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Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Joaquim de Almeida, Cheech Marin, Steve Buscemi ... see more see more... , Quentin Tarantino , Carlos Gomez , Consuelo Gómez , Peter Marquardt , Mike Moroff , Danny Trejo , Tito Larriva , Robert Arevalo , Abraham J. Verduzco

Director Robert Rodriguez picks up where his successful independent debut El Mariachi left off with this slam-bang South of the Border action saga. Bucho (Joaquim DeAlmeida) is a wealthy but casually ... read more read more...bloodthirsty drug kingpin who rules a seedy Mexican border town. Bucho and his men make the mistake of angering El Mariachi (Antonio Banderas), a former musician who now carries an arsenal in his guitar case. Bucho was responsible for the death of El Mariachi's girlfriend and put a bullet through his fretting hand, making him unable to play the guitar. Bent on revenge, the musician-turned-killing machine arrives in town to put Bucho out of business, though he finds few allies except for Carolina (Salma Hayek), who runs a bookstore that doesn't seem to attract many readers. Desperado features supporting performances from Cheech Marin as a cynical bartender, Steve Buscemi as the cantina patron who sets up the story, and Quentin Tarantino as a man with a really terrible joke to tell. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Flixster Users

79% liked it

163,780 ratings

Critics

62% liked it

39 critics

R, 1 hr. 43 min.

Directed by: Robert Rodriguez

Release Date: August 25, 1995

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DVD Release Date: June 25, 1997

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Stats: 6,665 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (6,665)

  • cosmo313
    June 7, 2011
    cosmo313
    This is a very wild, cool, and stylish film, even if it ends up being style over substance and story (with a messy and scattershot narrative to boot).

    In a way, this is more of a remake than a loose sequel or spin off. The original mariachi from El Mariachi does make an appeara... read morence, but this film is essentially the same story as the first, but with a different guy who knows the first guy. Make sense? Well, if not, don't worry. It's of no real consequence anyway.

    The action and stunts are inventive, done well, and a joy to watcvh. Buscemi and Tarantino ham it up in some fun supporting roles, and both Banderas and Hayek (especially Hayek, *wink* *wink*) are great to watch. I have a big attachment to this movie as I saw it at a tyoung age and it introduced me to Rodriguez's work. It also kinda made me wanna make action movies, too.

    Like I said, it's got some flaws, but for solid action spectacle entertainment, this is a good film to turn to.
  • ythelastman89
    May 18, 2011
    ythelastman89
    Desperado is probably Robert Rodriguez's greatest achievement. In many ways it combines all the concepts he's dealt with since, but this is the crown jewel in terms of delivery. It manages to make sense out of what should be a terrible idea. When you hear "guitar playing action m... read moreovie with a love story", it sounds like a bad telenovela. However, with a little bit of style, excellent casting and some of the most over-the-top moments, you get the masterpiece that is Desperado. Robert Rodriguez captures a combined stylization of Spaghetti Western, exploitation and comic book. It makes you accept the utterly bizarre elements; such as a rocket launcher guitar case. Antonio Banderas is at his absolute finest as the Mariachi, making a truly unforgettable character with endlessly cool character moments and a commanding presence. Robert Rodriguez tops this all off with one of his classic Carpenter-like soundtracks that gives so much weight to the characters and story. It's hard to take this as a sequel to El Mariachi because it possesses a completely different tone, goal and overall quality. It?M)s a complete mastery of skill and original storytelling as opposed to a really excellent low budget film.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    May 11, 2011
    TheDudeLebowski65
    Desperado is one intense ride. Robert Rodriguez helms this film with an eye for insane action and he delivers a terrific film. The cast chosen to support the film are an interesting bunch of varied talent. Desperado is a well made action film with a truly awesome concept. If you ... read moresee the film you'll understand why. A mariachi musician goes on a revenge rampage with an arsenal of weapons hidden in his guitar and his guitar case. Totally cool and off the wall. Some will love the over exaggeration, some will not. This is the type of film that you really need to shut your brain off. If you don't take it seriously, and it's hard to take it seriously; you'll see it as a fun, adrenaline pulse pounding action film that delivers a mindless plot with nonstop action. Some films can get away with offering the viewer little plot thats very ridiculous and Desperado is such a film. I loved Robert Rodriguez' choices for some of the roles. Joaquin De Almeida is great and so is Salma Hayek. Rodriguez has always delivered a solid action film that is filmed in a lavish setting (Sin City is another terrific example). One thing I admire about Rodriguez is how he's able to pull off a mindless action film so well. Also for most of his films, Rodriguez always a cast of actors who spanned different genres of film and extremely versatile in their own ways. I mean Buscemi is rarely cast in an action film, he mostly plays in dark humoured oriented comedies (Fargo). So it's nice to see a filmmaker taking advantage with such talent to create a film that is one helluva mindless adrenaline ride. A great cast of varied actors and a well written revenge idea makes this a must see film if you're in need of being entertained
  • fb100000257973100
    December 17, 2010
    fb100000257973100
    The best way for anyone to sum up what Desperado is, is to think of someone taking El Mariachi and make a more expensive, extravagant version. In terms of content, this film takes the original, keeps the overall plot, but adds a revenge element to it. In terms of script, the dial... read moreog I feel could have been tighter, but it is okay. Acting wise, the only ones to look forward to are Antonio Banderas, Danny Trejo (fun fact: his role is silent threw out this film), and director Quentin Tarantino's cameo. While this film has a ridiculously fast plot and very creative fight scenes (and one interesting sex scene), the only problem is that the spark you felt when you saw El Mariachi is gone in terms of direction. Recommend, but suggest you see El Mariachi first.
  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    November 12, 2010
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "You know, it's easier to pull the trigger than play guitar. Easier to destroy than to create."

    A gunslinger is embroiled in a war with a local drug runner.

    REVIEW

    A sequel to his promising deb... read moreut "El Mariachi" of 1992, Robert Rodriguez' "Desperado" of 1995 may not be a masterpiece, but it is about as fun as it gets. Big guns, bloody shootouts, a cool score and particularly sexy Salma Hayek guarantee an immensely entertaining and action-packed film, to which the term 'cool' applies more than any other word. Carlos Gallardo, who played the Mariachi in the first film, is replaced by Antonio Banderas, and the character of the lone guitar player changes. When Gallardo's Mariachi was originally a nice, harmless and fun-loving guy who got drawn into violence against his will, the Mariachi played by Antonio Banderas is a lonesome, super-cool killing-machine who leaves an enormous body-count on his path of vengeance.

    "Desperado" may lack the originality of the foregoing "El Mariachi", but it has a load of other qualities in exchange. The Mariachi-character is cooler than ever in this second Mariachi film. The action sequences are excellent, and they always result in extremely bloody massacres. The score is great, with an ingenious theme song played by Los Lobos that Banderas sings himself. Juan de Almeida is well-cast as the villain, a sleazy drug-lord, and the supporting cast contains Steve Buscemi, Cheech Marin, the heavily tattooed Danny Trejo, who is stone-faced and super-tough as always, and Quentin Tarantino, who has a small and hilarious role. And then there's the major reason to watch "Desperado": Stunningly beautiful Salma Hayek is sexier than ever and makes this film a priority on every man's must-see list. This is a film for buddies and beers, and the romance also makes it a film for the girlfriend/wife/mistress/date. In short: cool music, non-stop action, gallons of blood and smoking Salma Hayek - If that's no recommendation I don't know what is.
  • TheGame90
    October 26, 2010
    TheGame90
    It's good...The action is good...the story is good...I don't know what I can say...
  • lewiskendell
    April 26, 2010
    lewiskendell
    Some movies are just brimming with potential, and it's not hard to see that they are a very short distance from being fantastic. I'm a big fan of stylish violence and over-the-top gun-play, but I can't help but wish that Desperado had more than that to offer.

    Well...it has that... read more and ample helpings of Salma Hayek looking her absolute best, but thats not quite enough to make up for the fact that this movie doesn't hold up well to subsequent viewings. The first time around it's a blast, but the second time it could barely hold my attention in most scenes. File Desperado into the category of movies that start of really strongly, and then slowly lose steam as they go along. Some more humor, clever dialogue, or a stronger story, would have greatly helped to fill in the slow areas between the action scenes.
  • SirPant
    September 18, 2009
    SirPant
    A great modern Mexican western that really pushed Robert Rodriguez's career. There's too much Tarantino type dialogue for my liking though.
  • MeetMeinMontauk
    September 14, 2009
    MeetMeinMontauk
    Definitely a nice cast upgrade. Might just be the only time in history I like the sequel's cast more than the first. And nice violence upgrade as well. I liked it more than the first, really. A nice intermittent story.
  • roygutteridge
    August 22, 2009
    roygutteridge
    Slick, funny and exciting, but falls apart in the end.

View All Desperado Reviews

Critic Reviews

Janet Maslin
May 20, 2003
Janet Maslin, New York Times

Mr. Rodriguez may be good enough to make a film about anything, but Desperado would collapse if its characters had to do anything but play with guns. Full Review

Kenneth Turan
August 15, 2002
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

What Rodriguez has essentially done in Desperado is make a slicker, more expensive copy of what came before. And what looked promising for $7,000 looks tiresome for a whole lot more. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
June 18, 2002
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

The routine gets tiresome for the Mariachi, and for the audience, too, after about an hour. Full Review

Peter Travers
May 12, 2001
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Desperado is best when Rodriguez lets his playful side cut through the blare of a born filmmaker indulging his first chance at high-end Hollywood fireworks.

Rita Kempley
January 1, 2000
Rita Kempley, Washington Post

On the whole, watching the film is about as much fun as sitting on a cactus. Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

What happens looks terrific. Now if [Rodriguez] can harness that technical facility to a screenplay that's more story than setup, he might really have something. Full Review

Desson Thomson
January 1, 2000
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

In this movie, words and actions speak equally loudly. Full Review

Mike Clark
January 1, 2000
Mike Clark, USA Today

Desperado, which is nothing but set pieces, snoozes between its scenes of carnage.

James Berardinelli
January 1, 2000
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

Bloated and overlong. Full Review

Rob Gonsalves
July 30, 2007
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com

Within Rodriguez' pulp formula stories are little pockets of ingenuity. Full Review

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Facts

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    • El Mariachi: Carolina, did I thank you?
    • Carolina: No.
    • El Mariachi: I will.
    • Buscemi: So, I'm sitting there, and in walks the biggest Mexican I have ever seen.
    • Pick-up Guy: Is that goin' on right now?
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Desperado Trivia

  • Which actor appears in the movies Shrek 2, Desperado And The Mask Of Zorro?  Answer »
  • 'Once Upon a time in Mexico' was the sequel to which film?  Answer »
  • ***What Movie is this Tagline from? "When the smoke clears, it just means he's reloading.***  Answer »
  • In the movie Desperado, who was the actress who starred with Antonio Banderas???  Answer »
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