Desperado (1995)
★★★ — Desperado (1995)
I based a Dungeons and Dragons character on this film. That probably tells you everything you need to know about where I stand on it.
Antonio Banderas plays El Mariachi, a travelling guitarist who rolls into town with a guitar case stuffed to the brim with weaponry. And I mean stuffed. Rockets, shotguns, pistols, you name it. The man appears to have the infinite ammo glitch activated at all times, and Robert Rodriguez leans into that absurdity with what feels like genuine glee. This is not a film trying to sneak realism past you. It knows exactly what it is: loud, gorgeous, daft, and enormously pleased with itself.
Is it poorly scripted? Yes. Is it hammy as anything? Absolutely. Do characters make decisions that would get them laughed out of any serious thriller? Constantly. But here is the thing: none of that really matters when the whole enterprise is this entertaining. Desperado operates on a frequency somewhere between action fantasy and telenovela, and once you tune in, it is genuinely hard not to enjoy the ride.
The supporting cast is half the fun. Salma Hayek is magnetic and gets far too little to do, but she does it brilliantly. Danny Trejo turns up looking like he was carved from solid threat. Cheech Marin gets a cracking early scene that sets the film's tone perfectly. And then there is Quentin Tarantino, doing his usual trick of appearing in someone else's film and making you wonder whether you love or hate that he is there. I landed on love, just about. His cameo is ridiculous, which fits.
Rodriguez is clearly having the time of his life behind the camera. There is a kinetic, almost cartoonish energy to the action sequences that reminds you why he built such a loyal following. He is not interested in consequence or grit here. He wants style, momentum and colour, and he gets all three. If you have seen Once Upon a Time in Mexico, the third film in this loose trilogy, you will recognise that same Rodriguez fingerprint, though I think Desperado carries it with a bit more charm and a lot less clutter.
The romance between Banderas and Hayek is thin on the page but somehow works on screen, carried entirely by the chemistry between two incredibly watchable people. The revenge plot underpinning the whole thing is functional at best. You are not here for the intricacies of the story. You are here for the next set piece, the next smirk, the next moment where physics throws its hands up and walks out the door.
Rodriguez built a whole unofficial extended universe around this kind of energy, and if Desperado is your entry point, you will probably find yourself following the thread. I ended up watching Machete (2010) off the back of this Rodriguez period and found a similar mix of knowing excess and pure entertainment value, with Danny Trejo finally getting his moment centre stage.
Three stars out of five. Brainless, wacky, unbelievable, and a genuinely good time. Sometimes that is more than enough.
Rating: ★★★ | Year: 1995 | Watched: 2025-05-13
Where to watch
Watch in the UK
Stream: Netflix · Netflix Standard with Ads · Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel
Rent: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Buy: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Physical: Amazon UK · Zavvi
Watch in the US
Stream: fuboTV
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Physical: Amazon US
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Related on Movies With Macca
More from Robert Rodriguez: Planet Terror (2007) · From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) · Machete (2010) · Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003)
More with Antonio Banderas: Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988) · Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) · Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)
More from the 1990s: Lessons of Darkness (1992) · Shinjuku Boys (1995) · Blue (1993) · Cemetery Man (1994)
More thriller: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) · Angst (1983) · The Long Walk (2025) · Punishment Park (1971)
More action: A Better Tomorrow (1986) · The General (1926) · Hand of Death (1976) · Daredevil (2003)
