and Joaquim de Almeida plays the foil, as he’s seemingly been typecast to do throughout his career. The action scenes are the real star of the film, however, and they’re well done. If you’re a fan of the tone of Tarantino’s films, there are a few talkie moments in that vein that help the plot along. I’ll close out this little missive with a link to the best of the bunch, courtesy of Steve Buscemi’s character… perhaps not surprisingly called “Buscemi” according to IMDB. It’s the opening scene and in my opinion is emblematic of both the dialogue and action featured throughout the movie.
Yes, it’s that kind of movie… but, again, it works. And it works better than EL MARIACHI, at that. Enjoy!
Other films recommended:
[Day 1 - THE DARK KNIGHT]
Much as I enjoyed EL MARIACHI, the sequel to it is really where director Robert Rodriguez starts to hit his stride. The storyline is almost immaterial to the film, at least to some extent, given the creative and kinetic action scenes. If the idea that DESPERADO is better than its predecessor is anathema to you, maybe you’ll be convinced by the fact that the original star makes a nifty and extended cameo in the third act.
And if that doesn’t do the trick, maybe mentioning that Salma Hayek is shown extensively will.
Boomsplosions aplenty and Salma. That’s enough to catapult this one past the original. Yeah, it isn’t much, but you’re not watching films like this for their deep philosophical insights and resonant emotional themes.
I hope you aren’t, anyway. This one is a neo-Western shoot-‘em-up, and by far the best entry in the three films of Rodriguez’s so-called Mexico Trilogy [with ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO being the third film] thanks to the almost stylized action. Think Quentin Tarantino [who has an extended cameo] meets John Woo, and you’ve probably got an idea of the almost comical gunplay. Another comparison might be THE WAY OF THE GUN, except without taking itself nearly as seriously as that one did.
Indeed, this one is a fun flick, and while its plot is fairly threadbare, it works. Banderas plays basically the same role he played in ASSASSINS [released the same year, incidentally], Hayek has her breakout role, and Joaquim de Almeida plays the foil, as he’s seemingly been typecast to do throughout his career. The action scenes are the real star of the film, however, and they’re well done. If you’re a fan of the tone of Tarantino’s films, there are a few talkie moments in that vein that help the plot along. I’ll close out this little missive with a link to the best of the bunch, courtesy of Steve Buscemi’s character… perhaps not surprisingly called “Buscemi” according to IMDB. It’s the opening scene and in my opinion is emblematic of both the dialogue and action featured throughout the movie.
Yes, it’s that kind of movie… but, again, it works. And it works better than EL MARIACHI, at that. Enjoy!
Other films recommended:
[Day 1 - THE DARK KNIGHT]
