# Desperado **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 15, 2008, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperado/456527 "2008-07-15T01:39:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bufftabby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@bufftabby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bufftabby)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperado/456527/1 "2008-07-15T01:39:58Z")
I mean the movie, not the song. I just watched it for the first time last night, and I thought it was awesome! I love a good shoot-‘em-up, especially when Danny Trejo is in it, and ESPECIALLY when Salma Hayek is in it. He’s the baddest of the badasses in my eyes, and Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek are some pretty tough sumsabitches themselves. I’m wondering if I will like both _El Mariachi_ and _Once Upon a Time in Mexico_. If one, or both, of them is not very good, I don’t think I really want to watch it. Sometimes one bad movie in a set spoils the rest for me (see “_Attack of the Clones_ vs. bufftabby’s appreciation of Star Wars I-III” for details), and movies of this ilk can drift into cheesy-in-a-bad-way territory in a heartbeat, let alone in a sequel. So: did anyone else adore _Desperado_? Should I backtrack/continue on my saga with El Mariachi? And isn’t Danny Trejo the flippin’ coolest? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperado/456527/2 "2008-07-15T01:46:18Z")
_Once Upon a Time in Mexico_ has its moments, but it lacks the aggressive over-the-top silliness of _Desperado_ and I find it’s not nearly as much fun. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperado/456527/3 "2008-07-15T02:19:44Z")
Rodriguez is really talented, but _Desperado_ would be much better if it didn’t have Banderas in it. He’s just annoying. (Don’t get me wrong–it’s worth watching.) Usually I don’t care who the actors are. Really, the less they “act,” the better. (Check out Bresson, such as _L’argent_. Bresson stopped using professional actors, instead choosing just regular people. It works much better.) I choose films by cinematographer and director (at least, if I’m going to pay $10 at a movie theater). ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperado/456527/4 "2008-07-15T07:25:02Z")
Deperado is pretty decent, but I’ve always been a fan of “Once upon a Time” just for its over the top absurdity. It’s a great film to watch with your friends with the INTENT to laugh AT the film rather than to watch it and expect a good decent movie. There are some REALLY bad lines in it and such. But it all adds up to cheesy fun, and it’s def. better with a crowd of like minded people. Meanwhile El Mariachi goes in the different direction. It’s a way more serious film, and it’s def. got a low budget “indie” feel to it. I watched them in order, with El Mariachi first, so it was like starting out with the lowest budgeted, most “credible” (ie: an emphasis on plot and storytelling) film first, and then Desperado took it to cheesy action filled heights, and then “Once upon a time” just took it to SHEER ridiculously awesome levels of “Dude, we’ve got tons of money, lets make an even bigger explosion!”. So desperado is the middle ground basically. “In Mexico” is basically the over the top film it could have been if all it focused on was Money and explosions. While “El Mariachi” IS desperado’s but with an emphasis solely on trying to tell a story and a decent narrative with and emphasis on plot and minimal $$$ on special effects by the creators. ---
**Author:** ![Mooch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mooch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mooch)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperado/456527/5 "2008-07-15T14:30:19Z")
_Desperado_ is great, over the top cheesy fun. I am of the opinion that the movie should have ended at the fade to white during the beginning of the last gunfight a la _Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid_. ---
**Author:** ![bufftabby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@bufftabby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bufftabby)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperado/456527/6 "2008-07-15T17:21:10Z")
It sounds like I should watch _El Mariachi_ first. I wanted to watch them in order, but _Desperado_ was easily found in the bargain bin, but EM was nowhere in sight. I really enjoy Robert Rodriguez movies (nope, haven’t seen SpyKids; might watch it just for Danny Trejo, for I am obsessed), and it sounds like the rest of the Mexico trilogy is going to be pretty cool, each film in its own way. I’ll probably watch _From Dusk til Dawn_ to tide me over until those 2 DVDs arrive in the mail from internetland. I know, I know, it’s kind of a terrible movie, but that _one scene_ with Salma Hayek kind of um, …I’m sorry, what was I talking about? Oh. Yes. That scene makes the movie worth watching. I got kinda distracted thinking about it. Are there any auteurs with a similar style to RR that I otter check out? What’s Besson like, **guizot**? I like when directors use real people instead of professional actors. _Kids_ and _shortbus_ are the only two examples I can think of right now. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperado/456527/7 "2008-07-15T17:33:40Z")
I also like _OUaTiM_ better, too–primarily because it has a terrific cast that’s largely unfettered and clearly having a good time. And as much as people loved Johnny Depp in the first _Pirates_, I like him in _Mexico_ (from the same year) even more. [QUOTE=bufftabby] Are there any auteurs with a similar style to RR that I otter check out? What’s Besson like, **guizot**? I like when directors use real people instead of professional actors. _Kids_ and _shortbus_ are the only two examples I can think of right now. [/QUOTE] Make sure you don’t mistake \*\*[Besson\*\*](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000108/) and [**Bresson**](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000975/). The former is more like Rodriguez in that they both specialize in fun-but-unchallenging action movies. The latter is opposite Robert Rodriguez in almost every conceivable way, and is one of the true geniuses of Cinema. But, like Dreyer or Tarkovsky, his movies are seen by many as reeeeaaaalllllyyyy slow and so he’s definitely an acquired taste (but, IMHO, a taste well-worth acquiring). _Pickpocket, A Man Escaped_ and _Au Hasard Balthazar_ are all well-worth checking out as an intro to this great director. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperado/456527/8 "2008-07-15T17:38:42Z")
I have seen and enjoyed them all. “In Mexico” seems to stand out more in my memory, but that is probably because I’m a Depp fan, or just because it was the most recent. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperado/456527/9 "2008-07-15T21:58:08Z")
IMO, stick with Desperado and leave the others alone. I didn’t hate them, but they weren’t (for me) nearly as enjoyable. ---
**Author:** ![TheBoltEater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@TheBoltEater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheBoltEater)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperado/456527/10 "2008-07-15T22:48:48Z")
El Mariachi is one of my absolute favorite movies, but that is specifically because it was made on such an absurdly low budget. The same film for 10 million bucks wouldn’t be in my Top 100. If you go into the film looking to appreciate the best spent $7,000 in film history I think you’ll really enjoy it too. And “Once Upon a Time…” is worth it just for Johnny Depp. ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperado/456527/11 "2008-07-15T23:28:21Z")
Desperado is a great movie but it falls into the pile of movies that I’ve seen so many times I cannot stomach watching it any more. Others include Reservoir Dogs, Gladiator, Purple Rain, Lost Boys, Ghostbusters and Terminator. I literally refuse to watch those movies any more. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2008, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperado/456527/12 "2008-07-16T00:23:19Z")
El Mariachi is good, though low budget (and the “babe” could stand to eat fewer cheeseburgers.) To me, Once Upon a Time in Mexico was like Bad Boys II–not bad, but way too bloody and had too much of a downer/serious spirit to it to be fun. I can see that maybe you could take that as being stupid and so laughing at it, but I don’t believe it was intended that way. The only other action movie I’ve seen that, to me, compares in style and quality to Desperado is Crank. You might want to check that one out. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2008, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperado/456527/13 "2008-07-16T03:25:57Z")
I have to agree with Sage Rat. Desperado (and Bad Boys) are just fun kick ass action films. OATIM and BBII try to be too much. Although I do like Johnny Depp with his fake arm. > [@Cubsfan](#): > > Desperado is a great movie but it falls into the pile of movies that I’ve seen so many times I cannot stomach watching it any more. Others include Reservoir Dogs, Gladiator, Purple Rain, Lost Boys, Ghostbusters and Terminator. I literally refuse to watch those movies any more. Really? Because I will watch any of those movies from whatever point I catch them at whenever I run across them. ---
**Author:** ![bufftabby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@bufftabby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bufftabby)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2008, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desperado/456527/14 "2008-07-16T15:50:05Z")
[QUOTE=ArchiveGuy] I also like _OUaTiM_ better, too–primarily because it has a terrific cast that’s largely unfettered and clearly having a good time. And as much as people loved Johnny Depp in the first _Pirates_, I like him in _Mexico_ (from the same year) even more.Make sure you don’t mistake \*\*[Besson\*\*](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000108/) and [**Bresson**](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000975/). The former is more like Rodriguez in that they both specialize in fun-but-unchallenging action movies. The latter is opposite Robert Rodriguez in almost every conceivable way, and is one of the true geniuses of Cinema. But, like Dreyer or Tarkovsky, his movies are seen by many as reeeeaaaalllllyyyy slow and so he’s definitely an acquired taste (but, IMHO, a taste well-worth acquiring). _Pickpocket, A Man Escaped_ and _Au Hasard Balthazar_ are all well-worth checking out as an intro to this great director. [/QUOTE] Heh. Yeah. It looks like those are two totally different people. I’m a bit of a cinematic ignoramus.