¡Three Amigos! (1986)

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

A silly comedy, but light entertaining film, raises a few smiles!

Three failed silent movie actors Lucky Day (Steve Martin), Dusty Bottoms (Chevy Chase) and Ned Nederlander (Martin Short) seemingly land up with a dream job; they get an offer of 100,000 pesos to protect a small town in Mexico - the three amigos assume that this is film work and that everyone else is along for the ride, but they soon learn that what they're involved in is real and the 3 Amigos quickly find themselves having to rescue Carmen (a Mexican girl) who has been kidnapped by the evil El Guapo (Alfonso Arau) and whom is seen by El Guapo as his own personal prize.Three Amigos is a western spoof, and for me most obviously it is parodying The Magnificent Seven. In some respects it does work; the set up to the story is good as are the evil Mexican bandits (with the leader clearly being an Eli Wallach type), but sadly this western spoof doesn't work consistently enough....Where it doesn't consistently work is in the amount of laughs that the film throws up; it is fitfully amusing in areas, but not really as a whole. The film has a slapstick and silly feel to it (which sometimes works) when for example there is a good visual gag or examples of amusing dialogue, but far too often there are stretches in this film where neither element exists and you're left with some sequences that aren't that funny - some of the song and dance numbers don't really work and the camp-fire scene produces rather mixed results in the comedy stakes.Where the film works slightly better is in the occasional way that it shows the flaws with our protagonists; all of them are idiots, but in different ways; I did like the way that Steve Martin's character is called Lucky Day yet more often than not, it was him that messed everything up for his Amigos - clearly an intentional irony exists with his character. Likewise, the same exists with the other 2 Amigos with Chevy Chase being notably dim-witted; the chemistry between all 3 leads is what really keeps this picture above the water and as I said despite there being a distinct unevenness with the writing and directing it does kind of work from time to time.Whilst for me, this film was OK and quite funny at times, it is very uneven and it never works as well as it should do. Clearly, it is intended as a parody of The Magnificent Seven, but sadly it is never as good as the material that it is parodying and for that reason it can only be seen as something as a failure (despite it having some amusing moments).

It would be easy for me to say that 'The Three Amigos' goes no place fast if I believed for a moment that it intended to do anything fast. In fact, the movie is so lacadaisy that I think even the stars were checking their watches.The movie has all the earmarks of what could have been. It stars Steve Martin, Chevy Chase and Martin Short whose brilliant individual work on 'Saturday Night Live' is completely missed here. They play The Three Amigos; a comedy team whose recent box office receipts has caused the studio to hand them their walking papers.Meanwhile down in Mexico a woman sees one of their movies and thinks they are the real deal. She sends a fractured telegram hiring them to save their village from banditos and being in need of work they oblige. Unfortunately they misread the cry for help and think that they are being called to do a publicity show which leads to a long (and I do mean long) series of misunderstandings until very late in the film when they begin to realize that the banditos aren't kidding around.Steve Martin whom I liked in some of his more critically panned films like the underrated 'The Man With Two Brains' seems too in on the joke. Martin Short does almost nothing and Chevy Chase gets one or two moments right and then stands to the side of the screen looking on at the moment.Maybe the problem is that the film feels too safe. We get the feeling that Martin, Chase and Short are in on the joke and that kills the spontaneity of the comedy. The Three Amigos have a trademark gesture which ends with them thrusting their hips forward and coughing. That's not funny because it feels rehearsed. I like it when comedians don't play the moment for laughs. Watch Gene Wilder in 'Young Frankenstein' when he is trying to figure out how to work the revolving bookcase and you'll see what I mean.

From the three buffoonic Amigos to el Guapo and his sweater-knitting henchmen, this farcical comedy-western is a mindless journey of snickers and chuckles. Make no mistake, this movie IS stupid -- on purpose. The singing bush?...the Invisible Swordsman?...campfire-singing animals?...please. But the comedic brilliance of Steve Martin, Chevy Chase and Martin Short sells even the silliest shtick.On the other hand, there are some classic pieces and one-liners in here that demonstrate the film's writing depth, which shouldn't be overlooked, including the surprisingly deep relationship between el Guapo (Alfonso Arau) and his right-hand-man, Jefe (Tony Plana).All in all, you don't really watch this to digest a movie and follow the evolution of characters, you watch it in chunks as skit after skit that affords endless enjoyment if you allow it.So give it a go and have fun...you might be surprised.