Desperado (1995)

Desperado (1995)

6/10

Starring

Antonio Banderas

Salma Hayek

Directed by Robert Rodriguez

There is something that independent movies have over the mainstream ones, and it is the liberty of the producers to deliver what they envisioned. This Desperado is set for a mainstream audience and unlike the first film, El Mariachi the magic is small production is gone.

The only film in the Mexico Trilogy I had seen before now was Desperado. It was not a spectacular movie for me back then and even now the movie is just good to watch, but nothing spectacular. Robert Rodriguez did not spare the life of the people in this movie and shooting guns was just everywhere. Here in this movie thanks to a handsome budget of $7 million which is better than the $8,000 he used in making El Mariachi in 1992, we get to see a more robust story.

The shooting is better choreographed and the effects are better mastered for the TV screen. As Antonio Banderas is taking over the lead in this here movie, the last scene in the first film where his (Mariachi man) girl was killed, was redone. This time we get to see Antonio Banderas look unhappy and devastated by her death. This unlike the first film is in English.

The movie plot here is now set as thus, El Mariachi is looking for a man named Bucho. Bucho was not in the first film, but he is the head of the criminal gang that was involved in the death of his girl.

El Mariachi is all over town looking for him, killing all his men and everyone that tries to keep the information of his whereabouts from him.

In a new town, after a massacre in his hand at a bar, he was saved by a lady (Salma Hayek) who happens to see someone who escaped from the bar unhurt trying to shoot him in the back.

She not only saved him, but cleaned him but and tended to his wounds. They fell for each other and as luck will have it she is the girl of Bucho, which is similar to the other girl he lost in the first film.

Bucho discovers that she is keeping him safe and attacks her store, burning it down and there our El Mariachi sees Bucho for the first time.

From here the movie gets a cameo from the guy that played the role in the first film and that’s it for this summary plot.

The acting here is far better than the one of the first film and you can also tell by the way of the production that this movie had more money invested in it.

In the end, after seeing this I still have more appreciation for Robert Rodriguez for what he was able to do in the first film.