Three Amigos (12 December 1986)
directed by John Landis
starring Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, Martin Short, Patrice Martinez, Alfonso Arau, Tony Plana, Joe Mantegna, Jon Lovitz, Phil Hartman, Kai Wulff, Fred Asparagus
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MPAA rating: Studio: Home Box Office, L.A. Films Script: Steve Martin, Lorne Michaels, Randy Newman Music: Elmer Bernstein, Randy Newman Running time: 104 minutes Tags: Comedy; horses; piñatas; revolvers; rifles; sombreros; Western Tactical strength: [4/10]
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I seem to remember that after seeing Three Amigos in theaters, everyone around me quoted lines from the movie. Everyone talked about shooting the invisible swordsman or asked if you had a plethora of piñatas. The three amigos' crossed-arms, pelvic thrust salute also seemed prevalent among my college friends. Some of these jokes seem to have moved into the common body of jokes that everyone knows about. You can say, "Would you say I have a plethora?" and generally get a few laughs anywhere. So with fondness, I anticipated watching the Three Amigos on DVD. Some of the jokes still made me laugh, but the plot didn't have enough interesting material to really make me want to watch the movie over and over.
In Three Amigos, three silent-movie actors, Lucky Day (Steve Martin), Dusty Bottoms (Chevy Chase), and Ned Nederlander (Martin Short), have lost their jobs with their studio. Desperate for work, the amigos get excited at a telegram offering them a job routing bandits in Santa Poco, Mexico. The amigos believe the residents want a variety cowboy show; the people want real relief from the infamous bandit El Guapo (Alfonso Arau). The amigos go to Mexico and continue to try entertaining the crowds, until they realize the bandits have live ammunition. El Guapo says, "These guys make me laugh. Only kill one of them." At which point, a henchman shoots Lucky in the arm.
The amigos run out of town, but predictably, they decide to really try rescuing the town. More dull and predictable comedy ensues, including the clichéd bit where actors try putting into practice what worked for them in some movie plot. "Remember what we did in Amigos, Amigos, Amigos?" Martin seems restrained, like he doesn't want to go over-the-top, but the movie desperately needs something more lively. He does get some physical comedy when the banditos chain him to a wall and he tries to reach the keys left on the floor in front of him. Short plays his role completely straight, and Chase seems bored and only included because Two Amigos doesn't sound as good as Three Amigos. Some of the funniest bits come from El Guapo interacting with his henchmen, rather than from the principle actors.
One scene does merit extra comment. The amigos camp for the night, and they sing a "Happy Trails" style cowboy song. At the chorus, the horses join in for a nice bass line, and other desert animals join in for harmony with the amigos. If the entire movie had taken such a lighthearted approach, then Three Amigos could have really made an endearing comedy. I still recommend watching Three Amigos at least once to see the jokes everyone knows in context, but you should probably rent the DVD or check it out from your local library.
