The original: 

Three Amigos (1986)

 

Directed by: 

John Landis (Trading Places, Spies Like Us, Coming to America, Animal House) 

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Starring: 

Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, Martin Short, Alfonso Arau, Patrice Martinez, Joe Mantegna, Kai Wulff, Phil Hartman and John Lovitz 

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What’s it about? 

1916:  When three spoiled, vane and I.Q.-impaired Hollywood Western stars, Lucky Day (Martin), Dusty Bottoms (Chase) and Ned Nederlander (Short) are fired from their jobs and ejected from the studio, they travel to defend a tiny Mexican village, apparently to put on a Cowboy Spectacular and earn a lot of money. 

 

What they don’t know is that the ‘infamous’ villain they must defeat is real life tyrant, El Guapo (Arau) and his gang of cut-throat outlaws, who would as soon kill the Amigos as spit in their tequilas. 

 

A classic comedy of misunderstanding, misadventure and mistaken identity unfolds, with surreal, exciting and genuinely hysterical comedic results. 

 

Three Amigos has three comedy legends firing from the hip, at the top of their game. Typical of Landis, the direction captures and frames the comedy expertly, while also remaining wildly cinematic, embracing the Western mythos and excelling in the delivery. 

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And as principal villain, El Guapo remains a real threat, while also somehow remaining charming, likeable, funny and sometimes quite sweet. 

 

With one classic, original and inventive set-piece after another, with romance, shoot-outs, daring escapes, insane rescues and catchy song and dance routines, Three Amigos is a wild, immensely satisfying ride. 

 

The Magnificent Seven only had to worry about death.  These three have their careers to think about. 

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Lucky- “Not so fast, El Gaupo!  Or I’ll fill you so full of lead, you’ll be using your dick as a pencil.” 

El Guapo- “What do you mean?” 

Lucky- “…I don’t know.” 

 

(Dusty smiles at Pablo, the little village boy) 

Pablo- “Can I have your watch when you are dead?” 

 

Lucky- “In a way, all of us has an El Guapo to face. For some, shyness might be their El Guapo. For others, a lack of education might be their El Guapo. For us, El Guapo is a big, dangerous man who wants to kill us. But as sure as my name is Lucky Day, the people of Santa Poco can conquer their own personal El Guapo, who also happens to be the actual El Guapo!” 

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