¡Three Amigos!

As excessively silly as its premise would indicate, ¡Three Amigos! follows a trio of out-of-work silent movie stars (Steve Martin’s Lucky Day, Martin Short’s Ned Nederlander, and Chevy Chase’s Dusty Bottoms) as they agree to put on a show for a Mexican village without realizing that the danger is very, very real. (Much of the film’s first half details the wackiness that ensues as the protagonists approach perilous situations assuming they’re part of the performance.) Director John Landis, working from a script by Martin, Lorne Michaels, and Randy Newman (!), delivers an entertainingly broad comedy that benefits from the go-for-broke work of its stars, with, in particular, Martin and Short infusing their respective characters with an exuberant idiocy that’s impossible to resist. (Chase doesn’t fare quite as well, unfortunately, as he’s given so little to do that he rarely makes much of an impact.) And while the movie’s narrative rarely strays from the well-established formula, ¡Three Amigos! has been punctuated with a series of laugh-out-loud funny bits that generally compensate for the less-than-fresh atmosphere. It’s clear, as well, that the film suffers from a somewhat hit-and-miss execution that’s compounded by a slightly overlong running time, and it’s generally rather apparent that the movie’s been designed to appeal predominantly to younger viewers. Still, ¡Three Amigos!‘ pervasively affable vibe ensures that its negative aspects are, for the most part, easy enough to overlook – with the movie’s success confirmed by a thoroughly satisfying climactic stretch (which boasts a hilarious bit involving an inspirational speech from Martin’s character).

*** out of ****