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Parents' Guide to

Three Amigos!

By David Gurney, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 11+

Spoofy send up of Western films is OK for mature tweens.

Movie PG 1986 105 minutes
Three Amigos! Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 11+

Based on 4 parent reviews

shadowfc
shadowfc Parent of 6, 10 and 13-year-old
April 10, 2010
age 13+

Love this oldie, but watch the language

Another great old movie that I watched growing up, but really this is for the older kids. I often caution parents that there are many great movies we remember that preceded the PG-13 rating. This is one of them that would probably qualify because of the language. I counted 1 GD, 3 hells, 1 ass, 1 s-bomb, and a few D's thrown in there. They even threw in a male anatomy word (d---) which my kids are not allowed to use. Top that with a few sexually explicit jokes - one about foreplay and another about a "male" plane with male parts hanging down and it makes for a dicey dialog. Other than the language, the violence is so lighthearted and comical that you bearly think about it being real. It is a comedy after all. My advice is to preview it first, particularly before letting younger kids watch it. My 13 year old thought it was just as campy as I did back in the day. There are some classic funny lines that I still use with my workmates!

This title has:

Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
2 people found this helpful.
NEBSTER
NEBSTER Adult
December 4, 2018
age 12+

The three amigos

I think it is great but it has some language, drinking, and sexual comments.

This title has:

Great messages
Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

It's the 1920s, and the THREE AMIGOS -- Dusty (Chevy Chase), Lucky (Steve Martin), and Ned (Martin Short) -- are silent film stars who've been successful in a series of films casting them as crusaders for justice in the Wild West. When a villager of Santa Poco, Mexico -- desperate to find protection for her village -- stumbles into a movie showing in a small town, she confuses the men on the screen with the characters that they're playing. After summoning them to Santa Poco, the boys are met by El Guapo and his gang of bandits, and the amigos quickly become aware that the violent display the bandits put on is the real thing.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (16 ):

Three Amigos is a truly inspired, and still somewhat light, comedy. It's chock full of laughs at every turn, with the Hollywood-raised Amigos constantly proving how much difference there is between film stars playing roles and men playing out those roles in real life. Although they're stars in the silent era of film, there are a few memorable musical sequences, including the opening theme song, a precious rendition of "My Little Buttercup" in front of an angry barroom crowd, and a campfire sing-a-long in which the horses and other desert animals join in as the chorus.

In keeping with Westerns, men are shot and killed, but these deaths are quick and cartoonish with none of the major characters being affected. For those families with some interest in action films, particularly older Westerns, this film will be pure pleasure as it makes light of the tricks always employed by those movies.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the difference between violence in comedies and in action movies. Which has more impact? Why?

  • Why do the villagers think that the amigos are real gunfighters? How do the amigos' attitudes change when they realize that the bandits are shooting real bullets at them?

  • Is it believable that the amigos are able to pull the villagers together to stand up against the bandits in the final showdown? Is believability even necessary for a comedy?

Movie Details

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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