On D List of Movie Reviews
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Desperado (1995)
Rate:
8
Viewed:
11/03, 4/04, 3/05, 7/05, 5/21
7/05:
Desperado is the Mexican version of Pulp Fiction with lots of style, interesting characters, and beautiful
action-packed scenes.
I remember in 1995 when the film hit the theatre, Antonio Banderas, who's at his sexiest, was all the rage and therefore became
an instant superstar. The people were asking, "Who is that long, dark-haired Latino?" A remake of El Mariachi,
Desperado has a lot of entertaining characters who come and go, enlivening the pace. Also, there are many aesthetic
scenes.
The best part is when El Mariachi walked out of Tarasco Bar, with shadows all over him, and eyed Carolina while the guy was
running for him with guns out behind his back. There's nothing like it. I'm also wowed by the spectacular action
which is ten times more explosive than El Mariachi.
All in all, Desperado is one of those films I can watch over and over.
5/21:
I remember when Desperado hit the theatre in 1995, everybody was going, "Who's that sexy guy?"
It's how Antonio Banderas became a household name. He had been acting for a while before that, but nobody took notice. Hence,
Desperado changed everything for him, and he became an instant A-list star. I wish I could say the same for Salma Hayek,
but I didn't pay much attention to her. She eventually made a name for herself.
Comparisons with El Mariachi are inevitable, but both are completely different. The original is
better in all aspects while the sequel is fun to watch even though it's cartoonish and over the top in the violence department.
What bothers me is the label for Desperado; is it a remake or a continuation? Instead of Carlos Gallardo, Antonio
Banderas is shown shot in the hand with the exact same people from El Mariachi, yet he's going after Bucho, not Moco?
The story is more or less the same. Either way, I'm going to think of it as a separate film with a bit of a
bridge, however implausible, between these two.
Winning points are the high-octane action, fast pace, and, most of all, Antonio Banderas. He has a beautiful scene with varying
shadows when he walks toward Salma Hayek with the guy running after him from behind. Of course, there've been plenty of
times that Antonio Banderas' character should have been killed with guns pointing at him, and there's a low chance of missing.
All in all, Desperado is an entertaining film, thanks to Antonio Banderas.