Director: John Landis
Starring: Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, Martin Short
Running Time: 103 minutes
Synopsis: In 1916, Lucky, Dusty, and Ned (Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, and Martin Short) are none-too-bright Hollywood stars who portray the dashing Three Amigos in a series of western movies. When they demand more pay, their producer (Joe Mategna) fires them. The Amigos respond to a telegram from Mexican villager Carmen (Patrice Martinez), believing they are putting on a show in return for an appearance fee. In fact Carmen needs the Amigos to rid her village of Santa Poco from dastardly villain El Guapo and his ruthless men.
What Works Well: Director John Landis finds some joy when he leans into The Magnificent Seven ethos and Spaghetti Western aesthetics. The Randy Newman songs glorify campiness, and capture the comedy spirit better than the script.
What Does Not Work As Well: Most of the jokes are dependent on exceptionally dim-witted behaviour, and so quite predictably fall flat for anyone over the age of 12. Martin, Short, and Chase share the screentime but rarely get opportunities to shine, with Chase seemingly the most disinterested. The local Mexican characters are imprisoned within stereotypical classifications: simple villagers, lustful bandits, and sweaty cantina occupants.
Key Quote:
Lucky: Well, we're just gonna have to use our brains.
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