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Review
Archives
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Today's
Date is:
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Desperado
(Superbit)
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Reviewed
by: |
Rachel
Hughes |
| Genre: |
Action
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| Video: |
Anamorphic
1.85:1 Widescreen |
| Audio: |
DTS and Dolby
Digital 5.1 |
| Language: |
English |
| Subtitle: |
English,
Freanch, Spanish, Portuguese, Chines, Korean and Thai |
| Length: |
1hr 43mins |
| Rating: |
R |
| Release
Date: |
10-9-01 |
| Studio: |
Columbia
TriStar |
| Commentary:
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None |
| Documentaries:
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None |
| Featurettes:
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None |
| Filmography/Biography:
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None |
|
Interviews: |
None |
| Trailers/TV
Spots: |
None |
| Alternate/Deleted
Scenes: |
None |
| Music
Video: |
None |
| Other:
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None |
| Cast
and Crew: |
Antonio Banderas,
Joaquim DeAlmeida, Salma Hayek, Steve Buscemi, Cheech Marin
and Quentin Tarantino |
| Screenplay
by: |
Robert Rodrigues |
| Produced
by: |
Robert Rodrigues |
| Directed
By: |
Robert Rodrigues |
| Music: |
Los Lobos |
| The
Review: |
"Desperado" is a story of revenge.
In "El Mariachi" a mariachi is mistaken for a ruthless hit
man and a local drug czar ruins his life. The woman he loves
is murdered, his hand is shot and he can never play the guitar
again. "Desperado" picks up where the first film left off.
The mariachi has turned into Antonio Banderas, a man bent
on revenge, destroying the drug cartels that destroyed his
life. "Desperado" is an extremely violent film, and violence
has never looked so good. Now this isn't your gritty street
violence, this is sepia-toned stylized violence. The good
guy hits everything, even when he is not aiming. The pounding
music that accompanies the shoot out mixed with Banderas charged
performance makes violence entertaining. Even after the recent
tragedies, "Desperado" still mesmerizes.
"Desperado" is one of the best action
movies made. It set Banderas on his path to being a household
name. Salma Hayek co-stars in one of her best film roles ever.
It also features wonderful quirky performances by Steve Buscemi,
and Quentin Tarantino. Furthermore the film proves that "El
Mariachi" was not a fluke, and Robert Rodrigues has some serious
talent. I for one cannot wait for the sequel!
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| Image
and Sound |
Recently
we have had several studios launch new "lines" of DVDs. They
all claim to have the best sound and picture as well as the
most extras. Now we have a new line from Columbia/Tristar, the
Superbit. Columbia/Tristar has decided to go the opposite direction.
Instead of trying to do everything well, they will do one thing
perfectly. The Superbit DVDs have no extras of any kind. Instead
they have used the extra disc space to give their movies twice
the bit rate of normal DVDs. This allows for a superior picture
and sound quality. Luckily for those video and audiophiles out
there this new line delivers. ***The picture is the most lifelike
I have ever seen on a DVD. The image clarity is razor sharp.
You can see every smudge of dirt on Banderas's face. The picture
is so perfect it is difficult to describe. There are no artifacts,
grain or any other distractions. The film has a slight yellow
wash to it, but it is intentionally, and doesn't bleed over
and overwhelm the film. The blacks and shadows, which are used
to great effect in this film, are the best out there. This is
a flawless transfer. It is also a transfer that would look great
on almost any TV. While it is designed for a high resolution
TV, preferably a widescreen one, it is just as stunning on a
regular 27 inch TV. ***If sound is more your thing, then this
disc will blow you away. You can hear everything, and it is
magnified to the nth degree. The dialogue is so natural and
life like it sounds like Banderas is sitting next to you reciting
his lines. The smallest sounds such as clapping, breaking glass,
or Banderas's boots jangling when he walks across the barroom
floor and crystal clear. Even though you can hear the more delicate
sounds clearly, your eardrums will not explode once the bullets
start to fly. Not only are the sounds clear, but they come from
every direction. Every speaker you own will be put to use with
this movie. Gunshots come at you from every angle, and panning
and directional effects come through wonderfully. |
| The
Extras |
Like
all Superbit movies, this has no extras |
| Commentary |
None |
| Final
Words: |
The Superbit line from Columbia
Tristar has certainly lived up to the hype. The only question
is, is it worth it? It depends upon what is most important
to you. If you crave tons of extras, then pass up the Superbit
collection. Picture and sound quality are steadily improving
on discs that contain extras. An excellent example of this
another Columbia Tristar film, "Monty Python and the Holy
Grail." The picture on that movie impressed me more than the
Superbit "Desperado." You can see a vast improvement from
the VHS to the DVD, and the disc is loaded! However for those
that crave perfect picture and sound then definitely pick
up the Superbit Collection because it will not dissapoint.
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