Don Quijote cabalga de nuevo (1973)

Pretty Good

Just what I expected

As Good As It Gets

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

Comical rendition upon the best literary work ever written that stands in a unique position between medieval chivalric romance and the modern novel . Don Quixote is considered one of the most influential works of literature from the Spanish Golden Age and the entire Spanish literary canon and deemed to be one of the greatest novels in literature history . It is freely based on the notorious novel , as Don Quixote (Fernando Fernan Gómez) is framed by an issue allegedly from the thunderous life and he is judged by a judge (José Orjas), an Escribano (Javier Escrivá) and as lawyer , Bachiller Sansón Carrasco (Ricardo Merino) , it results in his books are fired . Don Quixote is the crazy , aging nobleman who embarrasses his respectable family by his feats . It follows the adventures of a nameless Hidalgo who reads so many chivalric romances that he loses his sanity and decides to set out to revive chivalry , undo wrongs , and bring justice to the world , under the name Don Quixote . To these ends, ¨Alonso Quixano¨ dons an old suit of armour , renames himself "Don Quixote", names his exhausted horse "Rocinante", and designates Aldonza Lorenzo (Maria Fernanda D'Ocon) , who is actually a downtrodden prostitute , as his lady love , renaming her Dulcinea del Toboso . Quijote , nearing fifty and some years of age , recruits a simple farmer, Sancho Panza (Cantinflas) , as his squire, who often employs a unique , earthy wit in dealing with Don Quixote's rhetorical orations on antiquated knighthood . Adapted from the work of Miguel de Cervantes , we then follow Don Quixote on their adventures , his squire Sancho Panza and an old horse named Rocinante . On their journeys , they rescue dames in distress in honorable acts and fight giants , against the brave knight of white moon , among other perils , with Don longing to be with the love of his life , lady Dulcinea . Backed by his faithful sidekick Sancho Panza, he duels windmills and defends his perfect lady Dulcinea named Aldonza . Later on , some nasty aristocrats : Altisidora (Paca Gabaldón as Mary Francis) , a Duke (Emilio Laguna) , duchess (Laly Soldevilla) deceive them and Sancho is appointed as governor of Barataria and there he delivers a peculiar justice and tells his senseless speeches . This hilarious storytelling of Don Quijote starred by Cantinflas as Sancho and Fernando Fernan Gomez as Don Quixote giving nice acting . While Cantinflas was generally slated for his performance in the film, what many critics chose to overlook was the fact that this was a Cantinflesque retelling . This is the amazing and fun story of a Hidalgo , fanatic for chivalry novels , decides to go on imaginary adventures along with his friend , the simple farmer Sancho Panza , who becomes his squire . This enduring romantic adventure deals the enthusiast , passionate knight Don Quixote and it is paced in enjoyable as well as deliberate rhythm . The film is quite amusing with emphasis on spectacle and following freely the immortal novel scripted by Miguel De Cervantes Saavedra . At the picture occurs several known episodes , such as : when ¨the knight of sad countenance¨ arrives at an inn , which he believes to be a castle , as he calls the prostitute he meets ,"lady¨ : Maria Fernanda D'Ocon ; Don Quixote's attack on windmills that he believes to be ferocious giants ; Don Quixote attacks' the ¨knight of the mirrors¨ who actually results to be the Bachiller Sanson Carrasco played by Ricardo Merino . This ¨Don Quijote Cabalga De Nuevo¨ by Roberto Gabaldon with Cantinflas and Fernando Fernan Gomez displays a prestigious support cast who gives excellent performance such as Alberto Fernandez , Manuel Alexandre , Diana Lorys , Valeriano Andres , Luis Morris , Valentin Tornos , Rafael Hernandez and several others . Being stunningly photographed by the fine cameraman Francisco Sempere , and shot on location in Palacio Avellaneda , Peñaranda De Duero, Burgos, Castilla y León, Puerto Despeñaperros, Ciudad Real, Villaseca Uceda , Guadalajara, Castilla-La Mancha, La Pedriza , Talamanca Del Jarama, Madrid . Atmospheric and evocative musical score by Waldo De Los Rios . Being well produced and professionally directed by Roberto Gavaldon who realized some good films such as : Macario , La Escondida , Flor De Mayo , Gallo De Oro , Rosa Blanca , most of them starred by the Mexican Divos Maria Felix and Ignacio Lopez Tarso .¨The man of La Mancha¨ results to be another of uncountable versions dealing with the unforgettable novel ¨Don Quijote De La Mancha¨ by Miguel Cervantes y Saavedra and in which Quixote and Sancho take on numerous dangers and adventures . Other recounting about this notorious story are the followings : ¨Don Quixote¨ (1933) by G.W. Pabst with Feodor Chaliapin Sr. ; ¨Don Quijote De La Mancha¨ by Rafael Gil with Rafael Rivelles , Juan Calvo and Sara Montiel ; Don Kikhot (1957) Russian recounting by Grigori Kozintsev with Nikolai Cherkasov as Don Quixote De La Mancha / Alonso Quixano ; ¨Orson Welles's Don Quijote¨ with Akim Tamiroff ; ¨Man of the Mancha¨ (1972) with Peter O'Toole , Sophia Loren ,James Coco , Harry Andrews , John Castle , Brian Blessed , Ian Richardson and Rosalie Crutchley . And for American TV : ¨Don Quijote¨ by Peter Yates with John Lightgow and Bob Hoskins ; latterly : ¨Don Quixote: The Ingenious Gentleman of La Mancha¨ (2015) by Dave Dorsey . Besides , Spanish series titled ¨El Quijote De Miguel De Cervantes" (1991) TV series 1991-1992 by Manuel Gutierrez Aragon with Fernando Rey , Alfredo Landa , Aitiana Sanchez Gijon , Manuel Alexandre , among others . And for cartoon movie was made ¨Don Quijote De La Mancha¨ by Cruz Delgado and ¨Donkey Xote¨ (2007) by Jose Pozo .

A different vision of that melancholy gentleman, Don Quixote de la Mancha and his adventures with his loyal friend Sancho Panza. Don Quixote lives obsessed with his role as a wandering gentleman and the codes of honor that accompany his chosen life, but it's Sancho Panza who makes us see the real person behind all the posturing. It's a wonderfully nostalgic movie, that although is not quite a true adaptation of the stage play by the same name, nevertheless is able to make us laugh and tries to teach the values of humility, loyalty, true love, honor and friendship. The costumes were quite well done and the general feel of the movie was fun yet honest. It took me back to my childhood and watching old movies in Spanish with my father at home. Mario Moreno, "Cantinflas" does an excellent job and his comedic timing is as always excellent!