Three Amigos

I saw parts of this movie before I ultimately sat down to watch the entire show and I could tell that this was one of films that Pixar looked to in the creation of "A Bug's Life". "Three Amigos" itself is a spoof of and homage to "The Magnificent Seven". The movie is understandably a cult classic because it is a western comedy involving "Saturday Night Live" alumni. To have Steve Martin, Chevy Chase and Martin Short staring is very special to anyone familiar with 1980's comedy. Despite being a comedy, the movie sometimes feels and behaves like a genuine western. This contrast worked in some scene but not in others. It is this lack of balance between the authentic and the absurd that creates indifference towards "Three Amigos".

A good example to start with in illustrating my point is the cantina scene. You could show the moments when only the Germans are present and you would think you are watching a serious western. The design and cinematography are very reflective the western genre of filmmaking from the 60's and 70's. The same setting with the Amigos however is silly. The shootout between Ned and the German is likewise quite serious but is bookended by comedy. This contrast is likable and creates humor but does leave one a little unsettled. If you are going to combine two genre, as "Back to the Future Part III" would later do, you can't have your audience confused or uncomfortable. The genuine western-esque cinematography and production design are maintained in all the Mexico scenes but there are some moments when they turn comedic. At one point, the camera is locked on an Amigo as he rides around and shoots. Later, it is ironic that after the Amigos decide to live up to their reputation, they find themselves in a phony scene around a campfire complete with a fake background, a coyote, shooting star, dancing owl and signing horses. The piñatas at El Guapo's birthday and the singing bush scene are other examples of the absurd amidst the authentic. I would love to know if the shot of El Guapo getting stuck in his chair was an accident or on purpose. Speaking of him, El Guapo fits very nicely into this kind of universe. He is a serious threat to our heroes but has comedic moments of his own so he doesn't feel out of place. I get a kick out of his birthday present.

John Landis' directed "Animal House" and "The Blues Brothers" previously so he was qualified to make "Three Amigos". However, because he was being charged in a court case, he was not able to have a final say on the editing. Canadian Producer Lorne Michaels took a break from SNL during the early 80's so this was a reunion of sorts with Steve Martin and Chevy Chase. Martin Short was a cast member of SNL during that time in the early 80's and "Three Amigos" was only his second career feature film but his first film after his SNL years. By the way, this was the first of four films where Steve Martin and Martin Short acted together. The scene with Harry Flugleman is basically SNL meets "The Simpsons" because Joe Mantegna, Phil Hartman and Jon Lovitz would have memorable roles each in that 90's animated show. I love how "Three Amigos" has a musical connection with both its predecessor and successor. What I mean is that the musical scores for both "The Magnificent Seven" and "Three Amigos" were written by the prolific Elmer Bernstein while Randy Newman, who wrote the songs for "Three Amigos", would later write a song and the score for Pixar's "A Bug's Life". Newman even shares screenwriting credit with Steve Martin and Lorne Michaels on "Three Amigos".

The list of filmmakers who, at one point or another, were considered to take part in this comedy include Robin Williams, Rick Moranis, Bill Murray, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd and Steven Spielberg. Despite that impressive list, it is hard to know if any of these aforementioned filmmakers could have taken this show out of cult classic territory. The names of those who did ultimately make this movie had the talent to do that anyways. As mentioned, the mix of the comedy and western genres wasn't a perfect blend in this case. Because you can't really put the blame on anyone and because the movie still has an appealing charm, "Three Amigos" will likely live on for a while yet in pop culture.

3 Stars out of 5