Quick Look: ¡Three Amigos! (1986)

I will start off by noting that this is the only movie I have ever walked out of the theater prior to the ending, to date.  While my initial contact with Three Amigos was not so great, time has somewhat softened my view of it.  In fact, I would refer to it as a great "drunk movie" - meaning it gets funnier while consuming alcohol.  Singing along while intoxicated with several of your friends is an experience worth having.
**spoiler alert** So let's start: with three Saturday Night Live alums starring in the film what could go wrong?  In addition, the movie was written by Lorne Michaels and Steve Martin, and directed by John Landis.  I am sure that is what the producers and director thought when they put this movie together, but very much like mixing your favorite foods on the same plate, what is in front of you just doesn't always look good.
The year is 1916, Lucky Day (Steve Martin), Dusty Bottoms (Chevy Chase), and Ned Nederlander (Martin Short) are all silent film Hollywood stars, their on -screen characters are called the Three Amigos.  Meanwhile in Mexico, a girl named Carmen sees an Amigos silent film, thinking they are "real heroes" and can/will help her village, Santa Poco, which is being extorted by a local thug named El Guapo and his gang.  Carmen sends a telegram to the Three Amigos in Hollywood requesting their help.  The Amigos accept the invitation, and clearly being dense, believe it to be an invitation to star in another movie - not to protect the village from a criminal gang.  And the hilarity ensues.
The Amigos confront El Guapo but then scurry away when the realize it is not a "part in a movie", and their lives are in danger.  However, the Amigos quickly grow the proverbial "pair" and end up prevailing at the end, transforming into the real heroes they previously pretended to be.  Mixed in with this thin plot were ill-timed jokes, goofy musical bits, and a complete trashing of Mexican culture.
I believe my initial problem with the movie was expectation.  I think that I hoped for either a tongue-in-cheek spoof of the Western movie genre (a-la Airplane), or I expected a complete madcap explosion of insanity that the three leads have put onto the big screen in the past.  But neither of those things happened and instead we got a goofy PG-rated, lovable-lunkhead comedy.  At the end I felt it was all the supporting actors, especially El Guapo and his gang, that put up the best comedic moments.
For truly idiotic fun, give it a try.  I recommend Mexican beer or margaritas accompany your viewing.  Watch again and sign along.

Extras:
- The film supposedly was written as a spoof of The Magnificent Seven
- Its release in Mexico was never authorized because of its demeaning portrayal of Mexicans
- Was originally supposed to star Steve Martin, Dan Ankroyd, and John Belushi
- El Guapo (the leader) means "the handsome" in spanish, while Jefe (the #2 guy) actually means "boss".