¡Three Amigos!

Hilarious comedy Western with Steve Martin, Chevy Chase and Martin Short

Three silent movie stars in 1916 (Steve Martin, Chevy Chase and Martin Short) are mistaken for real heroes by a beautiful Hispanic woman (Patrice Martinez) and hired to rid an oppressed Mexican village of El Guapo (Alfonso Arau) and his banditos.

“Three Amigos” (1986) is a comedy Western with elements of “The Magnificent Seven” (1960) and “The Wild Bunch” (1969). The first half is quietly amusing, but kind of dull as you try to catch a grip with the curious happenings. I wasn’t laughing and was starting to wonder what the whole hubbub was about (a respected friend of mine cited it as one of his favorite movies).

Thankfully, the inventive second half ventures into laugh-out-loud territory starting with the iconic thirst-in-the-desert sequence. In addition, the Southwestern locations are spectacular and there are a few gorgeous Latino women. What more could you ask for in a flick like this?

The film runs 1 hour, 44 minutes and was shot in Arizona and Universal City, California.

GRADE: B+

Just an all around fun and light-hearted comedy, one that I haven't seen in a long time (probably some time in the early 90s). Not a comedy classic but one that generates plenty of smiles and laughs. 3.75/5

'¡Three Amigos!' didn't quite hit for me.

I was expecting to enjoy this 1986 film, if only because of the three leads - Steve Martin, Chevy Chase and Martin Short. I like them from other things, admittedly I've only seen Chase once or twice but Short and, particularly, Martin are actors I appreciate. This flick, though, just didn't click into gear.

I didn't find it funny at all really, some gags are way too exaggerated - almost cringey. There are a couple of minor chuckles, the standout being with the invisible swordsman. Going back to the main trio, Short is probably the one who I think did the best work here. Chase felt a bit out of place in certain scenes.

Of the other cast members, Alfonso Arau and Patrice Martinez do alright. Joe Mantegna is also involved, as soon as he speaks I immediately sensed that iconic voice of Fat Tony from 'The Simpsons'. Elsewhere, I didn't even recognise Tony Plana as Jefe - even comparing images post-watch, I'm still not even convinced it's the same guy.