***Hilarious comedy Western with Steve Martin, Chevy Chase and Martin Short***

Three silent movie stars in 1916 (Steve Martin, Chevy Chase and Martin Short) are mistaken for real heroes by a beautiful Hispanic woman (Patrice Martinez) and hired to rid an oppressed Mexican village of El Guapo (Alfonso Arau) and his banditos.

“Three Amigos” (1986) is a comedy Western with elements of “The Magnificent Seven” (1960) and “The Wild Bunch” (1969). The first half is quietly amusing, but kind of dull as you try to catch a grip with the curious happenings. I wasn’t laughing and was starting to wonder what the whole hubbub was about (a respected friend of mine cited it as one of his favorite movies).

Thankfully, the inventive second half ventures into laugh-out-loud territory starting with the iconic thirst-in-the-desert sequence. In addition, the Southwestern locations are spectacular and there are a few gorgeous Latino women. What more could you ask for in a flick like this?

The film runs 1 hour, 44 minutes and was shot in Arizona and Universal City, California.

GRADE: B+