Every Antonio Banderas Movie Ranked Worst To Best
Antonio Banderas — born José Antonio Domínguez Banderas — is a worldwide star who has appeared in more than 100 movies. Hailing from Spain, Banderas has spent his career acting in both English and Spanish language productions. He has collaborated often with filmmakers like Robert Rodriguez and Pedro Almodóvar, and Almodóvar even gave Banderas an early break with "Labyrinth of Passion," which became Banderas's second film ever.
Banderas frequently appears in movies with action or romance components, though he has explored numerous genres throughout his career. His charisma has led to many starring roles, and his range has helped him nail many supporting and villainous characters as well. Although, Banderas has appeared on television — "Genius," in which he played Pablo Picasso, and "And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself," in which he plays the titular character, are the two most notable television projects of his career, and he was Emmy nominated for both roles — this list will be looking at the actor's major film roles.
Without further ado, let's open the curtain on Banderas's movies from worst to best based on their aggregated critic scores on Rotten Tomatoes.
40. Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever
The lowest rated movie of Antonio Banderas's filmography is the 2002 action film "Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever." Banderas and Lucy Liu star in the titular roles of Jeremiah Ecks, a tormented former FBI agent, and Sever, a rogue DIA agent leaving a trail of destruction after kidnapping a child. The poorly edited action sequences are borderline incomprehensible — as is the plot, which is full of nonsensical twists and bizarre plot devices like sci-fi nanotechnology.
"Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever" isn't just the lowest rated film of Banderas's career, and it isn't even just a part of the exclusive club of awful movies to land a 0% score on Rotten Tomatoes, "Ballistic" is the flat-out worst rated movie on Rotten Tomatoes, period. "Ballistic" was the second film made by Thai filmmaker Wych Kaosayananda. Kaosayananda has gone on to direct a handful of additional films, but none of them have managed to secure a fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes. Before the film was shot, a Gameboy Advance video game was adapted from the screenplay and released in 2001, and a sequel game followed in the same year that the movie was released.
39. Original Sin
"Original Sin" is a major step up from the 0% rated "Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever," and general audiences even took a liking to it, though critics on Rotten Tomatoes still left it with an unenviable rotten score. This 2001 movie is an erotic thriller that attempts to follow in the footsteps of movies like "Fatal Attraction" and "Basic Instinct" but doesn't quite hit the mark. Angelina Jolie plays a con artist who tricks a rich man (Antonio Banderas), into marriage as part of a scheme to take his money. Thomas Jane co-stars as Jolie's real lover and her partner in crime. The story was adapted from the novel "Waltz into Darkness" written by Cornell Woolrich under the pseudonym William Irish.
The release of "Original Sin" in 2001 was surrounded by rumors of a real romance between Banderas and Jolie, which was particularly controversial as they were both married to other people at the time. Both stars denied all of the rumors and went as far as to call the rumors unfair and harmful.
38. Four Rooms
Similar to "Original Sin," the movie "Four Rooms" has a rotten critic score but a positive audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. This 1995 comedy is a vignette film set in a hotel on New Years Eve with four distinct segments — divided up by individual hotel rooms — and bookend sequences to start and close the movie. Tim Roth stars as a bellhop named Ted, the single character that the film follows through all four chapters. Each of the four vignettes was written and directed by a different filmmaker, including such big names as Alexandre Rockwell, Allison Anders, Robert Rodriguez, and Quentin Tarantino.
Antonio Banderas appears in the segment directed by Rodriguez, a filmmaker he has collaborated with several times. Banderas plays the no-nonsense father of a pair of troublemaking children who cause hell for Ted the bellhop. As is often the case with this type of vignette storytelling, "Four Rooms" is extremely uneven with certain segments being considerably stronger or weaker than others.
In this instance, the Rodriguez and Tarantino vignettes are far superior to the Anders and Rockwell ones. Anyone who ignores the Rotten Tomatoes critics consensus and checks out "Four Rooms" might be in for half of a good time.
37. Dolittle
"Dolittle" was initially considered a major box office flop when it released in 2020, a couple months before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Though the movie only brought in about $77 million at the domestic box office, it fared much better internationally, even becoming China's highest grossing film of 2020 (via Forbes) and bringing in an additional $168 million overseas.
As you might guess based on the title "Dolittle," this is a reboot and reimagining of the story of the famous Dr. Dolittle character who can speak to animals. The character was previously played by the likes of Rex Harrison in 1967 and Eddie Murphy in 1998. Now, Robert Downey Jr. fills the doctor's shoes in a story that finds him setting sail for a mysterious island. Antonio Banderas plays one of the most important human characters found on the island, King Rassouli.
Also in the large and impressive cast are Emma Thompson, Rami Malek, Jim Broadbent, Michael Sheen, Jessie Buckley, Ralph Fiennes, Tom Holland, and Selena Gomez lending their faces or voices.
36. Assassins
"Assassins" is an action movie from 1995 with plenty of star power and talent both in front of and behind the camera, but the overall film didn't manage to connect in a positive way with critics or audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Antonio Banderas and Sylvester Stallone play a pair of rival assassins locked in a deadly cat-and-mouse game. Julianne Moore co-stars as a potential assassination target who becomes a love interest for Stallone's character.
The screenplay comes courtesy of the impressive team of the Wachowski Sisters, before their careers exploded with "The Matrix," and Brian Helgeland with one of his first screenwriting credits. Helgeland would go on to write movies like "L.A. Confidential," "Man on Fire," and "Green Zone," as well as direct the movies "Payback" and "A Knight's Tale." Directing the movie was Richard Donner, the filmmaker responsible for movies like the 1978 "Superman" and the "Lethal Weapon" series.
With such an all-star lineup of actors and creators, it might come as a surprise to see the movie so poorly received. Critic Daniel Barnes touched on why the movie and its two leads didn't work in his review, writing "A hilariously pretentious attempt at an existential hitman thriller, Assassins pits Sylvester Stallone's morose mumbling against Antonio Banderas' out-of-control mugging."
35. Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard
"Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard" (released in 2021) is a sequel to "The Hitman's Bodyguard" from 2017. Salma Hayek played a supporting role in the first film and now takes center stage in the sequel alongside the returning leads of Samuel L. Jackson's hitman character and Ryan Reynolds' bodyguard character. Gary Oldman also makes a return appearance as Vladislav Dukhovic, the main villain from the first film. Notable new additions to the cast of the sequel include Morgan Freeman, Frank Grillo, and Antonio Banderas as the new big bad guy Aristotle Papdopolous.
Both "Hitman's Bodyguard" movies were directed by Patrick Hughes, who also directed "The Expendables 3," which co-starred Antonio Banderas, and is directing the upcoming English-language remake of the Indonesia action masterpiece "The Raid." Though film critics on Rotten Tomatoes left both "Hitman's Bodyguard" movies with rotten scores, general audiences gave fresh scores to both movies, and the sequel landed an even better score with audiences.
34. The Legend of Zorro
"The Legend of Zorro" finds Antonio Banderas reprising one of his most iconic characters as Don Alejandro de la Vega (aka the masked swashbuckler Zorro). This 2005 sequel to "The Mask of Zorro" from 1998 didn't fare anywhere near as well with critics or general audiences on Rotten Tomatoes as the first film did. The plot of this sequel concerns Zorro's attempt to stop an evil group known as The Knights of Aragon while also dealing with the prospect of divorce from his wife Elena, played by Catherine Zeta-Jones. This focus on matrimonial troubles was a weakness of the film noted in many negative reviews.
Banderas received criticism for his reprisal performance, failing to bring the same energy to the role as the first time around. Returning director Martin Campbell (of "Casino Royale" fame) also took on much of the criticism this sequel received for focusing on the wrong narrative areas, failing to bring a sense of energy, and for allowing the action and set pieces to feel stale.
33. Machete Kills
"Machete Kills" from 2013 is the latest collaboration of many between actor Antonio Banderas and writer, director Robert Rodriguez. This is a sequel to "Machete" from 2010, which first began as a fake trailer within the Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarantino double-feature "Grindhouse." Danny Trejo reprises his role as the titular character in another over-the-top action film with an even more intentionally ridiculous plot than the first film involving nuclear weapons, Mexican revolutionaries, and an arms-dealing madman with a massive outer space weapon.
One of the most outlandish characters in "Machete Kills" is a master-of-disguise assassin known as El Camaleón. This character is played by a combination of four actors as El Camaleón's appearance changes drastically throughout the movie. Antonio Banderas, Walton Goggins, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Lady Gaga in one of her first feature-film roles all work together to portray El Camaleón. Also in the cast are the likes of Mel Gibson, Demián Bichir, Michelle Rodriguez, Jessica Alba, Amber Heard, Vanessa Hudgens, and Charlie Sheen. While the first "Machete" film was certified fresh and hailed as a fun throwback movie, "Machete Kills" wore out its welcome with a sloppier narrative, cheaper looking special effects, weaker action, and a lesser sense of fun and freshness.
32. The Expendables 3
The third entry in the "Expendables" trilogy received the lowest rating of the bunch on Rotten Tomatoes, though only the second movie managed to secure a fresh score. Just like the previous two movies, "The Expendables 3" brings together a massive cast of action stars for another silly plot that serves as a thin excuse for copious gunfights and muscley throwdowns. Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham again head up the "Expendables" team of good guy mercenaries, and this time Mel Gibson fills the over-the-top supervillain role as an evil arms dealer named Conrad Stonebanks.
Dolph Lundgren, Jet Li, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Randy Couture, and Terry Crews all reprise their roles from the previous movies. Kelsey Grammer, Wesley Snipes, Harrison Ford, Ronda Rousey, and Antonio Banderas were all new additions to the ever-expanding cast of this action franchise. Banderas was noted by some critics as the most welcome new addition to the cast, such as John Hanlon, who said that Banderas "virtually steals the show." A fourth film in the franchise is expected to release in late 2022 or early 2023.
31. The House of the Spirits
"The House of the Spirits" is a 1993 drama that enlisted the use of an incredibly impressive cast but unfortunately squandered their talents. The story is a period-piece set in South America. Meryl Streep stars as a woman gifted with clairvoyance and married to a rancher, played by Jeremy Irons. Antonio Banderas, Vanessa Redgrave, Vincent Gallo, Winona Ryder, and Glenn Close fill out the rest of the big-name cast.
The story is adapted from the acclaimed novel "La Casa de los Espíritus" written by Isabel Allande in 1982, which is actually the third book in a trilogy following up "Daughter of Fortune" and "Portrait in Sepia." All three books were written and first published in Spanish, and the film adaptation exists as an unfortunate case of whitewashing as Streep, Irons, Close, Ryder, and Gallo are all white actors portraying Chilean characters. Peter Travers gave "The House of the Spirits" an extremely negative review in Rolling Stone, calling the movie "painful" and writing that, "The movie will vanish quickly; the book will endure."
30. The 13th Warrior
"The 13th Warrior" is another Antonio Banderas action movie that fared much better with general audiences than it did with film critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Banderas stars as Ahmad Ibn Fahdlan, a Muslim ambassador who winds up falling in league with a group of Viking warriors after being exiled from his people. Together, Fahdlan and the Vikings team up to fight a mysterious, supernatural enemy in 922 A.D.
The story was adapted from the novel "Eaters of the Dead" written by Michael Crichton, the author of books like "Jurassic Park," "The Andromeda Strain," and "Westworld" among many others. Crichton also served as the uncredited director of reshoots for "The 13th Warrior," taking over for the original director, John McTiernan. McTiernan also directed action classics like "Die Hard" and "Predator." While some Rotten Tomatoes critics found "The 13th Warrior" to be an enjoyable time at the movies, like Liam Lacey who called the movie "a big, cathartic blast," most were less receptive to it. Todd McCarthy of Variety called the story "underdeveloped," while Dustin Putman gave the movie a zero out of four and called it "stupefyingly horrendous."
29. The Laundromat
"The Laundromat" is an avant-garde take on the true story of The Panama Papers and directed by eclectic filmmaker Steven Soderbergh. Meryl Streep stars as an everyday woman who is involved in a tragedy which eventually leads to an investigation into the secret world of off-shore bank accounts and major financial manipulation. Soderbergh is known for filling his casts with numerous big stars, and "The Laundromat" is no exception. Alongside Streep are Robert Patrick, James Cromwell, Jeffrey Wright, Sharon Stone, David Schwimmer, Will Forte, Chris Parnell, and Matthias Schoenaerts in large and small roles.
Gary Oldman and Antonio Banderas play a pair of difficult-to-describe roles as Jürgen Mossack and Ramón Fonseca, respectively. They act as a duo and play both roles within the story and outside of the story as fourth-wall-breaking narrators/presenters. BAFTA nominated screenwriter Scott Z. Burns who wrote the adapted screenplay for "The Laundromat" based on the non-fiction book "Secrecy World: Inside the Panama Papers Investigation of Illicit Money Networks and the Global Elite" written by investigative journalist Jake Bernstein. "The Laundromat" is a messy and at times confusing movie, as evidenced by its rotten critic and audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes, but it is undeniably interesting in its subject matter and presentation.
28. Uncharted
There is a major disparity between the rotten critic score and the extremely high audience score for "Uncharted" on Rotten Tomatoes. This is the most recent Antonio Banderas movie on the list. "Uncharted" is a big-screen adaptation of the video game series of the same name developed by Naughty Dog. Rather than directly adapt any of the video games, the movie tells a new story with the game's characters and serves primarily as a prequel. The movie takes a look at the early days of Nathan Drake and Victor Sullivan as they team up for the first time in search of Ferdinand Magellan's amassed treasure.
Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg star as the two heroes, and Antonio Banderas plays the villain, Santiago Moncada. Another important character from the game series, Chloe Frazer, is played by Sophia Ali. "Uncharted" was directed by Ruben Fleischer, who also directed movies like "Venom," "Gangster Squad," and his first film "Zombieland." Film critics mostly landed in the middle on "Uncharted" skewing slightly toward the more negative end of the spectrum. Few condemned the film as outright terrible or praised it as excellent. Even some positive reactions, such as critic Ian Thomas Malone's review, called the screenplay "laughably atrocious" while still finding enough room to recommend the end result.
27. Shrek the Third
"Shrek the Third" is the lowest rated of the four mainline "Shrek" movies. After two certified fresh outings, this third entry in the animated movie franchise had worn out its welcome with critics and general audiences alike on Rotten Tomatoes. The core voice cast trio of Mike Meyers, Cameron Diaz, and Eddie Murphy return for another fairy tale adventure. Antonio Banderas also returns as the voice of Puss in Boots, the swashbuckling cat character first introduced in the second "Shrek" movie.
Following the death of Fiona's father King Harold, Shrek becomes the king of Far, Far Away but doesn't want the responsibility. Instead, he sets off to find Prince Artie, voiced by Justin Timberlake, a successor who can take his place. Also lending their voices to the movie are actors, comedians, TV hosts, and Monty Python alums including John Cleese, Eric Idle, Julie Andrews, John Krasinski, Larry King, Amy Poehler, and Seth Rogen.
26. Take the Lead
"Take the Lead" is yet another Antonio Banderas movie that general audiences enjoyed despite a primarily negative reaction from film critics on Rotten Tomatoes. This 2006 movie is all about dancing, and the big dance numbers were met with acclaim from many critics, though some found the film lacking in other areas and with a terrible ending. Jim Lane, Sacramento News & Review, wrote, "A bogus, trumped-up 'inspirational' ending goes on forever and all but ruins everything."
Antonio Banderas stars as Pierre Dulaine, a dance teacher who works with troubled high school students. Alfre Woodard co-stars as the school's administrator, who works closely with Dulaine. The movie is based on a true story, and the real Pierre Dulaine was involved in the production as a dance consultant to ensure authenticity, via Today. "Take the Lead" was directed by Liz Friedlander, who was a fitting pick for this song-and-dance centered movie given her history as the director of nearly three dozen music videos.
25. Spy Kids 3D
After the first two "Spy Kids" movies landed certified fresh ratings, "Spy Kids 3D" (also known as "Spy Kids 3: Game Over") was the first to venture into rotten territory with both critics and audience on Rotten Tomatoes. The fourth movie in the series "Spy Kids: All the Time in the World in 4D" landed even lower scores, but Antonio Banderas only had a small, uncredited cameo in that one. For "Spy Kids 3D," all three generations of the Cortez family of spies returned, including the kids Carmen and Juni, played by Alexa PenaVega and Daryl Sabara, the parents Gregorio and Ingrid, played by Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino, and the grandparents, played by Ricardo Montalban and Holland Taylor.
Also returning from past "Spy Kids" movies were the likes of Danny Trejo, Alan Cumming, Cheech Marin, Steve Buscemi, Mike Judge, Emily Osment, Bill Paxton, and Tony Shalhoub. The big new addition to the cast of the third movie was Sylvester Stallone as The Toymaker, the creator of the video game that Juni and Carmen spend the movie trapped inside of.
24. You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger
"You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger" is a 2010 movie written and directed by controversial filmmaker Woody Allen. His next movie released a year later would be the Oscar winning "Midnight in Paris," but "You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger" wasn't met with anywhere near the same level of acclaim. The story follows the relationship troubles of an older married couple, played by Anthony Hopkins and Gemma Jones, and their daughter and her husband, played by Naomi Watts and Josh Brolin respectively, who are going through marital strife of their own.
These two married couples both split, and everyone goes off in search of romance elsewhere. Watts's character finds her new romantic interest in the form of Antonio Banderas as her boss at the art gallery where she works. Critics and general audiences on Rotten Tomatoes largely agreed that "You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger" wasn't one of Allen's strongest films and featured an overly familiar premise told with his typical comedic tone. The addition of a psychic into the mix of characters wasn't enough to switch up Allen's standard formula in a meaningful way.
23. Knight of Cups
"Knight of Cups" is a 2015 romance drama from acclaimed and enigmatic filmmaker Terrance Malick, who also made highly lauded films like "The Tree of Life," "Days of Heaven," "The Thin Red Line," and "Badlands." Unfortunately, "Knight of Cups" is Malick's second lowest rated film as a director, outdone only by his next film, "Song to Song" from 2017.
The story of "Knight of Cups" is divided into eight chapters delineated by tarot cards. Christian Bale stars in the lead role as a tormented Hollywood screenwriter, and each chapter in the loose narrative explores his relationship with a different person in his orbit. The big-name supporting cast is fleshed out by the likes of Antonio Banderas, Brian Dennehey, Natalie Portman, Wes Bentley, and Cate Blanchett. Many of the actors use their real names in the film.
Malick's notoriously loose approach to storytelling didn't work this time around for the majority of film critics, such as Tara Brady, who wrote that the movie "stubbornly refuses to coalesce into anything resembling a narrative film." She also wrote that Malick "twirls himself into near-total incoherence."
22. The 33
"The 33" is a 2015 drama that tells the true story of the 33 Chilean miners who were trapped underground for a total of 69 days after their mine collapsed on top of them in 2010. Antonio Banderas stars as the most prominent miner, Mario Sepúlveda. The rest of the main cast includes Rodrigo Santoro, Lou Diamond Phillips, Cote de Pablo, Gabriel Byrne, and Juliette Binoche. If the prospect of casting an Irish actor (Byrne) and a French actress (Binoche) as Chilean characters rubs you the wrong way, then you wouldn't be alone. Critics like Donald Clarke of The Irish Times touched on the questionable casting, writing "the notion of a browned-up Juliette Binoche playing a humble Chilean street-food seller deserves the snorting it will undoubtedly trigger."
Most Rotten Tomatoes critics agreed that, although "The 33" has a story worth telling, it did not tell that story well. Many felt that the movie was blandly presented, uninspired, and forgettable. The director, Patricia Riggen, followed up "The 33" with the also-rotten-rated "Miracles from Heaven," and has worked entirely in television ever since.
21. Femme Fatale
"Femme Fatale" is a 2002 erotic thriller written and directed by Brian De Palma, the director of such classics as "The Untouchables," "Blowout," and "Scarface" among others. "Femme Fatale" lands on the bottom half of his filmography with both rotten critic and audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes. Rebecca Romijn and Antonio Banderas star in this story about a conwoman and thief attempting to lead a new life under a stolen identity. Romijn plays a dual-role as both the criminal and the woman whose identity she steals. Banderas plays the paparazzo who threatens to expose her.
Critics were split on "Femme Fatale," with some going as far as to call it a return to form for De Palma after a couple of underwhelming films in a row with "Snake Eyes" and "Mission to Mars." Critic Jeffrey M. Anderson gave the movie a 3.5 out of 4 stars and called "Femme Fatale" "his best movie since "Scarface." Others were less receptive of the film, however, with much of the criticism directed at the screenplay. Don R. Lewis of Film Threat wrote, "Not-so-nifty camera tricks did little to mask a downright lame script and the plot twists were crushingly heavy handed and unoriginal."
20. I'm So Excited!
"I'm So Excited!" is a 2013 comedy from acclaimed Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar. The title refers to the Pointer Sisters' song of the same name which is used during a musical number within the film. "I'm So Excited!" is set primarily on board an airplane in midflight as the passengers and airline personnel grapple with the news of a malfunction and the realization that they may be about to die.
This is the first of six collaborations between Antonio Banderas and director Almodóvar on the list. "I'm So Excited!" is both their lowest rated collaboration and the only one with a rotten critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. Even within a body of work as eclectic as Almodóvar's, "I'm So Excited" still manages to stand out as exceptionally absurd in tone and subject matter. Though most critics conceded that the film had at least a few funny moments, the majority found it to be lacking in the depth and dramatic weight that makes Almodóvar's other work shine alongside the absurdity.
19. Acts of Vengeance
The most recent stage of Antonio Banderas's career has found him appearing in a number of low budget action movies, often released direct to video. One of the most prominent examples of this type of movie is "Acts of Vengeance" from 2017. This is a largely physical performance from Banderas as his character takes on a vow of silence while seeking revenge for the murder of his wife and child. Other notable names in the cast include Paz Vega, Robert Forster, and Karl Urban in the role of the villain.
The cliché story and dramatic scenes are unlikely to impress, but "Acts of Vengeance" does feature above-average action sequences due to committed physical performances from Banderas and Urban, and curtesy of director Isaac Florentine's visual style. Florentine has helmed a number of similar and moderately successful low-budget martial arts films with action stars like Scott Adkins and Michael Jai White in the movies "Close Range," "Ninja," and the first two "Undisputed" sequels among others. More than half the critics on Rotten Tomatoes found "Acts of Vengeance" worthwhile in spite of its flaws, but at least a 60% approval rating is required to avoid falling into rotten territory.
18. Shrek Forever After
The final rotten movie on the list is another "Shrek" sequel in which Antonio Banderas reprises his voice role as Puss in Boots. For "Shrek Forever After," the entire core voice cast returned along with many notable names from the sequels, as well as a few new additions including Jon Hamm, Craig Robinson, Kristen Schaal, Lake Bell, Kathy Griffin, Jane Lynch, Ryan Seacrest, and Walt Dohrn as this sequel's main villain, Rumpelstiltskin.
The story picks up years after "Shrek the Third" with Shrek and Fiona living a simple, domesticated life with their children. Rumpelstiltskin tricks Shrek into signing a contract that magically transports him to a parallel world where his entire species is in danger, where Fiona has no idea who he is, and where Puss in Boots has really let himself go. Though it fared moderately better with critics than "Shrek the Third," "Shrek Forever After" still lands leagues below the first two "Shrek" movies. Critic Deborah Ross of The Spectator came down hard on this sequel, writing "The rot set in with the third film, I think, and now, with the fourth, it's decomposed and gone to that black sludge you get at the bottom of the bin."
17. Evita
"Evita" is the first Antonio Banderas movie so far on the list to land a fresh score with critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and it performed well with general audience ratings as well. This 1996 biopic musical was adapted from the Broadway musical of the same name from Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. Madonna stars as Eva Perón (aka Evita Duarte) an Argentinian actress who fought her way out of poverty and eventually became the wife of Argentina's President, Juan Perón, played by Jonathan Pryce.
Antonio Banderas plays a fictionalized version of the real-life Ché Guevara, who stalks Evita throughout her life. "Evita" was directed by Alan Parker, a veteran of the musical genre with other films like "The Commitments," "Bugsy Malone," and "Fame." Parker also collaborated with Madonna on a number of music videos in addition to directing her in "Evita." Famed film critic Roger Ebert gave "Evita" 3.5 out of 4 stars and called Banderas's performance as Ché "one of the triumphs of the movie."
16. Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles
"Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles" was one of the biggest movies of 1994. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards and won two BAFTAs in the cinematography and production design categories. Beyond critical acclaim, the film was also a major hit with audiences around the world, raking in a massive box office return of more than $223 million (via The Numbers). General audiences enjoyed the film even more than critics on Rotten Tomatoes, but both parties gave the film fresh aggregate scores.
The movie aims to tell the 200-year life story of a vampire and those in his orbit. The story was adapted from the novel of the same name written by Anne Rice, who also wrote the adapted screenplay. Brad Pitt stars with the rest of the impressive cast fleshed out by Tom Cruise, Antonio Banderas, Christian Slater, Kirsten Dunst, and Thandiwe Newton. A television version of "Interview with the Vampire" is currently in the works with an expected release window for some time in 2022.
15. Once Upon a Time in Mexico
"Once Upon a Time in Mexico" marks the next collaboration between star Antonio Banderas and writer, director Robert Rodriguez on the list, and the first one to land a fresh score with critics on Rotten Tomatoes. This 2003 action movie is a direct sequel to "Desperado" from 1995 and the conclusion to Rodriguez's "Mexico Trilogy" which began with his first film, "El Mariachi" in 1992. The extremely low budget first film (initially produced for just $7,000) featured the unknown Carlos Gallardo in the lead role, before the higher-budgeted sequels recast the character with Antonio Banderas.
As the conclusion to the "Mexico Trilogy" following a revenge-seeking mariachi with a guitar case full of guns, "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" features the biggest and most over-the-top story yet involving the CIA, revolution, and even more explosive gunslinging. Banderas is joined again by Salma Hayek, as well as Cheech Marin and Danny Trejo, who were both previously killed off in "Desperado." New additions to the cast of this sequel include Willem Dafoe, Mickey Rourke, Eva Mendez, and Johnny Depp as a wild and dangerously volatile CIA agent who uses a fake arm for misdirection and who winds up as a blind gunfighter after having both of his eyes surgically removed.
14. Desperado
One spot above "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" is its predecessor, "Desperado." This 1995 action film marked the first time Antonio Banderas and writer, director Robert Rodriguez worked together. They would go on to collaborate with each other eight times total throughout their careers to date. Though it was a sequel to 1992's "El Mariachi," "Desperado" marked Banderas's first time taking on the role of the gunslinging guitar player.
Salma Hayek, Steve Buscemi, Joaquim de Almeida, Cheech Marin, Danny Trejo, and Carlos Gallardo round out the supporting cast. Even filmmaker Quentin Tarantino has a fun cameo role as a low-level thug who tells a bar joke before getting killed. Rodriguez and Tarantino are close friends and have collaborated numerous times throughout their careers, including on the aforementioned "Four Rooms" and "Grindhouse." Rodriguez brings his signature flair to the explosive action sequences, and Banderas turns in a charismatic and committed performance as he blasts his way through dozens of thugs in the name of revenge.
13. Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!
Spanish writer, director Pedro Almodóvar returns to the list with "Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!" This comedy with thriller elements stars Antonio Banderas as a mental hospital patient who upon release attempts to rekindle his past romance with an actress, played by Victoria Abril, but she has no memory of him owing perhaps to her past drug addictions. The film explores a bit of a Stockholm Syndrome situation as Banderas ties Abril up and holds her captive in the hopes of winning back her love.
"Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!" was a big hit in Spain, earning a staggering 15 nominations in various categories at the 1991 Goya Awards hosted out of Madrid, Spain. The movie was nominated for Best Film, Best Director, and nominated in all four acting categories, including a Best Lead Actor nomination for Antonio Banderas — his second Goya Award nomination for an Almodóvar film following up "Matador" from 1986. Critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes both secured fresh ratings for "Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!," but there are four more Almodóvar films still to come on this list with even higher ratings.
12. Frida
"Frida" is a 2002 biopic about the life and work of famed Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. This is the first movie so far on the list to land the covered certified fresh badge on Rotten Tomatoes. Salma Hayek stars in the titular role and earned BAFTA and Oscar nominations for Best Actress in a Leading Role. "Frida" was nominated for six Oscars total and won in the music and makeup categories. Alfred Molina plays the central figure of Frida's husband Diego Rivera. Other notable names on the cast include Geoffrey Rush, Diego Luna, Ashley Judd, Edward Norton, and Antonio Banderas as David Alfaro Siqueiros, another famous Mexican painter and a political activist who fought in the Mexican revolution.
The screenplay was pulled primarily from the biography on Frida Kahlo written by Hayden Herrera and first published in 1983. "Frida" was directed by Julie Taymor, who has also directed movies like "The Tempest," "Titus," and "Across the Universe." Taymor received an Oscar nomination for "Frida," but not for directing. She co-created the song "Burn It Blue" with Elliot Goldenthal, which was nominated for best original song.
11. Ruby Sparks
The first film to crack Antonio Banderas's top 10 highest-rated movies is "Ruby Sparks" from 2012. This romantic drama uses a fantastical premise which finds a young author, played by Paul Dano, bringing a fictional woman to life through the use of a magical typewriter, the titular Ruby Sparks played by Zoe Kazan. In addition to her role, Zoe Kazan also wrote the movie. Kazan is best known as an actress, appearing in such films as "The Big Sick," "Our Brand is Crisis," and the HBO mini-series "The Plot Against America." Kazan has just one other screenwriting credit, "Wildlife," which she co-wrote with her "Ruby Sparks" co-star Paul Dano, who also directed the project as his first film. Kazan and Dano are married in real life.
Antonio Banderas co-stars as the boyfriend of the author's mother, who is played by Annette Bening. Elliot Gould, Chris Messina, Deborah Ann Woll, Alia Shawkat, and Steve Coogan also co-star. "Ruby Sparks" fared well with the vast majority of Rotten Tomatoes critics. Justin Chang of Variety didn't think the film was perfect, but said that it had a "clever conceit" and that it was "disarmingly funny and romantic" in spite of any flaws.
10. Haywire
With "Haywire," a second Steven Soderbergh film finds its way onto the list. "Haywire" is a spy thriller with an emphasis on action sequences in the vain of movies like the "Bourne" series. The big draw with "Haywire" are the fight scenes, which made use of the real-world fighting expertise of its star Gina Carano. "Haywire" was Carano's first starring role, fresh off of a career as a professional MMA fighter. Interestingly, Soderbergh made the decision to have Carano's voice altered during post production.
Soderbergh tends to attract large casts of big name actors for his projects, and "Haywire" was no exception. Antonio Banderas, Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas, and Bill Paxton make up the various friends and foes of the main character in this world of espionage packed with double and triple crosses. Though "Haywire" secured a strong certified fresh score with Rotten Tomatoes critics, it didn't fare nearly as well with general audiences. Average viewers disliked the movie enough to give it a rotten score. Carano's physical performance earned praise from most critics even though her acting performance left most wanting more. Rafer Guzman of Newsday summed up the general notion well, writing "Carano puts major muscle, if minor acting ability, into this enjoyable action flick."
9. Philadelphia
The Oscar winning "Philadelphia" is a courtroom drama from 1993. Tom Hanks stars as a man with HIV who gets wrongly terminated from his job. Denzel Washington plays the homophobic lawyer he is forced to team up with in a bid to hold his former employer responsible. Antonio Banderas co-stars as the romantic partner of Tom Hanks's character in what would prove to be a major breakthrough role for him with English Language audiences during the early stages of his international career.
"Philadelphia" was directed by Jonathan Demme, whose eclectic career has found him directing everything from the seminal "The Silence of the Lambs" to the Talking Heads concert movie "Stop Making Sense." The strong social message of "Philadelphia" was an element favored by many critics and did a lot to shine a light on HIV and AIDS in the early '90s. David Ansen of Newsweek said that "Philadelphia" has "the power to open more than a few blinkered hearts."
8. The Skin I Live In
"The Skin I Live In" is the third Pedro Almodóvar film on the list, and the first of four collaborations between Banderas and Almodóvar to make it into the top 10 of his entire filmography. This one eschews the typical comedy and romance of the other Banderas and Almodóvar flicks in favor of a darker and more sinister tone. "The Skin I Live In" is a thriller that verges into horror territory with ease.
Antonio Banderas stars as a tormented plastic surgeon who develops an extremely strong synthetic skin. He tests this new skin on a dangerous and enigmatic woman played by Elena Anaya. "The Skin I Live In" won the best foreign language BAFTA in 2012, an honor that Pedro Almodóvar also won in 2003 for "Talk to Her" and in 2000 for "All About My Mother." General audiences and critics on Rotten Tomatoes both highly recommended "The Skin I Live In." Much acclaim was made for Banderas's performance in the lead role, such as in the review from Gabrielle Rivera, who wrote "Banderas settles into the dark character of Dr. Ledgard with a stillness and apparent ease that gave me the chills."
7. The Mask of Zorro
Ranking considerably higher than its aforementioned rotten-rated sequel is "The Mask of Zorro," Antonio Banderas's first time donning the iconic black mask. The Zorro character was introduced to readers through the novella "The Curse of Capistrano" written by Johnston McCulley all the way back in 1919. In the century since then, Zorro has been integrated into all manner of media from movies to comic books. The first film portrayal of Zorro arrived shortly after the publication of the novel with the 1920 silent film "The Mark of Zorro" starring Douglas Fairbanks in the lead role.
Though many actors have portrayed Zorro over the years, Antonio Banderas left an indelible mark on the character when he filled the black boots in 1998. This take on the iconic character was directed by Martin Campbell, best known for directing the "James Bond" films "GoldenEye" and "Casino Royale." Rotten Tomatoes critics praised "The Mask of Zorro" for emphasizing old-school theatrics and adventure over flashy special effects or an overly modernized story. The BBC gave the film a perfect score and wrote "There are no clever ground-breaking effects, just lashings of good clean fun with desperately devilish baddies, and good guys so fantastic, so clever and witty, that they make you want to weep with pleasure."
6. Puss in Boots
Antonio Banderas's Puss in Boots character became an instant fan favorite upon his introduction to the "Shrek" series in the second film. There was enough fan support for the character, that Puss in Boots got his own spin-off movie in 2011. What's even more impressive is that this spin-off fared well enough with critics to earn itself the certified fresh badge on Rotten Tomatoes. Banderas again finds himself acting opposite frequent co-star Salma Hayek, who lends her voice to Puss in Boots's love interest, Kitty Softpaws.
The story is set before the events of "Shrek 2" and finds Puss in Boots tasked with saving the world with the help of Kitty Softpaws and Humpty Dumpty, voiced by Zach Galifianakis. Amy Sedaris and Billy Bob Thornton also lend their voices to the project alongside the inspired casting choice of filmmaker Guillermo del Toro in a pair of supporting voice roles. A second standalone Puss in Boots movie, titled "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish," is on the horizon from DreamWorks with a targeted release date of September 2022.
5. Shrek 2
Just one spot above Puss in Boots's standalone adventure is the film that first introduced the character: "Shrek 2." The story of this sequel picks up where the previous film left off and finds Shrek and Fiona heading back to her kingdom in Far, Far Away and getting to know her parents, the King and Queen voiced by John Cleese and Julie Andrews. "Shrek 2" has the rare honor of receiving an even higher critic score on Rotten Tomatoes than the original film, something few sequels can claim.
The directing duo of Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson helmed the first "Shrek" movie, but only Adamson returned for the sequel. For "Shrek 2," Adamson was joined by Kelly Asbury and Conrad Vernon, the latter of whom is also an integral part of the cast, lending his voice to five different characters, including Gingerbread Man. Though this is the final mainline "Shrek" movie on the list, it isn't the final "Shrek" property in which Antonio Banderas voiced Puss in Boots. The character also appeared in three Shrek-themed Christmas specials: "Shrek the Halls," "Shrek's Yule Log," and "Donkey's Christmas Shrektacular," as well as the Halloween short "Scared Shrekless." Mike Meyers, Eddie Murphy, and Antonio Banderas reprised the team of Shrek, Donkey, and Puss in Boots most recently in 2010 for the television program "DreamWorks Shrek's Swamp Stories."
4. Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
"Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" (1998) is another standout collaboration between star Antonio Banderas and writer, director Pedro Almodóvar. The movie was nominated for best foreign language film at both the Oscars and BAFTAs but lost to "Pelle the Conqueror" and "Life and Nothing But" respectively.
Carmen Maura stars as Pepa, an actress who is sent into a frenzy when her lover suddenly disappears. Pepa's friend Candela, played by María Barranco goes through a similar ordeal involving her ex-boyfriend, a wanted terrorist. Antonio Banderas plays the son of Pepa's missing lover as part of the large cast of wild characters. "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" was hailed as a compelling feminist work and has retained its position as one of Almodóvar's strongest films. In a retrospective review written in 2010, film critic Emmanuel Levy called the movie "Almodóvar's first masterpiece" and said it's his "most satisfying and commercially successful work to date."
3. Matador
"Matador" is Antonio Banderas's third highest-rated movie, and his penultimate collaboration with writer, director Pedro Almodóvar on the list. Released in 1986, this is the oldest Almodóvar film on the list. Banderas did appear in one Almodóvar film previously, "Labyrinth of Passion" from 1982, but Banderas's role was a minor part (in what was just his second ever screen performance), and the film is a lesser-seen work of both men, though rated highly by the few critics who have reviewed it.
The story of "Matador" follows, as you might expect, a matador, played by Nacho Martínez, who retires from the profession after a nasty accident on the job. He turns his hand toward teaching, and Antonio Banderas plays his eager young pupil, a deranged perverted man who has psychic visions of murders he believes he may have committed without remembering. "Matador" is a bizarre film that aims to shock audiences into laughter, and succeeded with the vast majority of Rotten Tomatoes critics. Variety praised the film for its "zig-zagging surrealism" and its "careening, sordidly erotic energy."
2. Spy Kids
It is fitting that Antonio Banderas's top four films all come from his two most frequent collaborators: filmmakers Pedro Almodóvar and Robert Rodriguez. With the original "Spy Kids" in 2001, Rodriguez kicked off the start of a long lasting children's franchise. Oddly enough, despite being certified fresh and one of Banderas's highest-rated movies among critics, more than 250,000 general audience ratings on Rotten Tomatoes have left "Spy Kids" with a rotten audience score.
The first "Spy Kids" movie introduced viewers to the Cortez spy family of the young Carmen and Juni, played Alex PenaVega and Daryl Sabara, and their parents (Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino). The adult supporting cast is full of recognizable faces including Alan Cumming, Tony Shalhoub, Danny Trejo, Cheech Marin, Robert Patrick, Teri Hatcher, Mike Judge, and even fellow filmmaker Richard Linklater in a rare acting role. After four movies, the "Spy Kids" series has gone dark since 2011 as far as feature film outings go, but the franchise was translated into animated form with the Netflix original series "Spy Kids: Mission Critical" starting in 2018. There might still be a little feature-film life left in this series, too. As reported by Deadline, a "Spy Kids" reboot movie is in the works at Netflix with Robert Rodriguez returning to write and direct the updated version.
1. Pain and Glory
The number one highest-rated movie of Antonio Banderas's career is "Pain and Glory" from 2019 — and it's his most recent collaboration with writer, director Pedro Almodóvar. Banderas stars as a creatively-drained filmmaker who looks back at the most pivotal moments from his life, which manifest as a series of flashbacks. Asier Etxeandia and Penélope Cruz — another frequent Almodóvar collaborator — have prominent co-starring roles.
Almodóvar pulled a great deal of inspiration from his own life when creating "Pain and Glory," and Banderas's look in the film even resembles Almodóvar himself. Despite containing autobiographical elements, however, "Pain and Glory" is not strictly an autobiographical film through and through, according to an interview Almodóvar gave to The LA Times. Banderas earned an avalanche of acclaim for his performance. He earned his first and so far only Oscar nomination to date for the role. "Pain and Glory" also earned an Academy Award nomination in the Best International Feature Film category but lost to "Parasite," which also took home other awards including Best Picture at the 2020 Oscars. Banderas also won the high honor of Best Actor at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival for the role.