With a ragtag platoon of teenage cadets and a horse named after a Spanish poet, Max crosses the Rio Grande. He finds the Alamo defended by exactly one sleepy security guard. Within an hour, the Mexicans have "reclaimed" the shrine, run up the Mexican flag, and confused the hell out of a group of schoolchildren.
Stream it for Ustinov’s performance. Stay for the strange, uncomfortable feeling that the joke is still on us. Note on availability: Viva Max! is currently available on DVD via the Warner Archive Collection and occasionally surfaces on streaming services like Amazon Prime or Tubi. Viva Max
Viva Max! was not a good movie. But it was a brave one. And in an era where border politics are no laughing matter, a comedy that dares to laugh at the very idea of a border might be exactly what we need—or exactly why Hollywood is too scared to make it today. With a ragtag platoon of teenage cadets and
Critics were brutal. The New York Times called it "a one-joke movie that forgets to be funny." Roger Ebert admitted it had "a few inspired moments" but concluded it was "too gentle for satire, too frantic for realism." Stream it for Ustinov’s performance