Can you imagine, it is 30 years ago i was 9 years old in 1986. This year was special in many ways, especially in the movie industry. It was the year we all got to experience Highlander, a cult film that looks good still today. It was also the year when Aliens was released, one of the greatest sequels ever made to a classic film. If you ever hear someone says, they have not seen James Cameron´s film Aliens, you are allowed to throw them in the nearest lake. You can not avoid seeing a classic film like that, it is on the list in Heaven, where it says:- You shall watch Aliens, or you will be cast to hell. When even God says this, you know he means serious business. 1986 was also the year we got to experience The Hitchhiker, one of the best thrillers of the 80´s. Rutger Hauer is simply brilliant as the insane hitchhiker, and this is a film you must own in your dvd, or blu ray collection. I also remember the classic cult film Big Trouble In Little China, with Kurt Russell, by legendary director John Carpenter. As you can see, the year 1986 had some really good titles to offer. I could mention a lot more, but let´s focus on one film in particular. In december of 1986, legendary director John Landis gave us a western comedy, that looked different from many other western films. It was a combination of 3 really good comedians that made this film unique. We are of course talking about Three Amigos, and in december this year it was 30 years ago it came out in theatres. At the time when the film came out, i did not see it until later on, but on VHS. But since i enjoyed the film back in those days, i felt that we should celebrate, by going back and watch the film again, 30 years later. I have followed the careers of Chevy Chase, Steve Martin and Martin Short since the late 70´s, and i have to say that they all have given us unforgettable performances in several classics. Three Amigos was the only film that all of them worked together, so of course this made the film special. As the film have lived on with dvd, and now on a blu ray release worldwide, people can still discover a comedy, that may not be talked about often, but is still remembered by movie fans all over the world. Is the Three Amigos a classic from the 80´s, or have this film become worse through so many years since the release ?
In the year 1916, the cruel bandit leader El Guapo ( Alfonso Arua ) and his gang, are collecting protection money from the small village of Santo Poco. The village have had enough of the violence of El Guapo, so a woman named Carmen ( Patrice Martinez ) stumble across a film with the Hollywood stars The Three Amigos. She see them take out bad people in the film, and belive they can help the village of Santo Poco. She contact their film studio in hope for an answer. Meanwhile in Hollywood, Lycky Day ( Steve Martin ), Dusty Bottoms ( Chevy Chase ) and Ned Nederlander ( Martin Short ). Since they don´t agree with the film studio, to work with an increased salary, studio boss Harry Flugleman ( Joe Mantegna ) fire them. With no job left, they receive a message from Mexico about help needed in Santo Poco, to take down the evil El Guapo. At first the Three Amigos think this is all a show act, and all they have to do is perform and get paid. But they find out that this is for real, and that the village think that the Three Amigos are real gun fighters. Nothing goes well, and El Guapo kidnaps Carmen. The village of Santo Poco feel betrayed, and don´t want anything to do with the Three Amigos. But can they fix this somehow and regain respect ?
Watching a western comedy as Three Amigos, once again, since 30 years have passed since the release makes me feel nostalgic. The 80´s was a great time for comedies, and comedians back in those days knew how to make fun of all genres. No matter what they tried, or combined, they almost succeeded in many films. Three Amigos have a combination of classic western ingredients, with musical numbers, and i have to say i enjoy the concept. Especially with the great comedians Steve Martin, Chevy Chase and Martin Short as the Three Amigos, i don´t think they could have done a better choice. Their screen presence, and their comedian timing on screen fits just as we would have hoped. Even if Three Amigos is not a cult classic, such as Mel Brooks Blazing Saddles or Cactus Jack with Kirk Douglas, this is still a fun tribute to the western genre. And one of the reasons why this film is fun, is because of the crazy mix of three different characters, based on fictional western heroes. Of course they are not heroes in real life, but somehow they learn to become respected. One of my favourite characters in Three Amigos is Dusty, played by Chevy Chase. He is really clumpsy, not so bright, but somehow charming. As an example, when they read the secret password for a singing bush, Dusty accidently shoots the Invisible Swordsman, because he did not know he was standing there. This is classic 80´s comedy quality. Steve Martin is as always funny, and Martin Short knows how to put on a show. One of the characters in this film, that works really well, is the mexican gang leader El Guapo, played by Alfonso Arua. He really managed to make a evil mexican terrorist hillarious, and i think he raise the comedy level through his insane performance. By the way, did you know that Alfonso Arua directed the 1995 drama film A Walk In The Clouds with Keanu Reeves ? Not a good film really, but when you think about it, it is kind of strange that he choosed to make a film like that. Three Amigos is directed by John Landis, and for those of you who know this name, knows he have made some good films in the past. National Lampoon´s Animal House, An American Werewolf In London, The Blues Brothers and Trading Places, are just a few examples. Even if Three Amigos is not his best film, i still feel that he did a western comedy that is both funny, and silly, in a positive way. With crazy characters, in a western adventure, Three Amigos is still an 80´s classic, and have been released on blu ray for the 30 years anniversary. I suggest you get yourself a copy and have a good time. If there ever is a remake made, i suggest the following actors, Danny McBride, James Franco and Seth Rogen as the Three Amigos, that would be fantastic.
Rating: DDD
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