Desperado

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2:02

Desperado

R

1995

1h 43m

Action

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

71%

Tomatometer

56 Reviews

79%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Mariachi (Antonio Banderas) plunges headfirst into the dark border underworld when he follows a trail of blood to the last of the infamous Mexican drug lords, Bucho (Joaquim de Almeida), for an action-packed, bullet-riddled showdown. With the help of his best friend (Steve Buscemi) and a beautiful bookstore owner (Salma Hayek), the Mariachi tracks Bucho, takes on his army of desperados, and leaves a trail of blood of his own.

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Critics Consensus

Desperado contains almost too much action and too little story to sustain interest, but Antonio Banderas proves a charismatic lead in Robert Rodriguez's inventive extravaganza.

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Juan M. Mendez

New York Daily News

[A] satisfying banquet of pulp filmmaking.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 18, 2021

Full Review

Geoff Andrew

Time Out

Rodriguez's second feature may be a rambling, derivative exercise in gratuitous violence, but its determination to proceed as if the word 'restraint' never existed makes for gleeful entertainment.

Jan 26, 2006

Full Review

Janet Maslin

New York Times

Mr. Rodriguez may be good enough to make a film about anything, but Desperado would collapse if its characters had to do anything but play with guns.

Rated: 2.5/5

May 20, 2003

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

There’s style to burn in Robert Rodriguez’s enjoyable follow-up to his 1992 art-house hit El Mariachi.

Rated: 3/4

Sep 20, 2025

Full Review

Nick Rogers

Midwest Film Journal

Making films might be easier for Robert Rodriguez now than when he was first starting out. But making them fun? That's not necessarily as simple. "Desperado" still illustrates that when Rodriguez was in his prime, he cut absolutely no corners on fun.

Rated: 3.5/5

Aug 26, 2025

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Emilie Black

Cinema Crazed

The story here gains from a higher budget and more experience on Rodriguez’ part. The writing and direction have evolved and are better than the first film while maintaining the spirit of El Mariachi.

Sep 14, 2024

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Maksim S

Stylish Excess and Wild Revenge. Desperado is pure, over-the-top action cinema, reveling in blood-soaked, high-octane sequences that flirt with the absurd. Robert Rodriguez doesn’t aim for subtlety or deep character commentary, and while the narrative isn’t particularly nuanced, it doesn’t need to be — the film thrives on sheer kinetic energy and audacious spectacle. The action unfolds with a Wild Bunch-style ferocity: exploding bullets, flamboyant stunts, and vengeful carnage delivered with a wink and a grin. It’s fun, funny, and unapologetically over the top, a genre spectacle that rewards viewers willing to surrender to its gleeful excess. Not high art, but a riotous, stylish revenge fantasy that knows exactly what it wants to be.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/02/25

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Chief B

Evident that Rodriguez is a big fan of Sergio Leone. With a twist of his own.. Great classic!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/25/25

Full Review

Stephen C

Success in 1 hour and 43 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated R for Strong Bloody Violence, Language and Strong Sex Scene!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $24,900,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/01/25

Full Review

Kolton M

Just for the bar scene alone!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/30/25

Full Review

Shioka O

Entertaining all the way. Maybe not the greatest but classic. Easy watch & many laughs.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/29/25

Full Review

thiago s

Filme bacana, o roteiro é bacaninha, as cenas de tiro foram bacanas, o elenco não ajudou tanto, mas o protagonista principal el mariachi é bom.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

02/22/25

Full Review

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Robert Rodriguez

Director

Antonio Banderas

El Mariachi

Salma Hayek

Carolina

Joaquim de Almeida

Bucho

Cheech Marin

Short Bartender

Steve Buscemi

Buscemi

Desperado: Official Clip - Is That Going On Right Now?

2:05

Desperado: Official Clip - We Can Improvise

1:53

Desperado: Official Clip - Guitar Army

2:09

Desperado: Official Clip - Throwing Knives

2:09

Desperado: Official Clip - Two Brothers, One Woman

2:13

Desperado: Official Clip - Serenade to an Ambush

2:10

Desperado: Official Clip - Let's Play

1:50

Desperado: Official Clip - Rooftop Escape

2:05

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Desperado: Trailer 1

2:02

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Synopsis

Mariachi (Antonio Banderas) plunges headfirst into the dark border underworld when he follows a trail of blood to the last of the infamous Mexican drug lords, Bucho (Joaquim de Almeida), for an action-packed, bullet-riddled showdown. With the help of his best friend (Steve Buscemi) and a beautiful bookstore owner (Salma Hayek), the Mariachi tracks Bucho, takes on his army of desperados, and leaves a trail of blood of his own.

Director: Robert Rodriguez
Producer: Robert Rodriguez, Bill Borden
Screenwriter: Robert Rodriguez
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Production Co: Columbia Pictures Corporation
Rating: R (Strong Bloody Violence|Language|Strong Sex Scene)
Genre: Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 25, 1995, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $24.9M
Runtime: 1h 43m
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby A, SDDS, Surround, Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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