IMDb > Desperado (1995)
Desperado
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Desperado (1995) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.0/10   47,091 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 17% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer (WGA):
Robert Rodriguez (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Desperado on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
25 August 1995 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
He came back to settle the score with someone. Anyone. EVERYONE. more
Plot:
A gunslinger is embroiled in a war with a local drug runner. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
3 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(46 articles)
More 'Machete'? Rodriguez, Trejo Talk Sequels
 (From Get The Big Picture. 21 December 2009, 4:48 PM, PST)

Robert Rodriguez Talks ‘Machete’, ‘Sin City 2′
 (From Reel Loop. 21 December 2009, 7:34 AM, PST)

User Comments:
El Mariachi's best (and most violent) outing more (176 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
El Mariachi 2 (USA) (working title)
Pistolero (USA) (working title)
more
MPAA:
Rated R for strong bloody violence, a strong sex sequence and language.
Runtime:
104 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby SR | SDDS (8 channels)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The bathroom scene before the 2nd bar shootout was directed by Antonio Banderas. Robert Rodriguez said he didn't like using 2nd unit crews and Banderas asked if he could direct the scene, so Rodriguez agreed. more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: During the bar gunfight, one of the thug's shirt is blown open revealing the tape used to hold the squibs in place. more
Quotes:
[the mariachi comes back for the guitar-case of weapons that he just threw away]
El Mariachi: Just in case. It's a long ride to the next town.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Urban Legends: Final Cut (2000) more
Soundtrack:
White Train more

FAQ

Is this a remake of El Mariachi?
Why don't any police ever show up at any of the numerous shootouts?
more
40 out of 45 people found the following comment useful.
El Mariachi's best (and most violent) outing, 16 April 2005
8/10
Author: Mr Ben from Hampshire, England

Being a product of the video game generation, I have recently rediscovered the therapeutic qualities of slow-mo death-match on the N64's "Perfect Dark". A quick ten-minute blast with a couple of meaty pistols in each hand can easily dispel the day's stresses and strains better than a hour on a couch - trust me. Although it may upset the moral minority to admit it, being able to unleash the violent impulses that exist in us all in a safe and socially acceptable manner is hugely beneficial to one's emotional state of mind. Far better to play a video game where you are responsible for truly reprehensible criminal acts than to do it in real life, after all. And in the same way that games often depict senseless violence, the cinema has long been home to violence in one form or another - from "Tom & Jerry" to "Enter The Dragon". For me personally, "Desperado" is as close to a cinematic equivalent of a video game as we'll see - perfectly orchestrated and highly entertaining mayhem but as empty inside as one of El Mariachi's spent casings.

Director Robert Rodriguez practically remakes his low-budget debut "El Mariachi" with Antonio Banderas as the mysterious stranger who walks into town with a guitar case full of guns and a serious grudge against local crime lord Bucho (Joaquim de Almeida). You see, El Mariachi lost the love of his life and his ability to play guitar (after he's shot through the hand) at the hands of Bucho's goons and so, El has a score to settle. After announcing his arrival in town by taking out Bucho's bar, El finds himself helped by glamorous bookstore owner Carolina (Salma Hayek) in his seemingly impossible quest.

It ain't big and it ain't clever but my, "Desperado" is a whole lot of fun! Tongue firmly in cheek, the cartoony action and simple revenge story combine to create a fabulously entertaining film that still stands out as a truly unique picture. Easily better than the muddled climax to the trilogy ("Once Upon A Time In Mexico"), "Desperado" highlights the brilliant creation of the Mariachi character and Banderas is the ideal choice for the role. Seemingly indestructible in battle, El carries one fatal flaw - his heart of gold - and right until the end, you're never quite sure if he'll make it or not. Opposite him, Salma Hayek has never been (or looked) better than she was here. Simply oozing sexuality, Hayek smolders like desert sand and steals the film. And this despite humorous cameos from Steve Buscemi, Quentin Tarantino and Cheech Marin.

"Desperado" isn't quite the masterpiece that it should be. It's about as original as a Hollywood remake and its lack of any sort of ambition doesn't limit its scope but merely means that it reaches its targets with ease. And if plausibility and complex story lines are what you're looking for then move on because this film is as simple as one of Jerry Springer's guests. To be honest, "Desperado" makes no illusion as to what its about and stakes its ambitions right from the first scene. It's arguably one of the best action films made in recent years but this type of film is all-too-common, rarely appreciated by "serious critics" and frequently dismissed as "throwaway cinema". Not so - "Desperado" is an enjoyable, amusing and explosive scorcher of a movie and is highly recommended to anyone who likes their gun-fu and OTT fight sequences. Or anyone who doesn't play "Perfect Dark"...

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Desperado (1995)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Last words question fragile1976
Bucho Doesn't Die rsr5001
Found an error in the Goofs section Vaux1916
Should I see El Mariachi First? ca_dale
What is the difference between Desperado and Once upon a time in Mexico cris33914
So, Why Did El Mariachi Want Revenge? nihilistic_hedonism
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