So much average

Fresh and Exciting

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

I think the movie does a superb job of portraying the story and issues without preaching to the viewer. I waited years to see this movie. Now that I've seen it and read the other reviews, I wonder if I watched the same movie. A film that knocks you out just after watching it. This cast interacts with absolute precision, whether walking around a room or interrupting each others' wisecracks. Certainly the characterizations are shallow and quickly changeable, often for little or no reason.As social commentary I give it an eight; for story and acting a five. It's worth seeing for some inventive uses of sound and the actors. It's amazing to me that this movie received such poor reviews.

"La Bamba" is a really good rags-to-almost-riches story about Ritchie Valens who was three months shy of 18 years-old the day the music died on February 3, 1959. Ritchie is played by Lou Diamond Phillips, his brother Bob by Esai Morales, his mother by Rosanna DeSoto and their friend, Rosie, by Elizabeth Peña. Other than Ritchie's unlikely quick rise to fame, the story focuses on his troubled brother, who both supports Ritchie and resents his success, as well as Ritchie's youthful infatuation with a blond gringo who inspired the hit "Donna" (Danielle von Zerneck). Donna's Dad, of course, is a bigot and doesn't want her seeing a lowly Hispanic. Ritchie needed a connection to stardom and that was smalltime record producer Bob Keane (Joe Pantoliano) who witnesses Ritchie's magic at a Saturday matinée show at a movie theater."La Bamba" is just an all-around entertaining movie. It's got a good (true) story, great music from that era, authentic California locations and quality actors. Morales stands out as Ritchie's brother who's essentially a "dark Fonz" character. I also like how Keane is shown to be a do-it-yourself visionary who's "studio" is in his basement. Keane had a make-a-way-where-there-is-no-way ethic, an eye for talent and a willingness to look for treasure in "nobodies"; and that's why he was successful and is remembered to this day. This is just one example of the gems that can be gleaned from the proceedings.The film runs 108 minutes.GRADE: B+ or A-

It's a biopic of the young rock & roll singer Ritchie Valens (Lou Diamond Phillips) and his legendary life. It starts in 1957 with Ritchie and his mother Connie Valenzuela (Rosanna DeSoto) working as farm laborers. His brother Bob Morales (Esai Morales) comes with his ill gotten gains to move the family to Southern California. Bob's girlfriend Rosie (Elizabeth Peña) comes along eventually getting married. However Bob gets more abusive and turns into a drunk. Ritchie plays in a garage band, falling for Donna Ludwig (Danielle von Zerneck), and catching the eye of record producer Bob Keane (Joe Pantoliano).Written and directed by Luis Valdez, this is a fairly straight forward biography. The style is simple. The music is rocking good. It's one of the best performance of the early Lou Diamond Phillips. Rosanna DeSoto and Esai Morales also put in good performances. The character Donna needed a better actress, but overall the performances were good. It's a rock solid movie.

"La Bamba" masterfully tells the story of rock 'n' roll singer Ritchie Valens, who tragically died in a plane crash with Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper. It's the sort of movie that's seriously a thrill to watch, seeing Valens's humble beginnings and rise to super-stardom through the use of his musical talent. Maybe the movie sort of overplayed the tension between Valens (Lou Diamond Phillips) and his irresponsible half-brother Bob Morales (Esai Morales), but that doesn't weaken the movie. More important is that the movie makes clear that Valens came from a very loving family, with a mother (Rosanna DeSoto) who worked very hard so that he could have a good life.All in all, it just goes to show why rock music is never going to die (The Day the Music Died notwithstanding) and the Britney Spears model doesn't mean jack. This is one movie that you gotta love! Also starring Elizabeth Peña, Danielle Von Zerneck and Joe Pantoliano (Cypher in "The Matrix").