Alex de la Iglesia's latest film 800 Bullets is a bit of a departure from some of the director's earlier works. Don't get me wrong, it's not really any less outrageous than his other films (Iglesia is always finding new ways to be on the cutting edge of bizzaro cinema) but 800 Bullets is a bit more lighthearted than some of the director's other films. Lighthearted yes, but the themes still remain the same. Throughout all of the outrageousness there's still a heavy dose of family, unity, trust and compassion (much like his other films, no matter how outrageous they may get). Iglesia is in a cinematic class all his own, and while his films have never really crossed over to the mainstream in the US, he still remains a wildly popular director in Spain. One can only hope that we eventually see some stateside releases of Iglesia's work, 800 Bullets included.

Young Carlos is a handful, that's for sure. When we are first introduced to Carlos he's dressed in an outfit that resembles that of a terrorist and he's blowing everything away in his path with a toy gun. In the next scene Carlos is dressed as a samurai as he chops his way through some boxes. Carlos lives with his incredibly wealthy mother and his grand mother. His father had passed away years earlier and Carlos is under the impression that his Grandfather has passed on as well. Through some old photos and some secret info from grandma Carlos learns that his grandfather is indeed alive and well living in Almeria, a small city in southern Spain.

One fine day when Carlos is supposed to be heading out for a ski trip, he breaks loose and grabs a cab to find his grandfather. Rightfully so as his grandmother may have only given Carlos 10 Euros for the trip, but his mother forked over a gold card complete with PIN number! Carlos makes it to Almeria to find that his grandfather is indeed alive and kicking working at a local Wild West stunt show. Recreating the most inaccurate depictions of Cowboys and Indians you have ever scene, this rag tag group of misfits spend their time drinking Whisky and falling off of roof tops for the amusement of some local tourists.

The news is that Carlos's grandfather has been exiled for a few reasons, the standout being that he may have possibly killed his own son (Carlos's father). Back in the day, the two were actors in many Spaghetti Westerns. Like Carlos's mom says, "they may not have been the best films, but they had a great time making them." During a difficult stunt sequence, Carlos's dad is killed and grandpa is left to blame.

Carlos and his grandfather develop a gentle relationship with one another and find themselves involved in some pretty bizarre situations including young Carlos having to bail gramps out of the clink after a drug arrest. There's a bit of tug of war with Carlos as gramps, mom and grandma vie for the young boys love. Events take a disturbing turn when mom's company purchases the land that the stunt show is performed on with thoughts of turning it into a full-fledged theme park. Of course the stunt actors don't take too kindly to this news, and they are forced to trade in their blanks for live ammo (800 bullets to be exact) so they can protect their turf. It all ends in a fiery gun battle of a finale that seems to go on forever, until the downright bittersweet conclusion. All the while, Iglesia manages to keep the comedic undertones in check as the onscreen action never gets too heavy.

It's best not to know too much about 800 Bullets going in, discovering how the action is going to unfold is most of the fun. Even if there is a predictable set piece Iglesia manages to inject a weirdo twist that almost always evokes a laugh, or at the very least a chuckle. Even if the film does run about 20-minutes too long (which it does) it's still a very enjoyable trip from nearly beginning to end.

Most of the appeal here comes from the lush cinematography and sparkling color pallet that Iglesia puts to excellent use. His scope framing is very reminiscent of the Spaghetti Western films he's quite often emulating. Sets and locales are also used quite well with incredible outdoor photography and exceptionally cool and authentic looking interiors. Colors are always vibrant and pretty damn lively, they practically leap off of the screen and slap audience members upside the head with their vibrancy! Above all else, this film is simply beautiful to look at. Also, as Travis Crawford stated in is post film speech (you beat me to it Travis!), 800 Bullets could easily have one of the coolest opening credit sequences of all time.

Performances are all pulled off flawlessly here as well, including that of young Carlos (and we all know how hard it is to find good child actors these days). Now, part of Carlos inspiration as a child actor could have come from one scene in particular. Carlos is practically raped by a sexy young vixen in one particularly upsetting moment to just about all young men everywhere (upsetting because Carlos is a LUCKY BASTARD!) Carlos is given a lesson in reaching second base as he's given the opportunity to caress the young woman's naked boobie! To add insult to injury, Carlos awakens to find the young lass lying next to him completely naked the following morning! Damn, this kid is getting hot tail and all I got is Michael Johnson sitting next to me at The Prince Theater, damn the man!

All told 800 Bullets is an extremely enjoyable flick. The jokes are funny, characters fun and despite the fact that it runs just a tad bit too long, definitely worth a look. Iglesia fans, spaghetti western fans or the adventurous few looking for something just a bit off the beaten path would be wise to give 800 Bullets a little look see. Definitely worth checking out.

Thumbs Up for fun characters, great laughs and a 12-year-old getting some titty action!