SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

Gripping story with well-crafted characters

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

I never heard of this film until my college roommate told me to check it out. I didn't find the movie overly hilarious in its humor department or overly dramatic in its drama sections BUT I really enjoyed this movie. It's entertaining enough where I didn't feel robbed watching it and it will definitely be a movie I will watch again.The story is fun and interesting, Kevin Costner is great in his role and, for a directorial debut, it's pretty damn fantastic.The movie has its obvious problems but I never found them to be to distracting from the heart of the story that involved some friends trying to escape the reality of being drafted into a war that will forever be remembered as the one where Lt. Dan lost his legs.Despite some issues, the movie is fairly decent and even has some pretty cool airplane stunts in it that would, in today's age, probably be achieved with computer effects. Overall, I enjoyed this one.

Touching, funny and bittersweet like those good memories of a time we know it'll never come back, "Fandango" is one of those small films who greater in experience and in creating delightful and enjoyable moments, rewards us with valuable lessons and fun sequences together. A movie with all those virtues should be more known. Even if the path traveled by writer and director Kevin Reynolds isn't one so original and very reminder of memorable classics from the 1970's (there's so much of "The Deer Hunter" and "American Graffiti" in this), it's still a great film to be seen time and time again.In 1971, a bunch of good friends is trying to have one last blast before going to Vietnam and deal with the unknown that surrounds their lives, not only when it comes to go to a war but also with their relationships, their friendship, and the hardest transition of growing up, leave college and the crazy days of parties behind, facing responsibilities and set a goal for themselves. Led by the wild and rebellion Gardner (Kevin Costner, in one his earliest leading roles), the group - composed with the serious Philip (Judd Nelson), Kenneth (Sam Robards), Dorman (Chuck Bush) and the stoned/practically absent Lester (Brian Cesak) - heads down to Mexico where it was decided that at least two of them will desert from their military duties. While they don't get there, it's time for having fun, doing stupid things (as evidenced by the title right at the beginning, Fandango not only is a Spanish dance but also a foolish act) or thinking about the haunting future that awaits for them. Above all enjoying, as they say, the privileges of youth. One of the craziest ideas revolves on a proof of courage where Philip, the most whining and frightened member of the group, will have to participate, which is skydiving, supported by an airhead pilot (Marvin J. McIntyre). Not only this part is the most thrilling and the most unforgettable of the whole film but it's also was the one that took this project way up high when it was presented on a short film directed by Reynolds in 1980, seen by Steven Spielberg, who green-lit and expanded the idea for a feature film. Genial move but too bad he wasn't patient enough to see what the film would become (Spielberg, for whatever reasons, asked to have his name removed from the film). I think this has a heart and soul that overcomes its problems, its heavily clichéd moments, managing to be one great and beautiful project. Similar contemporary films don't have the touch this had in presenting all of its analyzed themes. They're too loud, ridiculous and overworked. Reynolds and his team of actors seem to be offering little but that's not the case; it's small things that become greater, rich and expansive in our hearts and minds. More than just one view is recommended, trust me, you'll get different reactions and sensations while seeing this. A tiny and somewhat pointless complaint of mine is that "Fandango" should go a little longer, developing a bit further the relationship between Kenneth's girl (Suzy Amis) with Gardner (seen through flashbacks or dreams, it's not quite clear that). A special mention must be made to the fantastic soundtrack, both Alan Silvestri themes and the selection played throughout the boys adventures with classics from Cream, Carole King, Elton John (Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting in the opening titles when the group starts their trip - though it suits well the scene it's quite a goof this music inclusion in it), Steppenwolf and Blind Faith, just to mention a few. Memorably impressionable, a true underrated gem from the 1980's that must be seen. This is special. 10/10

I don't really understand why this film gets less than a 6 rating and the comments about it being pointless. There are some truly hilarious scenes, including the sky-diving. But I think my favourite is the train and the car tow. And the scene in the graveyard with the rockets and the sudden change from fun to thoughts of war is spot on. The cinematography is great too - the desert scenes, the wedding and the scenes around the old Giant set, and the soundtrack is pretty good too and for once it is reflective of the exact time-setting of the movie. It all comes together to make a very likable and nostalgic movie and I think the only reason it is rated so lowly is because of it's unwarranted obscurity.

I first saw this movie as a young, nine or ten year-old impressionable kid, so there are some sentimental attachments to this. This movie is very clever. As a comedy, it's amazing; some of the ideas (the parachute scene, for example) are absolutely genius. On top of all this is an amazing soundtrack, in which each song fits each scene eerily beautifully. When I first saw this movie I had just started guitar lessons and was leaning toward hard rock. This movie turned me on to some other heavy, tear-jerker type songs in "It's too late" (Carole King) and "Can't find my way home" by Blind Faith. Beautiful stuff. One of the few Elton John songs I like, "Saturday night's alright" as well as "Spooky" are perfectly placed. But nothing is placed as perfect as Pat Metheney's "It's for you". Now, I was a hard rocker and had only heard of Metheney when I saw this. This tune is so beautiful and haunting on it's own, and where it is in the movie, I almost dare you not to cry. Someone I know thought the movie was also sad, so it'ts unique. I would still classify it as a comedy more than anything. Funny stuff.