Description

In this continuation of "El Mariachi," a traveling musician looking for work gets mistaken for a hitman and is thereby entangled in a web of love, corruption, and death. This leads to a very high body count, involvement with a beautiful woman who works for the local drug lord, and finally, the inevitable face-to-face confrontation and bloody showdown. Stars Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek. Deluxe Edition packed with special features! Featurette: "Sneak Peak: Once Upon A Time in Mexico. Featurette: "10 More Minutes: Anatomy of a Shootout." Audio Commentary with Director Robert Rodriguez. ... Read more

Reviews (49)

A Child's Storytelling Perspective
First of all, this is a story told from a child's perspective. Please also be aware of the audience the story is being told to...Mike's (Tom Hanks) own children. For them to get the point of the story, Mike tells it in a way that children will understand..."How the story is told." The story does not make light of child abuse (as many reviewers have pointed out), it presents it in the way the two brothers dealt with it at the time and their support system (each other and Shane the dog). This is a wonderful story of how the two brothers deal with life's harsher side and how their family (each other and their mother) and their dog meant the world to them. It also presents the brothers' compassion and hope through adversity and physical and emotional pain. A story about how all of us at times, no matter what age, have to make tough decisions. This is tough subject matter to convey in a childrens' story, but this movie accomplishes it in an effective heartfelt way. It does it while preserving, not destroying, hope. Watch this movie with a child's eye and check your adult cynicism at the door. If you find yourself trying to analyze every scene, you're missing the point.

a different view on the ending
I have read many reviews on Radio Flyer, most concerned with the ambiguity of the ending. I saw the movie for the first time a few weeks ago. After watching it, I decided that it had, in fact, been a good movie. It was able to depict many aspects of child abuse, emotionally and physcially, along with the unstableness of the family. However, this alone does not even scratch the surface of the movie's depth. Like I said, after watching the movie, I had decided that it was good. However, if Mike's brother Bobby had flown off and never returned, then where did the turtle in the end come from? The same turtle that they boys had found when they were little, and the same turtle that Bobby took with him on his flight. After this perplexing detail was brought to my attention, I realized that Mike (tom hanks) at the beginning of the movie had said "History is all in the mind of the teller; truth is in the teller". The story recounted by Mike being told to his children was his version of what actually happened to him, and him alone, as a child. After considering this, other facts seemed to make sense. Why had only Bobby been abused? Why hadn't Bobby's flyer ever seem to fail? and for that matter, why hadn't Bobby ever come back? Because Bobby had never existed. In an attempt to escape his own childhood dilemas and tragedies, Mike created an outlet to disguard all his pain. The new idea of this ending made the movie so much better than I had originally perceived it. I'd definitely recommend it, even if it's just to get your own view on the ending :).

deserves one word - WOW
This movie just completely blows me away. It even made my mom tear up. Elijah Wood and Joseph Mazello do an amazing job, and especially at such a young age. And to think that Elijah grew up to do more amazing films like the Lord of the Rings trilogy. But this movie really is superb. Wonderful yet sad story, and by the end it makes you want to call up one of those hotlines for physically abused children and help out. If I could, I'd give it 10 stars.

PLEASE PUT RADIO FLYER ON DVD!!!!!!!
I've been waiting years for Radio Flyer to be released on DVD!!!!! i know many others who want this great story on DVD too... this is a CLASSIC and greatly deserves to be preserved in the newest form of portable video!!!!!

Great movie, don't want my kids to see it
Hey its PG 13. Well everyone else gave away the end. Call me a idiot. I believed he flew away in the wagon. Why (...) would Tom Hanks spend 2 hours at the airport waiting for his brother to show up. Or maybe he was about to go to therapy as the other viewers suggest. The movie is great ... Read more

Reviews (40)

DVD does not get any better
Robert Rodriguez's "El Mariachi" is one of the great independent movies. It follows a very original plot about a man with no name (called El Mariachi)(Carlos Gallardo) who comes into a crime run Mexican town looking for work. Instead he is being mistaken for a man carrying a guitar case full of guns seeking revenge on the town boss. Plenty of great action sequences light up this amazing film.

El mariachi returns in the big budget/big cast sequel, "Desperado" starring Antonio Banderas. This time he is the one seeking revenge with the guitar case full of guns. The character has become more of a legend. The cast is great featuring Joaquim De Almeida, Salma Hayek, Steve Buscemi, Cheech Marin, and even Quentin Tarentino. Carlos Gallardo also makes a brief appearance in a different role. The script is gret and the action sequences are even better.

The DVD has commentary from Rodriguez and features additional short programs about how he went about filming the two movies. It is really interesting to hear how these films were made, making it an essential DVD for any movie buff. There are the original trailers as well as scene selection. Both movies are really good and this DVD certainly deserves a look.

El Mariachi/Desperado - A Twin Bonanza!
These are 2 great action flicks I've watched in recent times. I do not really want to compare both, but couldn't help not doing it.

El Mariachi is definitely a masterpiece from a very young, versatile director Robert Rodriguez, who I think has a tremendous potential. Good, solid performances from little known Carlos Gallardo and Conseula Gomez. Do not forget the fact that the movie was made for a measly budget of $7,000 with help from the Director's friends and acquaintances. Very gripping, amazing picturization and very good use of even trivial, simple looking things. A must-see movie for any Action Director Wannabe. On the flip side, it's meant for those who could follow Spanish or comfortable "reading" movies.

Then there is Desperado, flashy and star studded. Rodriguez spices it up with some stylized action, steamy romance and an impressive music score and in the process losing some of his artistic touch. Banderas and Hayek have good chemistry between them and all other actors blend into their roles perfectly. It's not clear if Desperado is a remake or a sequel of El Mariachi. The storylines are similar except for the beginning and end. El Mariachi is not really a 'bad guy', just a victim of circumstances and slave to passion, does things he doesn't intend to, at the spur of the moment, falls in love with a girl in the town and pitched against the local Drug Baron in both. This would make one feel Desperado is a high-budget remake of El Mariachi. But, the Mariachi's motives are very different in both. In the former, an ambitious young Mariachi comes into the town to make a living for himself and is mistaken for a Guitarist gunslinger. However in the latter, he comes in to avenge his lover's brutal killing and also there's an interesting twist towards the end.

If Moco who killed Mariachi's lover, met his death in Mariachi's hands in the first movie, why did he show up again in the second? If it was Moco who killed Mariachi's lover, why did he seek revenge on Bucho in the second? These could be flaws or things I didn't understand. Anyway, don't break your head on these, just sit back, relax and enjoy the movies.. I'm sure you'll love them!

A note on DVD: Desperado DVD can't get any better, it's very good; However, Mariachi DVD leaves much to be desired. I believe there's a better 2-disc DVD available in the market that has a remastered version of Mariachi from the Director's original negatives. Go for that version if you're very particular about the DVD quality..

Mindless but Entertaining
As I watched this film for the first time, my two reactions were (a) I'll bet they all had fun making it and (b) is this a parody of the so-called "Spaghetti Westerns"? Essentially, there is no plot. El Mariachi (Antonio Banderas) seeks revenge from Bucho (Joaquim de Almeida) in a town which the drug dealer controls. EM enlists the support and assistance of Carolina (Selma Hayek) who owns and manages the local book store. (I'm not making this up.) No one eats or sleeps in this film. All of the action occurs during the day. There are a few crowd scenes but no one in the crowd seems to have any interest whatsoever in the fact that the street scenes are being filmed. There is one bar of special note. Cheech Marin is its host and bartender. (If you think the bar in Star Wars is unfriendly, this one makes it seem like the Palm Court at The Plaza in New York.) At one point, Quentin Tarantino briefly appears. Apparently he is involved in a drug deal which goes bad. Steve Buscemi also makes a brief appearance. Prudently, he decides not to become involved in the plot. (Where is Harvey Keitel?) EM is a one-man-army. Credit Rodriguez with brilliantly choreographing his creative and relentless carnage which leads up to the inevitable showdown with Bucho. Although most of this film makes no sense whatsoever, I found it thoroughly entertaining. It is on my Top Ten list of films to watch while consuming buttered popcorn, a box of Dots, and a cold beverage...or two.

====ripped off some of john woo's movies====
====most of the scenes are reminicense or like john woo's films but this movie was a good copy=====

Mexican Heat!!! READ ME
Wow, must see, Antonio has done it again, and with his new movie Once upon a Time in Mexico, SWEET!!! He faces of a challeng where Bucho has killed his family and he wants revenge. Making blood banks all over. But really what makes you want to go crazy for, the guitar, or guitar case. He is a mexican mariachi looking for Bucho with a guitar case full of wepons. Now i don't want to spoil it, and you can also find once Upon a Time in Mexico with Antonio. ... Read more

Description

The Superbit titles utilize a special high bit rate digital encoding process which optimizes video quality while offering a choice of both DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. These titles have been produced by a team of Sony Pictures Digital Studios video, sound and mastering engineers and comes housed in a special package complete with a 4 page booklet that contains technical information on the Superbit process. By reallocating space on the disc normally used for value-added content, Superbit DVDs can be encoded at double their normal bit rate while maintaining full compatibility with the DVD video format. ... Read more

Reviews (94)

The Most Super of Superbit DVDs
This week I had an opportunity to take a look at the new Superbit DVDs from Columbia Tristar. Of all the Superbit DVDs we looked at the one which clearly delivered on the Superbit promise is Desperado Superbit with a version clearly superior to the initial release. From the first scene in the movie on, the picture is remarkably improved over the original version. To give you an example of how big the difference is, when Steve Buscemi's character walks into the bar, it looks like it is lit in a murky brown light, whereas in the Superbit version the bar is clearly and evenly lit by a dark red light. I was like, "Oh, so that's what it's supposed to look like!" I found myself comparing a good number of scenes in Desperado, and clearly across the board the Desperado Superbit looked better. The key scene I selected compare between the two versions in Desperado was the one where Carolina (played by Selma Hayek) sings a song on the bed of El Mariachi (Antonio Banderas). Some of the notable differences I could see:

• Skin tone! Wow! In the Superbit version there's a dramatic difference in skin tone, it looks a lot richer and is a much truer color.
• As the camera pans over to Selma's face you can see much more detail in her face and on her skin.
• The colors of El Mariachi's guns are much different and they glimmer in the Superbit version. In the original version they are a dull metallic color.

The DTS audio track is as dramatic a difference as the picture. Most noticeably is when El Mariachi jumps backward from the top of the building firing his pistols. In the DTS audio track you hear a thud as he lands, something I didn't hear in either the old or new Dolby Digital tracks. Of all the Superbit Titles, Desperado is the easiest to recommend as a 'replacement' DVD for someone who already owns the original version. The improvements in the Superbit version are significant enough to warrant a purchase and you don't give up anything going to Superbit, as the original release didn't have any special features. However, there was also a double feature release (yep, Superbit makes release #3), which had Desperado on one side and El Mariachi on the other, so that's a pretty huge special feature to give up (and the only way to own El Mariachi on DVD).

[Geoffrey Kleinman, DVDTalk.com]

"El Mariachi" with a budget
As far as revenge flicks go, this one plays by all the rules....and still delivers the goods. The main draw of this film is (and ought to be) the promise of some amazing action scenes. With Robert Rodriguez directing, you know you'll get what you paid for. Revenge flicks also need an angry lone hero out to get anybody for a past wrong. And here we have Antonio Banderas in (what I consider to be) his breakout role. His is really the only character that has the amount of depth usually reserved for more weighty films. But then again, we're talking about a Robert Rodriguez movie. And Banderas is a damn fine actor. He is perfectly cast as the nameless "Mariachi." Salma Hayek is lookin' good as the love interest, but aside from being Salma Hayek (something no man can quibble over), she isn't given much to work with. Still, there is a hilarious throwaway role filled past the brim by the inestimable Steve Buscemi; Cheech Marin appears as "the Bartender." Quentin Tarantino even pops up to tell an obscene joke (can you imagine?). The one debit this film has going against it, besides the one-dimensional -- though highly entertaining -- characters, is the fact that the huge climactic gunfight at the ranch never is shown! (If you've seen the film, you know what I'm talking about.)

I suppose I should summarize.... "Desperado" rocks. Plain and simple, if you're looking for an above-average action thriller with lots of goofy humor, this is the way to do it. And if you're really ambitious, I highly recommend seeing "Desperado" and "El Mariachi," Rodriguez's original feature debut, in one sitting and comparing the two films. "El Mariachi" is much better, but since it was filmed on a shoestring budget, it doesn't feature some of the more mind-blowing fight sequences you can find in "Desperado." It's up to you to decide which is better, but for sure, "Desperado" is one of my top picks for a guilty pleasure. 4 of 5 stars.

West Side Story...South of the Border
OK, may be the plot isn't relative and the weaponry a little more state-of-the-art, but the choreography.....better!

This violent, shoot-um-up-to-the-max was definitely 'death dancing to it's own rhythm'.

I viewed the Superbit DVD, but never having watched either of the previous two DVDs nor the video, I can't make any comparison. I can say the DTS was awesome. The picture quality was excellent. It doesn't get any better than this, especially since the tiny shrinking cinemaplex theaters have made my surround-sound and 32" TV the theater of choice.

Sex and guns and music from Los Lobos interwoven with campy humor, Antonio being...well Antonio (ladies, need I say more), with great support from the likes of Steve Buscemi (in one of his best roles I think), Cheech Marin, and the sultry Salma Hayek; what more could you want in an action movie. I found this film far superior to and much more enjoyable than 'Dawn To Dusk'.

Now that 'Desperado II - Once Upon A Time in Mexico'is in the works for a 2003 release with the return of Antonio and Salma and the addition of Johnny Depp and Enrique Iglesias, once again under the direction of Robert Rodriguez, we can look foward to finding out just where the loving couple rode off to into the sunset.

Seems I repeatedly say these two things:

I am not your run-of-the mill young western fan - wrong gender, wrong age, but I enjoyed it anyway;

and also reminding those who picked-at the flaws, degraded and jeered at the plot (?), questioned the reality, and just plain didn't get the campiness, to just let yourself go!

Don't take yourself and the movies so seriously. Enjoy the humor. Enjoy Antonio or Salma, whichever one sets your pulse-to-racing. Heck, just enjoy the movie!

It Was Good, But ...
I was disappointed with the ending. Of course, I loved the twist, but the conclusion to the twist wasn't what I was hoping for. But hey, if you enjoy "out on a vendetta" movies as much as I do, you'll enjoy the ride.

A GREAT ACTION FILM FOR THE AGES!
I am a big fan of the "action" genre and the whole Mariachi Trilogy tops my list.Especially with Desperado my favorite.I showed this film to my friend and they were extreamly impressed.Some people say that this movie's no good because it's too too unreal.This movie wasn't meant to be real it was meant to be fun.Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek really give this movie a "spice" to the screen.Desperado is filled with bullet-flying action,humor,and a romance.Those who've seen this movie will know what I'm talking about.If you're not into actio movies,or violent movies than Desperado is defenetley not for you.For those who are into action movies and haven't seen this movie yet,SEE IT NOW!I gaurentee you won't be disappointed. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Before Robert Rodriguez's El Mariachi, Mexicans in North American action films were typically maids, drug dealers, or prison inmates. Even if the Cisco Kid was a friend of yours, you handled a dust cloth or a Mac-10 if you lasted in Hollywood longer than a New York minuto. But when El Mariachi crossed the border in 1992, things changed. Granted, it still involved a drug lord in a shoot-em-up, bang-bang, but this time the good guy was a Mexican. Austin-based Rodriguez made El Mariachi for a fistful of pesos and a little help from his friends. He wrote, directed, coproduced, edited, and operated the camera. Plus, he assembled a cast that had never acted before to work por nada. All for a paltry $7,000, a milagro without a beanfield war.

Desperado continues the outrageous action adventure. Working with a much bigger budget, Rodriguez returns the nameless mariachi to nonstop action. Again thrust into a world he never made, the hero takes his guitar-case arsenal deep into the criminal labyrinth of Bucho (Joaquim de Almeida), el gran chingon of the Mexican drug lords. With an amigo (Steve Buscemi) and a beautiful bookstore owner (Salma Hayek), el mariachi confronts an outrageous cast along the way, including a bartender (Cheech Marin), a drug deal pick-up guy (Quentin Tarantino), and the original mariachi (coproducer Carlos Gallardo) as a new-found compa'. Antonio Banderas has the lead this time, and if he's not quite up to the challenge, it's probably because he's Spanish, not Mexican, a distinction not lost by anyone raised on what the popular media now calls "ethnic food." That said, Desperado is not to be missed. Using intelligence, romance, and humor--as well as plenty of explosive, surreal violence--Rodriguez again showcases the timeless struggle between the forces of darkness and light. And, in the process, he's recasting the mold for the contemporary action hero--kids now argue about who gets to play the Mexican. --Stephan Magcosta ... Read more

Reviews (40)

DVD does not get any better
Robert Rodriguez's "El Mariachi" is one of the great independent movies. It follows a very original plot about a man with no name (called El Mariachi)(Carlos Gallardo) who comes into a crime run Mexican town looking for work. Instead he is being mistaken for a man carrying a guitar case full of guns seeking revenge on the town boss. Plenty of great action sequences light up this amazing film.

El mariachi returns in the big budget/big cast sequel, "Desperado" starring Antonio Banderas. This time he is the one seeking revenge with the guitar case full of guns. The character has become more of a legend. The cast is great featuring Joaquim De Almeida, Salma Hayek, Steve Buscemi, Cheech Marin, and even Quentin Tarentino. Carlos Gallardo also makes a brief appearance in a different role. The script is gret and the action sequences are even better.

The DVD has commentary from Rodriguez and features additional short programs about how he went about filming the two movies. It is really interesting to hear how these films were made, making it an essential DVD for any movie buff. There are the original trailers as well as scene selection. Both movies are really good and this DVD certainly deserves a look.

El Mariachi/Desperado - A Twin Bonanza!
These are 2 great action flicks I've watched in recent times. I do not really want to compare both, but couldn't help not doing it.

El Mariachi is definitely a masterpiece from a very young, versatile director Robert Rodriguez, who I think has a tremendous potential. Good, solid performances from little known Carlos Gallardo and Conseula Gomez. Do not forget the fact that the movie was made for a measly budget of $7,000 with help from the Director's friends and acquaintances. Very gripping, amazing picturization and very good use of even trivial, simple looking things. A must-see movie for any Action Director Wannabe. On the flip side, it's meant for those who could follow Spanish or comfortable "reading" movies.

Then there is Desperado, flashy and star studded. Rodriguez spices it up with some stylized action, steamy romance and an impressive music score and in the process losing some of his artistic touch. Banderas and Hayek have good chemistry between them and all other actors blend into their roles perfectly. It's not clear if Desperado is a remake or a sequel of El Mariachi. The storylines are similar except for the beginning and end. El Mariachi is not really a 'bad guy', just a victim of circumstances and slave to passion, does things he doesn't intend to, at the spur of the moment, falls in love with a girl in the town and pitched against the local Drug Baron in both. This would make one feel Desperado is a high-budget remake of El Mariachi. But, the Mariachi's motives are very different in both. In the former, an ambitious young Mariachi comes into the town to make a living for himself and is mistaken for a Guitarist gunslinger. However in the latter, he comes in to avenge his lover's brutal killing and also there's an interesting twist towards the end.

If Moco who killed Mariachi's lover, met his death in Mariachi's hands in the first movie, why did he show up again in the second? If it was Moco who killed Mariachi's lover, why did he seek revenge on Bucho in the second? These could be flaws or things I didn't understand. Anyway, don't break your head on these, just sit back, relax and enjoy the movies.. I'm sure you'll love them!

A note on DVD: Desperado DVD can't get any better, it's very good; However, Mariachi DVD leaves much to be desired. I believe there's a better 2-disc DVD available in the market that has a remastered version of Mariachi from the Director's original negatives. Go for that version if you're very particular about the DVD quality..

Mindless but Entertaining
As I watched this film for the first time, my two reactions were (a) I'll bet they all had fun making it and (b) is this a parody of the so-called "Spaghetti Westerns"? Essentially, there is no plot. El Mariachi (Antonio Banderas) seeks revenge from Bucho (Joaquim de Almeida) in a town which the drug dealer controls. EM enlists the support and assistance of Carolina (Selma Hayek) who owns and manages the local book store. (I'm not making this up.) No one eats or sleeps in this film. All of the action occurs during the day. There are a few crowd scenes but no one in the crowd seems to have any interest whatsoever in the fact that the street scenes are being filmed. There is one bar of special note. Cheech Marin is its host and bartender. (If you think the bar in Star Wars is unfriendly, this one makes it seem like the Palm Court at The Plaza in New York.) At one point, Quentin Tarantino briefly appears. Apparently he is involved in a drug deal which goes bad. Steve Buscemi also makes a brief appearance. Prudently, he decides not to become involved in the plot. (Where is Harvey Keitel?) EM is a one-man-army. Credit Rodriguez with brilliantly choreographing his creative and relentless carnage which leads up to the inevitable showdown with Bucho. Although most of this film makes no sense whatsoever, I found it thoroughly entertaining. It is on my Top Ten list of films to watch while consuming buttered popcorn, a box of Dots, and a cold beverage...or two.

====ripped off some of john woo's movies====
====most of the scenes are reminicense or like john woo's films but this movie was a good copy=====

Mexican Heat!!! READ ME
Wow, must see, Antonio has done it again, and with his new movie Once upon a Time in Mexico, SWEET!!! He faces of a challeng where Bucho has killed his family and he wants revenge. Making blood banks all over. But really what makes you want to go crazy for, the guitar, or guitar case. He is a mexican mariachi looking for Bucho with a guitar case full of wepons. Now i don't want to spoil it, and you can also find once Upon a Time in Mexico with Antonio. ... Read more

Description

Bridget Fonda (JACKIE BROWN, LITTLE BUDDHA) and Kiefer Sutherland (DARK CITY, A TIME TO KILL) head an all-star cast in this edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller! After blacking out in a violent domestic battle, Jimmy (Fonda) awakens in the hospital to learn that her abusive husband, Frank, has died in a fiery crash ... and that she is the prime suspect! As the police focus on building their case against Jimmy, she uncovers evidence indicating that Frank may not only still be alive, but getting away with murder! With Penelope Ann Miller (AWAKENINGS, CARLITO'S WAY) and Steven Weber (T.V.'s WINGS, LEAVING LAS VEGAS) adding memorable performances, you'll be riveted to the growing suspense as Jimmy, in a daring escape from police custody, races toward a final confrontation with justice and revenge! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Fonda is great and Sutherland is mostly silent
this is about Bridget Fonda..she loses her memory because of her abusive husband..Kiefer is the cop trying to protect her..not a bad movie.. I liked it because of the leads..though can you say that Kiefer was mostly silent in this one...and the guy whos the wife beater should burn in eternal hell..first saw this on Fox because they always..mostly air movies on the weekends and this was one of them.

C'mon people! It's not THAT bad.
Let's get something out of the way first. Is this a really good movie? Well, uh, no. It's a potboiler with plenty of cliches and lots of implausible plot turns. But then, I didn't think I was getting Hitchcock when I rented it. This is a B movie, and like cheap wine and seedy beach motels, B movies have an honest job to perform. The job of a B movie, far as I'm concerned, is to hold my interest and keep me entertained without making me groan or roll my eyes too often. That's what I needed when I watched this (long day at work) and that's what I got. And I've been much more bored by (and put off by the pretensions of) movies with much higher ratings.

As for Bridget Fonda's performance, seems to me there's another way to read it. Abuse makes some people numb. Bridget Fonda's Jimmy seemed to me to be a fairly plausible depiction of a certain kind of abuse victim. Seemed to me that there were a few nice touches -- the scene in the kitchen after she's missed picking Frank up; the scene in the motel room just before the end.

No one's likely to nominate this film for any awards. But as far as I'm concerned, I got my $... worth. That doesn't always happen went I rent a movie.

Worse than mediocre
Worse than mediocre thriller about an abused wife who goes on the lam after she is linked circumstantially to the death of her husband and sister. Determined to prove that her husband is alive she follows leads across the state, her peril increasing at each stop. Chasing after her are the traditional 'good-cop' and 'bad-cop' pair of partners. One is convinced of her innocence the other more interested in closing the case and getting home. This pair is often able to corner their suspect but never quite to capture her. All the main players meet up in a remote town in the desert and the truth begins to unfold with deadly consequences for some.

Wow! This was a bad movie. The lead acted as if she was tranquilized, The cops couldn't find a suspect if he or she is in the police station (this happens twice) and everyone else is as one-dimensional as can be. Avoid this one at all costs.

DUMB PERFORMANCES
Everything is this movie seems out of place. The old cliche "good cop-bad cop", lived by Sutherland and his pal doesn't work at all! Dridget is in an awkward performance, totally unconvincing, unreal, flat. ANyway, it serves to study how a movie with so good cast can be a tremendous waste of time..

ILLTEPHILL is wrong!
Bridget FOnda at her best performance? Guy, this is a lousy picture, where everything is wrong: the director seems to don't know what to do with the weak script he had in its hands; Sutherland and Ann-Miller seems to be working to pay their bills, only; and Bridget confused the order to act like a deaf woman and acted as a sleepy girl all movie long ! Every minute watching this pocture was wasted, but I rented it because of the cast. Sad mistake... ... Read more

Description

WHEN THE RULES DON’T WORK AND A CHILD IS A STAKE…ONE TEACHER RISKS EVERYTHING. Through love, patience and extraordinary commitment, a teacher breaks down the barriers of silent aggression and ‘tames’ a highly disturbed child in this superbly-acted drama. Six-year-old Caitlin vandalizes property, smears excrement on walls and attacks other children, causing them devastating injuries. She has been branded psychotic and seems doomed to a life behind bars in a mental hospital. But, beneath this devilish exterior lies a very different character: a charming child of near-genius intelligence. And, when Caitlin joins Maggie Barnard’s special education class, Maggie refuses to give up on the child, whom everyone else has abandoned – even if it means challenging the law.Starring CATHY LEE CROSBY (Intimate Strangers, The Player), and child actress ASHLEE LAUREN, JOHN GETZ (A Day Without a Mexican, The Fly) and GARY FRANK (Death in Small Doses). ... Read more

Reviews (2)

WONDERFULMOVIE!!
A woman who believes in a troubled child must go against the law in order to help her in this made-for-TV drama, inspired by a true story. Six-year-old Caitlin is a deeply disturbed child whose violent and disruptive behavior prevents her from attending school or day care with other youngsters. However, Special Education teacher Maggie Barnardsenses that there is a great intelligence in Caitlin, and she believes Caitlin can be taught if someone can find out how to reach her. However, not everyone Maggie works with agrees with her assessment, and as she attempts to break through the walls of anger and abuse that surround Caitlin's mind, she must also do battle with a system that sometimes does more harm than good to kids.

This issucha well done movie and is a movie thatyou find yourself watching againand again,theres justsomething so good about it!

++seen this over 5 times++
BASED ON A TRUE STORY, untamed love is about a 6-year old girl who vandlises property,sets other kids on fire and looks for affection. When caitlin eldrige is put into a class of kids, everything turns out worse, she won't have the teacher touching her or she kicks up, and throws pencils in the classroom. Her teacher, maggie is doing everything to help her and refuses to let her to go into care as she recovers love and affection from maggie. When the other kids begin to like caitlin, she becomes over what has happened and turns out to be a normal kid. GREAT FILM. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Frankly, I Watched SOLO To See Adrien Brody!
When I recently stumbled upon SOLO on cable TV and realized that Adrien Brody, one of my favorite actors, was third-billed in this Mario Van Peebles action flick, I decided to record it and check it out later for the heck of it. Turns out that was a good idea, since I got the most enjoyment out of this derivative SF/action/adventure when I simply gave up and fast-forwarded to Brody's scenes as Solo's endearingly scruffy creator Dr. Bill Stewart (sounds like the kind of bland name they'd give the hero in a 1950s creature feature -- see, I told you SOLO was derivative! :-). Brody's one of the few performers in the film who actually says his lines with heart and conviction. When he was emoting opposite Van Peebles & Co., I wonder if Brody ever thought one day he'd be winning an Oscar for his starring turn in a Roman Polanski drama? :-) Adrien Brody fans, get the VCR ready; genre fans, try renting THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, FRANKENSTEIN, THE TERMINATOR, or any of the other movies that SOLO rips off, er, pays homage to! :-)

Very good move and concept
The movie was great. Im actually surprised it didn't jump start Mario Van Peebles' career more than it did.

A one star rating on this movie is too much of a compliment
This movie is nothing but a boring, unthrilling waiste of money. It's like an eclipse, people, it's dangerous to look at it directly.

An action pack thriller.
Director Norberto Barba directed the independence "Blue Tiger" starring Virginia Madsen. Not a bad movie. And his next movie "Solo" is much better. Sure, nothing new about the plot. About a cyborg that somehow got soft spot in his "heart" and disobey direct order to destroy civilians. Eventually it is destroyed but guess what it survived. But the good thing about this DVD is the powerful sound. Until the recently released T2 special edition, I think this is one of the best sound for an action movie on DVD. Consider to add this title to your DVD collection if you are an action movie fans. I did.

Don't Underate This movie--There are so far only 2 reviews
This movie is underrated, and how are you supposed to tell how good it is with only 3 reviews? There are 3 different opinions here, but it is up to you who you believe. I really enjoyed this movie. It is almost like a PG-13 Terminator 2 with much less violence and a different plot. Solo is a "robot" that stumbles upon a village of Mexican Farmers. They are being attacked by stubborn rebels but Solo quickly gets rid of this threat. He teaches them how to fight back, and they get their turn for fighting back. Action-a little bit of love, a good plot-what more could you need? This story brings together the thought of friendship through tough odds and different races. The acting is quite good, the plot is believable, and it teaches you some good facts about how to live your life. Hatred--or friendship. Solo has his hands filled with battling soldiers, and even a new improved version of the same kind of robot he is.

THIS MOVIE IS NOT THE BEST IN THE WORLD, BUT IS DEFINITELY WORTH SEEING. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It's Sergio Leone meets Sam Peckinpah meets Quentin Tarantino in this ultraviolent, mythological shoot-'em-up by auteur Robert Rodriguez. In Desperado, Rodriguez creates larger-than-life, genre-tweaking stock characters and puts them through their paces. As they stride bravely through an Old West lightly dusted with camp humor, they're periodically called upon to nimbly dodge bullets and fireballs through outrageously choreographed displays of Hollywood pyrotechnics. In this bigger-budget semi-remake/semi-sequel to Rodriguez's indie sensation, El Mariachi (made, famously, for $7,000), Antonio Banderas is the darkly charismatic El Mariachi, the Mysterious Stranger in town; Steve Buscemi is perfectly cast as his weasely, motor-mouth Comic Sidekick, laying the groundwork for El Mariachi's entrance by spinning saloon stories to build up his legend; Cheech Marin is a standout as the Bartender, who really knows how to handle a toothpick; and gorgeous Salma Hayek is, well, the Girl--treated to the kind of full-blown, slow-mo introduction the movies traditionally lavish on beautiful new stars. It doesn't add up to much, but it's a kick. Be careful not to blow out your speakers with the DVD's Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. --Jim Emerson ... Read more