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Desperado (1995)
Rating: 7
Dir: Robert Rodriguez
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Main Players: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Joaquim de Almeida, Steve Buscemi, Cheech Marin
Story: A man with a guitar case moves from town to town, looking for the big boss - the man "responsible for killing the woman he loved".
Comment: With a premise like that, what else is the viewer to expect but some dumb shoot-'em-up bang-bang movie with lots sound and fury ... and nothing else. Wrong. Sure, you've got the usual fare, but this is Rodriguez's re-make of his debut movie, El Mariachi, and he has a lot more money to throw away on special effects this time.
In all honesty, this movie, also called El Mariachi 2, is the exact clone of the first. There's just some effort to advance the story, minute, to be exact, but that doesn't matter. What puts Desperado leagues beyond El Mariachi is the actors, the music, and the style.
The music sets the pace. Los Lobos has never been in better form. From the brilliant opening number to the music during the second bar-fight and the walking scene thereafter, we are treated to some of the best 'ear-candy' ever. And look at how Rodriguez handles the camera angles and paces the movie. Listen to the jokes. Look at the exaggerated violence. See the ridiculous climactic scene - the only weak point in the movie for me. The whole movie is one roller-coaster ride from which you do not want to get off.
Sure, some may hate the simple unbelievable premise of the whole film. But it's done right and it really is a good movie to unwind with.
Conclusion: Oh, just watch it. I did ... many many times.
Credits - 37 KB without graphics