Overall, this movie is a collection of ups and downs, with the greatest injustice being to the casting and characterization of Che. While I like Antonio Banderas, he was terribly miscast in this role. Of course, he’s a star, so you know why he was. But hey, let’s not get on the whole “actors cast for their star power rather than talent” bit, or I may go berserk. Can anyone say, “BATMAN FOREVER?!!!” Granted, Banderas looked the part perfectly, he just couldn’t sing it. Not only that, the characterization was also poor, through no fault of Banderas’ though. The biggest problem was his costuming. In most of Che’s scenes, the director, Alan Parker, has him dress the same as those around him, which is usually fancy dress. While this is cool to watch, the audience soon forgets who Che is and what he stands for. I will admit, I have the advantage of seeing the musical twice to base my opinions on. But ultimately, they should have kept Che in military fatigues throughout because his dress means just as much as his performance. Che is a constant antithesis to Eva Peron and the rest of the elite class, which is the point. Unfortunately, this is all lost in the film. As a matter of fact, if you don’t know anything about EVITA beforehand, you’re never going to figure out whom Banderas is playing because it is never explained nor hinted too.

      The greatest blunder of all occurs at the end when Che kisses Eva’s coffin as a sign of respect. While we are supposed to feel sorry for Eva, Che is not. He despises Eva Peron and everything she stands for. Having Che do this goes against the whole point of the character.

      The crown jewel and biggest surprise of the movie is Madonna. While she is no favorite of mine, she does a good job at staying true to the character and the vocal performance. The film is worth seeing too, but it did not come close to its real potential.