Desperado

Rating:
Summary: The Most Super of Superbit DVDs
Review: This week I had an opportunity to take a look at the new Superbit DVDs from Columbia Tristar. Of all the Superbit DVDs we looked at the one which clearly delivered on the Superbit promise is Desperado Superbit with a version clearly superior to the initial release. From the first scene in the movie on, the picture is remarkably improved over the original version. To give you an example of how big the difference is, when Steve Buscemi's character walks into the bar, it looks like it is lit in a murky brown light, whereas in the Superbit version the bar is clearly and evenly lit by a dark red light. I was like, "Oh, so that's what it's supposed to look like!" I found myself comparing a good number of scenes in Desperado, and clearly across the board the Desperado Superbit looked better. The key scene I selected compare between the two versions in Desperado was the one where Carolina (played by Selma Hayek) sings a song on the bed of El Mariachi (Antonio Banderas). Some of the notable differences I could see:

• Skin tone! Wow! In the Superbit version there's a dramatic difference in skin tone, it looks a lot richer and is a much truer color.
• As the camera pans over to Selma's face you can see much more detail in her face and on her skin.
• The colors of El Mariachi's guns are much different and they glimmer in the Superbit version. In the original version they are a dull metallic color.

The DTS audio track is as dramatic a difference as the picture. Most noticeably is when El Mariachi jumps backward from the top of the building firing his pistols. In the DTS audio track you hear a thud as he lands, something I didn't hear in either the old or new Dolby Digital tracks. Of all the Superbit Titles, Desperado is the easiest to recommend as a 'replacement' DVD for someone who already owns the original version. The improvements in the Superbit version are significant enough to warrant a purchase and you don't give up anything going to Superbit, as the original release didn't have any special features. However, there was also a double feature release (yep, Superbit makes release #3), which had Desperado on one side and El Mariachi on the other, so that's a pretty huge special feature to give up (and the only way to own El Mariachi on DVD).

[Geoffrey Kleinman, DVDTalk.com]

Rating:
Summary: One of the best Action flicks of the 90's
Review: If you want epic level story telling with compelling characters go buy Casablanca. If you want guns, girls, death and humor, buy Desperado. THis is one of the best action films i have seen, and i have seen most of them. Rodriguez is a very talented and sadly underrated director. His camera work and visuals are great and raise this movie above most action movies. He sure seems to have watched plenty of John Woo movies as the gunfights in this film are spectacular, high flying and have no sense of reality or physics, which makes it more fun. Rogriguez knows action is not about force but about timing, something a lot of these MTV music video directors who do action movies have yet to figure out. This is possibly his best movie, although "Dusk til Dawn" was also excellent and has much of the same cast and great Tarantino dialouge/script, El Mariachi had good direction but no real story and no action. Spy Kids sucked but im glad it was a hit so Rodriguez can go back to making action movies like this. This movie also has a fine cast in addition to the bloodshed. Antonio Bendares is a great hero and gives and excellent performance. Salma Hayek is nice to look at. Steve Buscemi is hilarious as always. Cheech Martin made me laugh as well. Its nice this movie has some good doses of humor to go with the gunplay. I also liked Antonios fellow band members. Overall action fans should definetely check this out if your tired of ... action that is not well done like this.

Rating:
Summary: "El Mariachi" with a budget
Review: As far as revenge flicks go, this one plays by all the rules....and still delivers the goods. The main draw of this film is (and ought to be) the promise of some amazing action scenes. With Robert Rodriguez directing, you know you'll get what you paid for. Revenge flicks also need an angry lone hero out to get anybody for a past wrong. And here we have Antonio Banderas in (what I consider to be) his breakout role. His is really the only character that has the amount of depth usually reserved for more weighty films. But then again, we're talking about a Robert Rodriguez movie. And Banderas is a damn fine actor. He is perfectly cast as the nameless "Mariachi." Salma Hayek is lookin' good as the love interest, but aside from being Salma Hayek (something no man can quibble over), she isn't given much to work with. Still, there is a hilarious throwaway role filled past the brim by the inestimable Steve Buscemi; Cheech Marin appears as "the Bartender." Quentin Tarantino even pops up to tell an obscene joke (can you imagine?). The one debit this film has going against it, besides the one-dimensional -- though highly entertaining -- characters, is the fact that the huge climactic gunfight at the ranch never is shown! (If you've seen the film, you know what I'm talking about.)

I suppose I should summarize.... "Desperado" rocks. Plain and simple, if you're looking for an above-average action thriller with lots of goofy humor, this is the way to do it. And if you're really ambitious, I highly recommend seeing "Desperado" and "El Mariachi," Rodriguez's original feature debut, in one sitting and comparing the two films. "El Mariachi" is much better, but since it was filmed on a shoestring budget, it doesn't feature some of the more mind-blowing fight sequences you can find in "Desperado." It's up to you to decide which is better, but for sure, "Desperado" is one of my top picks for a guilty pleasure. 4 of 5 stars.

Rating:
Summary: I want to be Antonio Banderas
Review: This psuedo-sequel to Rodriguez's exremely low-budget "El Mariachi" is all about action. If you're not an action fan, this movie is, plain and simple, not for you... but if you *DO* like action, this one has it in spades.

What gives this movie an edge over other action flicks, in my opinion, is that it doesn't pretend to be anything else. Sure, there is a little romance, but the girl (Salma Hayek) never distracts from the action scenes... in fact, she participates to a limited degree in some of them. Sure, there's humor, but it's not Schwarzenegger-style cheesy one-liners, it's actually funny, and again, it doesn't distract from the action.

Now, the action. Pure, unadulturated, edge-of-your-seat action. Top notch. Eye-candy galore.

This movie gets 4 stars instead of 5 for two reasons: #1, it's entirely one-dimentional, and #2, the gun-battles, as is typical in most action movies, stretch the bounds of reality to the breaking point. Yes, Antonio Banderas *does* reload, but still, I think 5 guys with machine guns can take one guy with 2 hand guns. Don't watch it for reality, or for complexity, watch it for gorgeous action scenes.

Rating:
Summary: Fast paced violent film with silly plot. I liked it.
Review: Three years after Robert Rodriguez came along and showed the world how a mere $7,000 and a lot of creativity could make a successful film called El Mariachi, he made Desperado. This 1995 film has a bigger budget and more star quality, but the imprint of this director is certainly there. There's lots of violence - with guns, knives and explosives. And, like El Mariachi, the characterizations are secondary to the constant action. It's all very silly, and a little too long at 106 minutes, but I frankly couldn't take my eyes off the screen.

The film stars Antonio Bandaras as the good guy and Salma Hayek as his romantic interest. There's a cameo performance by Quentin Tarantino and Steve Buscemi has one of the best scenes in the film as he sets up the story at the beginning by his tall tale in a bar.

This is not a film to be taken seriously. It's targeted to teenage boys and the video game crowd.

So why am I watching this flick and enjoying myself so much? I guess it's cause I'm just a film buff and am fascinated by the techniques and constant action. And best of all I loved the extra feature, which shows how one of the scenes was filmed. It's not for everyone, of course. But I liked it.

Rating:
Summary: A GREAT ACTION FILM FOR THE AGES!
Review: I am a big fan of the "action" genre and the whole Mariachi Trilogy tops my list.Especially with Desperado my favorite.I showed this film to my friend and they were extreamly impressed.Some people say that this movie's no good because it's too too unreal.This movie wasn't meant to be real it was meant to be fun.Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek really give this movie a "spice" to the screen.Desperado is filled with bullet-flying action,humor,and a romance.Those who've seen this movie will know what I'm talking about.If you're not into actio movies,or violent movies than Desperado is defenetley not for you.For those who are into action movies and haven't seen this movie yet,SEE IT NOW!I gaurentee you won't be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: A stupid movie of violent excess.
Review: Who cares what it cost or how few people participated? There's no character development, a bunch of ridiculous stereotypes and the jokes are not that funny.

Rating:
Summary: A Man And His Revenge
Review: The Mariachi saga, created by film director Robert Rodriguez, gets more star power, a bigger budget, and is even crazier than the first installment was. Such is Desperado. Actor Carlos Gallardo, who played the anti-hero in the first film, is replaced by Antonio Banderas. Despite the casting change, his adventures contiue as he treks across west, playing his guitar and righting wrongs.

The no-named Mariachi (Banderas) tracks down the last Mexican drug-lord "Bucho" (Joaquim de Almeida) with the help of his best friend, and book store owner Carolina (Salma Hayek). The Mariachi takes on his entire army of henchmen in a dusty border town as an act of revenge for the murder of his love and his injured musician's hand. Also starring Cheech Marin as Short Bartender, Steve Buscemi, and even includes a "fine performance" from the great actor (Just Kidding Really) Quentin Tarantino.

Desperado is a cross between the spaghetti westerns of Sergio Leone and the action styles of say John Woo or even Tarantino himself. These characters are put in place, acting as tongue in cheek--wink wink--nods to their genre counterparts. It is clear that the film that Rodriguez has made is all in fun. The action and gunplay is well choreagraphed and exciting to watch. Banderas takes over the role and owns it. Hayek sizzles opposite Banderas and they are great together here As usual though, Buscemi, almost steals the show with his unique style of delivery.

The Special Edition DVD version of Desperado boasts another great audio commentary from Rodriguez. The track is lively and informative--but in a relaxed way. The featurette "10 More Minutes with Robert Rodriguez: Anatomy of a Shootout" takes a fun look at how these sequences in the movie get put together. The Exclusive First Look at "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" is fine as a pre release commercial--that's what it is--but since the film is also out now, strictly as a fan, I could have done without that extra (this feature is also on the El Mariachi disc). The theatrical trailer rounds out the bonus material on the DVD.

Desperado will both blow you away and delight you if you like this sort of film. Have fun with it.

Rating:
Summary: A very entertaining action film
Review: This is a very good film. A guitar player called El Mariachi (Antonio Banderas) is searching for justice against a man named Bucho (Joaquim De Almeida) who murdered his girlfriend. He tracks him to a small Mexican town with the help of "His Only Friend" (Steve Buscemi). There he teams up with a book store owner named Carolina (Salma Hayek) who wants Bucho dead just as much as El Mariachi. The film just gets better and better with great action and good supporting roles from Cheech Marin as a sleazy bar-tender and Quentin Tarantino as "The Pickup Guy". Directed by Robert Rodriguez.

Rating:
Summary: This is the single coolest movie in existance.
Review: Without a doubt, Desperado is the coolest movie there is. It has everything: style, substance, great characters, amazing soundtrack, and not a single boring part in the movie. There are no sissy "dramatic" moments where there's a long period of silence, there are no confusing back-stories, there are no moments of great character development. No. This is a flat out, pure action-fest.

I'm sure you know the story by now, but if not: the movie revolves around the main character- El Mariachi. He's out for revenge against the men who killed his love from the first film. Once he arrives in town, it's non-stop action from there. Not a single scene drags on. More or less, it's a fun action film about people getting shot up, but it's not done over-the-top like some films released that year were. Robert Rodriguez is an incredible guy for getting this movie done in such little time, wich a sickeningly small crew. All the characters are well done and memorable. From Cheech Marin as the bartender, to the thug aptly named "Shrug" (since he gives at least two shrugs in each scene he's in).

And my god, you're never going to look at guitar cases the same way.

The sound quality is excellent here, though I'm sure it's better on the Super Bit version. The visual quality was (on a scale of one to ten) probably an 8 or so. You can see some grain and "jaggies" in some scenes, but if you're looking for that, then you're watching the movie the wrong way. If you want a movie to show off your 53207" flat screen HD tv and 5.1 DTS whatever they're called sound system(s), then get the Super Bit version. Desperado's full of explosions and gun shots.

The special features could've been better, but what we get are pretty nice. The commentary is by Robert (no other cast/crew members) and he really gives a good insight as to how the movie was made and how he used the same two guys for all the stunts: Hank and Troy. That helped him save money big time. He then goes on to say that if anyone didn't have more than 2 jobs in the entire movie, they really didn't need them. I thought that was funny since it's pretty much true. Watch the ending credits and you'll see for yourself- there aren't that many people. A fun fact that he mentions was that the machine gun and rocket launcher guitar cases were real, and fully functional. I found that hilarious. And he's not full of himself either about how the movie was made for seven million dollars either. Robert's a genuine cool guy, and a lot of directors could learn a lot for him. He doesn't talk much about what goes on the movie- the commentary's mostly a lesson in film making, but I still found it cool.

Robert does mention quite a few scenes that were cut and deleted, but none of them show up for some reason. One involved El using the crotch gun (seen in From Dusk Till Dawn) during the first bar shoot out. It would've been nice to see some of them, even if they would've made the movie drag on in places. We also get a feature on the 10 minute bar shoot out which is pretty cool. It shows how they went through the scene without many story boards, and got it done without any real trouble. Then there's the Once Upon A Time In Mexico sneak peek, which isn't anything special since that movie's out now. The actor bios are your standard dvd feature, but pretty up-to-date.

Overall, I give the movie a perfect 5 stars, but the dvd 4.25. Let's hope that a big box set of all three films gets made soon, with everything that we didn't get here. Buy Desperado for a fun experience, you'll be wanting more. Just don't expect Once Upon A Time In Mexico to be anywhere near as good as this one. Thanks Robert, you kick Ewok-ass.