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Desperado
Columbia Pictures


7.7

based on 18 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 9 votes
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FILM:

MPAA RATING: R for strong bloody violence, a strong sex sequence and language

Starring Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Joaquim de Almeida, Cheech Marin, Steve Buscemi, Carlos Gómez, and Quentin Tarantino

Antonio Banderas stars as the Mariachi without a name in this much anticipated follow-up to the critically-acclaimed 1992 hit, El Mariachi. This time the Mariachi (Banderas) plunges headfirst into the dark border underworld when he follows a trail of blood to the last of the infamous Mexican druglords, Bucho (De Almeida), showdown. (Sony)

GENRE(S):	Action \| Adventure \| Crime \| Romance \| Suspense/Thriller
WRITTEN BY:	Robert Rodriguez
DIRECTED BY:	Robert Rodriguez
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: August 26, 2003 Video: March 14, 2000 Theatrical: August 25, 1995
RUNNING TIME:	106 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Rick Groen

Take nothing seriously - not the action, not the gore, not the plot, not the theme. Instead, view Desperado as it's meant to be seen - a comedy - and you're in for an unalloyed treat; heck, you're in for one of the funniest flicks of the year.

Austin Chronicle Marjorie Baumgarten

A bust-a-gut film experience that reveals Rodriguez as both a stylist versed in the mechanics of popular storytelling and a maverick whose ingenuity guides him along a singular path.

Washington Post Desson Thomson

The commercial transition has been remarkably successful. This is primarily thanks to Rodriguez, who not only retains the original movie's kinetic flair, but takes it further.

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

The camera loves Banderas -- a velvet stud -- as much as it did the young Clint Eastwood.

Rolling Stone Peter Travers

The stunts dazzle until you miss the low-key charm and cost-conscious inventiveness of the original. 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.

San Francisco Examiner Barbara Shulgasser

During this movie, every few moments the theater fills with the appreciative guffaws of 18-year-old young men. How old are you?

Chicago Reader Jonathan Rosenbaum

What's mainly missing is the sort of conviction and passion that gave El mariachi its charge; one feels at almost every moment that Rodriguez is fulfilling a contract rather than saying something he has to say. There's a lot of panache here, but not much inspiration.

TV Guide Staff (Not Credited)

Unquestionably formulaic but mercifully free of the flat dialogue and arch one-liners that undermine so many action films. And while it lacks "El Mariachi's" naive charm, it's far funnier.

USA Today Mike Clark

Nothing but set pieces, snoozes between its scenes of carnage.

ReelViews James Berardinelli

The real problem with Desperado, however, is that this sequel is without purpose and may be the most unnecessary follow-up since the second "Crocodile Dundee."

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

I was pleased again and again by set-ups, camera angles, lighting effects, editing rhythms and the fanciful staging of action scenes. But I never for a moment cared about the characters, and the plot was all too conveniently structured - just a guideline to the action.

Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt

Mostly just another exercise in snappy editing and over-the-top mayhem that will leave most grown-up movie- goers cold.

The New Yorker Anthony Lane

What fun there is derives from the smart editing (Rodriguez did his own cutting, and he's quicker on the draw than most of the pistol-packers) and from Antonio Banderas, who, stepping neatly into the Mariachi's boots, lends irony and calm, and even a trace of sweetness, to a nothing role.

San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle

Search for some independent inspiration, and you'll be looking for a long time.

Washington Post Rita Kempley

Desperado also has some entertaining twists, some sexy goings-on, but on the whole, watching the film is about as much fun as sitting on a cactus.

The New York Times Elvis Mitchell

Like "The Quick and the Dead," Desperado wavers uneasily between myth making and parody, so that too many scenes drag on long after they've lost their punch.

Variety Todd McCarthy

Could scarcely be more dazzling on a purely visual level, but it's mortally anemic in the story, character and thematic departments.

Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan

A weakly comic splatter movie oversupplied with jokey, cartoonish violence.

The average user rating for this movie is 7.7 (out of 10) based on 9 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Tyler G. gave it a10:
Great movie all around, loved it.

Michal W. gave it a4:
El Mariachi simply was a better film in every respect than Desperado. It had better story, better dialogues, was more fun. For me Desperado is an artistic flop and a significant step backwards from El Mariachi. I am glad that this fact is reflected in the metascore.

R D. gave it a6:
Hialrious. THe gunfight in the bar and the climactic fight are best. Other than that it si not much. But is very enjoyable.

James M gave it an8:
A fun film with crazy action scenes and bucketloads of blood.

nadir h. gave it a10:
This movie is created such controlable ora that it is almost to unstable to conrol (way to powerful & creative).

Pat C. gave it a 4:
A hilarious bloodbath in the vein of an "A" movie alternative for "B" movie fans. Get take-out & a tub o' cerveza and settle in for a hot sweaty stinky time down to old Mexico, where life is cheap as a three-day-old taco and there are no police to disrupt resolution of disputes between gentlemen of action who survive or die with the deliberateness and precision of gymnasts doing floor exercises. Warning: This movie contains scenes of mind-numbing regret as a parade of interesting quirky characters drop dead and we lose their contribution to the dialogue. This movie does not merit further commentary. In fact, it would do it a disservice to nit-pick trivial inconsistencies, like that blowing lots of folks away isn't really a cool vocation. For comparison, imagine Eastwood spagetti westerns as timeless traditional classics, that's how cornball quirky this movie is. But the damn thing is watchable.

Desperado Columbia Pictures

Desperado
Columbia Pictures