Review of La Bamba

La Bamba (1987)
6/10
Not the most exciting biopic, but some great music along the way
17 December 2021
La Bamba is an unusual biopic about a musician. It seems that most of these movies are about how the protagonist's fame corrupts them and eventually leads to sex, drugs, and drink. They neglect their family and friends, until they must find a moment of redemption. However, it doesn't seem that Ritchie Valens lived that kind of life. In fact, they spend an inordinate amount of time in the film focusing on his brother because he's the one who struggles with substance abuse and bad relationships. Ritchie is down-to-earth, likable, and almost without flaws in La Bamba. His only real quirk is the fact that he is afraid of flying, something they take full advantage of pointing out because of the horrible irony of that phobia.

What makes La Bamba worth watching is really the soundtrack. It has multiple great Ritchie Valens hits, which are all a treat. But they also jam-pack nearly every scene with tunes from his contemporaries. I suppose if you're not as hooked on 1950s music as I am, then the soundtrack might not blow you away. I was tapping my toes the whole time and it made even the dull moments a bit more enjoyable. This is one of those biopics about a musician where they make the choice to just dub in the original artist's voice, that means the quality of the singing is top notch but you have to suspend your disbelief when you see Lou Diamond Phillips lip syncing. As a whole, La Bamba is not a great film, but the story is told well enough and there's some good tunes to listen to along the way.
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