¡Trois amigos!

I looked up this movie on IMDb fully expecting to find a lot of comments that reflected my opinion, that this is a great little film. I was quite surprised at how many people don't feel the same way I do.

Some of the movies detractors seem to suggest the movie is a bit slow and that it misses opportunities for packing in lots of jokes. I can't agree, I think the pace is just right and that the movie's direction is more deftly handled than you might think. Some of the set ups in this film are developed meticulously over time allowing plenty of humorous moments along the way to the pay-off. And when they pay-off, they pay-off beautifully.

For example I love the scene in which a German mercenary enters a really dangerous looking Mexican bar. The room is full of thugs and cut-throats who laugh at the German's prim appearance and so he kills a few of them. He then instructs the rest of the patrons to be more respectful of strangers and to expect some friends of his to drop in later. The mercenary leaves and soon the Three Amigos arrive wearing camp looking Mexican costumes. It's not long before they start to sing an extremely girly song to the patrons of the bar called "My Little Buttercup".

The song is accompanied by the most effeminate dance routine committed to film. The mystified bandits all assume the Three Amigos are the German mercenary's friends and go along with the song and dance routine which after a while becomes so cute it makes you feel physically sick.

And here is the pay off, the Amigos leave as the real mercenaries arrive, one of the bandits notices the pearl handled revolvers one of the strangers is wearing and yells "Look at the sissy guns". Carnage ensues, the German sharp shooters finish off the rest of the patrons in a bloody gun fight, the confused looks on the bandit's faces throughout this whole routine is hilarious.

This film isn't desperate to pack gags into every available space, and because of this it feels more controlled and less try-hard, to me most of the jokes are of a high enough quality they don't need a lot of superfluous back up gags. I also enjoy the overall up beat tone of the film, even the bad guys are actually really nice to each other ( the sweater Scene is touching ). I think it's the warmth between the characters that really makes this film for me, I think if the gags kept coming at a breakneck speed we wouldn't have a chance to warm to the characters, the Mexican atmosphere and music the way that we do.

I give this a ten out of ten even though it's not a perfect film, it makes me feel as good as a perfect film would.

Love it. Love it. Love it. This movie is jam-packed with hilarity. The story is good for an 80s comedy as well. Chase, Martin and Short are a power house as the 3 Amigos. And El Guapo has so many good lines I'm laughing just thinking about them, "Do you even know what a plethora is???" Every time I hear that word I think of him, which is pretty sad I guess. The scene with Dusty Bottoms (Chase), singing at the celebrations as if he has a frog in his throat makes me laugh every time, My little buttercup scene in the tavern with Ned (Short) with the hankerchief on his head, the calls they have to make to summon the invisible swordsman, the part in the desert..."lip balm?" I'm embarrassed to say how many times I have seen this movie, I'm just going to say a lot...and would recommend to everyone!

Chevy Chase and Martin Short deliver the performances of their lives while Steve Martin's performance is second only to his flawless performance in "The Jerk". In addition to the main stars, the rest of the cast, no matter what the role, seem to produce laughs. Alfonso Arau's performance as El Guapo is particularly fascinating. El Guapo is about as evil a villain as they come yet one can't help but find hilarity in his wide range of emotions, whether it be his utter delight in receiving a sweater for his birthday in the middle of a desert in Mexico or his disappointment at his failure in courting a woman he captured from her own village (literally grabbing her and hoisting her on his horse) and whose village he had repeatedly pillaged and harassed.

The scenarios director John Landis creates (in relation to the Amigos thinking their bout with El Guapo's gang is part of a show they were hired to perform), the cultural misunderstandings, the negative effects of stereotyping put on display... it has far more comedic material than can be found in, say, 10 strong comedies of today.

There are numerous scenes and lines that, on the surface, may not seem entirely funny at first, but, upon repeated viewing, are appreciated for the hilarious situations they really are. Three Amigos is a comedy that will never be confused with a drama or romantic film, yet the jokes are so subtle and well-delivered that those who do not normally find slapstick funny will appreciate that Three Amigos gives one the opportunity to laugh without being told to do so.

The spaghetti western meets the three stooges. Martin, Short and Chase deliver one of their most memorable performances as three out of work actors hired, unwittingly, to be real gun fighters.

These three comic greats work with a beautiful chemistry, to make you laugh hard enough to split your pants, every time you watch this movie. One scene rolls, painlessly, into another without making you look at your watch once as The Three Amigos attempt to stop the evil banditos (grungy, greasy, cavorting, drinking and shooting at everything - just as in the spaghetti westerns, but with a sillier and lighter edge versus a serious and menacing one) from taking advantage of the poor peasants.

This is a classic comic film, with real comics pulling out all the stops, that I feel everyone should see. Guaranteed to make everyone laugh!

I can't believe what a low rating this movie has on here! This is one of the most classic comedies of all time. If for some reason you haven't seen this movie, go rent it and watch it! Me and my friends use quotes from this movie all the time. This movie is definitely on my top ten for comedies. 5 out of 5.