January 18, 2007

Penelope Cruz + Salma Heyak + Cowboy Chaps and Corsets = "Why Aren't I Straight?"


So, I got sent a free copy of Bandidas in the mail, so I figured I'd watch it and write something about it.

Ya know what? I liked it. It ain't rocket science, it isn't trying to reinvent the wheel, it's just fun. I know a lot of people use that as an excuse to forgive crap (like stuff with Adam Sandler or Rob Schneider or Martin Lawrence), but here I think it's true. It's got two sexy mamas (Penelope Cruz and Salma Heyak) donning tight fitting outfits and parading around the desert shooting at things and robbing banks. If you turn your brain off at the door, I'm sure you'll have a good time.

Stalking around through the IMDb forums there are people saying it's bad because it's unrealistic and the dialogue is stupid and the acting is bad and it's cliched. Have these people been watching the big Summer movies lately? They're seem to be easily forgiven for whatever reason despite having much more money (this only cost $35mil according to the IMDb). This is much better than a lot of the films released in the last US Summer.

It's interesting to think why this movie was unceremoneously dumped by it's studio. I mean, they've got plenty to market - at least to young male audiences. As I already mentioned - Hot chicks in tight clothes robbing banks. If you sit down to watch this movie and can't see that it's a plain ol' fashioned popcorn movie then you deserve to be filled with rage and anger at the end. Go masturbate over that scene in Superman Returns where Superman lifts up a giant rock. That was much more entertaining! *drips sarcasm*

Bandidas is fun and I don't care what others say. Penelope and Salma have great chemistry and it really shines through. It looks wonderful, the action scenes are entertaining and well done and it's funny in places too. But, again, it's a movie about two hot chicks in tight clothes running around the desert robbing banks. If you can't see past that and want some deep and meaningful drama then it's your own fault for not liking it.


Bandidas is out now on DVD in America/Canada and other assorted places. Check it out more by clicking here.

12 comments:

Javier Aldabalde said...

This movie looks awesome.

RC said...

how funny...i enjoyed your thought process a lot.

every time i think of selma i think of frida and the mustache she had in that movie...yikes!

Glenn Dunks said...

And monobrow. Don't forget the monobrow!

adam k. said...

I believe the correct term is "unibrow" ; )

Glenn Dunks said...

Yeah, I think my brain fell out.

Emma said...

Hey, were you sent it for advertising the movie? 'Cos I got sent an e-mail saying that if I advertised the movie on my blog, I'd get a copy of the DVD sent, but I didn't know if it was real or not and ignored it.

kinda regret it now. :(

Glenn Dunks said...

Yeah, it's weird. It's happened a few times. One was for an entire series of a program (that I didn't have time to watch, but gladly accepted a free copy of) and My Super Ex Girlfriend, which didn't work on my DVD player (or anybody else's for that matter).

And, yeah, I thought the first one was fake too.

Paxton Hernandez said...

Bandidas was just a good popcorn movie. People here hated and trashed it. They need to calm the hell down.

There is this scene when Steve Zahn is barenaked on bed and Salma and Penelope take turns on kissing, to see who's the better kisser. Made me sweat.

There's an (unintencionally) hilarious scene too, when hottie but stuck-up Salma screams something like: "¡Viva México!, ¡Vive La Revolución!". The way she screams and the fact that the Revolution still was some years (or decades) away, cracked me up. Funny.

Glenn Dunks said...

Yeah, people seem to be acting as if this was meant to be Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (which it clearly borrows from). But, it's not. It's a silly popcorn movie for teenage boys and some select few who can distinguish between this and stuff like Requiem for a Dream.

Anonymous said...

It'll be out on DVD here in Oz in June 2007

Yaseen Ali said...

How come I never get these offers for free DVDs?

I'm so renting this. I love Penelope again after Volver, and Salma is always fun.

Glenn Dunks said...

It's funny. I love Penelope now, but before I was very "meh" towards her.