Desperado
Directed by Robert RodriguezFormer musician and gunslinger El Mariachi arrives at a small Mexican border town after being away for a long time. His past quickly catches up with him and he soon gets entangled with the local drug kingpin Bucho and his gang.
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Desperado Ratings & Reviews
- flavo43November 25, 2025Desperado is the film that truly cemented Antonio Banderas as an international action star. While I enjoyed him in Assassins, he feels far more genuine, believable, and emotionally grounded here. His character’s need for revenge—driven by a tragic backstory—comes through with real intensity, and the film gives him the perfect blend of brooding presence and explosive action. Robert Rodriguez’s style elevates everything: the gunfights are kinetic and inventive, the cinematography stylish, and the pacing tight. Banderas and Salma Hayek have incredible chemistry, bringing both heat and charm to every scene they share. Their connection makes the quieter moments as compelling as the action-heavy ones. Hayek’s presence also adds warmth and humanity to a story built on vengeance and violence. Desperado is slick, fun, and filled with personality—a perfect mix of action, music, and romantic tension. It’s one of the most memorable entries in ’90s action cinema and still holds up brilliantly today.
- Scott SmithOctober 18, 2025This movie is pure Robert Rodriguez style. Over the top, slapstick comedy fighting, goofy jokes, and lots of gunfights. Banderas is funny in the lead role, and Salma Hayek is gorgeous (as always). Some fun cameos for Quentin Tarantino and Cheech Marin (of Cheech & Chong) too. The follow-up sequel 'Once Upon a Time in Mexico' is also great. I rewatch these movies every couple of years, after I saw them in the theater first. I've always been a fan of the movies by Rodriguez and Tarantino...especially the ones they did together. Those were fun movies of a fun era.
Desperado Trivia
Desperado was released on August 25, 1995.
Desperado was directed by Robert Rodriguez.
Desperado has a runtime of 1 hr 44 min.
Desperado was produced by Robert Rodriguez, Bill Borden.
The key characters in Desperado are El Mariachi (Antonio Banderas), Carolina (Salma Hayek Pinault), Bucho (Joaquim de Almeida).
Desperado is rated R.
Desperado is a Thriller, Action, Crime film.
Desperado has an audience rating of 7.9 out of 10.