The Mambo Kings

1992

1h 44m

IMDb RATING

6.3/10

126

YOUR RATING

Rate

POPULARITY

Play trailer

3 Videos

20 Images

Drama

Music

The Mambo Kings tells the story of César and Nestor Castillo, brothers and aspiring musicians who flee from Cuba to America in search of the American Dream.

Directors

Arne Glimcher

Writers

Cynthia Cidre(writer by)

Oscar Hijuelos(novel by)

Stars

Antonio Banderas

Armand Assante

Cathy Moriarty

See production, box office & company info

Top cast

Nestor Castillo

Cesar Castillo

Lanna Lake

Delores Fuentes

Ramon - The Mambo Kings Band

Scott Cohen

Bernardito - The Mambo Kings Band

Desi Arnaz Jr.

Desi Arnaz Sr.

Mario Grillo

Mario - The Mambo Kings Band

Ralph Irizarry

Pito - The Mambo Kings Band

Pete Macnamara

Johnny Bing - The Mambo Kings Band

James Medina

Manny - The Mambo Kings Band (as Jimmy Medina)

Marcos Quintanilla

Willie - The Mambo Kings Band

Himself

Tracy Blair

Anna María

Redhead on Bus

Young Cesar

Directors

Arne Glimcher

Writers

Cynthia Cidre(writer by)

Oscar Hijuelos(novel by)

All cast & crew

Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

_**Dynamic Latin dance performers in America in the 50s**_ Two brothers flee Cuba in the early 50s in search of the American Dream playing mambo music. The older sibling, Cesar, is a natural showman and businessman (Armand Assante) whereas the younger brother, Nestor, is a reserved composer (Antonio Banderas). The women in their lives are played by curvy Cathy Moriarty and Maruschka Detmers. "The Mambo Kings" (1992) is reminiscent of “The Cotton Club” (1984) mixed with the later “Pollock” (2000) and maybe a little “Dirty Dancing” (1987). While not quite as good as those, it’s still worth checking out, especially if you like mambo or energetic Latin music in general, not to mention the setting of 50’s America. Assante is convincing, performing with charisma and gusto, while Banderas is effective as the sensitive and sincere younger sibling, although he’s a far cry from the brooding Brando. This was Banderas’ first English-speaking role; he learned his lines phonetically and worked with a dialect coach throughout pre-production and filming. Too much of the movie takes place in clubs or apartments with people smoking, drinking and emoting for my tastes. But the story perks up in the third act with a notable sequence featuring Desi Arnaz, Jr. (I don’t want to say more because I don’t want to give anything away). The film runs 1 hour, 44 minutes, and was shot in Los Angeles. GRADE: B-

Wuchak06 Aug, 2021