The Adventures of Bandolero (NR, 2006)

Set in Spain, THE ADVENTURES OF BANDOLERO opens in a small village controlled and terrorized by the governor and his henchman, Captain Rodrigo, who burns down several homes, including that of a young boy whose father is killed in the fire. The boy grows up to be Bandolero, a swashbuckling vigilante who protects the citizens and, a la Robin Hood, steals from the rich to give to the poor. Bandolero is aided by a trio of friends, and loved by the inexplicably blue-haired Maria, the governor's daughter.

Unfortunately, the violence seems pretty intense for a children's cartoon and has many scenes that may disturb younger children. On a less-serious note, some suspenseful scenes merely seem implausible, and the dialogue veers between archaically stilted to fairly ridiculous to strangely contemporary. The villains, meanwhile, are always laughing that stereotypical, crazy villains' laugh. All of this is likely to leave older kids unimpressed.

Overall, Bandolero has an almost sneering feel; even some of the "good" characters -- including the hero's canine sidekick -- aren't especially likeable and actually seem irritable. In fairness, perhaps something was lost in translation, as this movie was originally produced in Spain and appears to be dubbed in English. Although Bandolero and his gang are bound to triumph in the end, the journey there is, frankly, a little exhausting.

Studio: Liberation Entertainment
Director: Josep Viciana
Genre: Family and Kids
Run time: 87 minutes
Theatrical release: October 10, 2006
DVD release: October 10, 2006
MPAA Rating: NR