Pacino's accent is so bad, bands have put out whole albums mocking it, with titles like Fush Yu Mang. It's still the gold standard for awful, awful accents, right up there with Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins.
The depictions of Cubans was so offensive and stereotypical, Miami wouldn't let it be made there.
Pacino isn't the only ethnic impersonator. Stephen Bauer, Manny the best friend, is the only Cuban in this entire film:
F Murray Abraham-Jewish, awful accent. "Di ha maaay!" instead of Digame!
Mary Mastrantonio-Italian, and sounds it.
Robert Loggia-Italian. His attempt at a Cuban accent is just to growl.
Several other actors are Mexicans playing Cubans with not even any attempt to sound Cuban. To non Latinos, seemingly they can't tell the difference. But to Latinos it's as a ridiculous as having Stallone play a guy from Georgia.
So why do many people love this film? It's an over the top cartoon. There's zero attempt at realism. The same audience that thinks gangster rap is "real" or actually doesn't care, so long as it gives them an excuse to wallow in violence.
If you want to believe snorting coke means you can survive 30 bullets to the chest and belly, this is your film. If you want anything else, it's not for you.
ETA: I'm glad of the strong reactions to my review, both the downvotes and the higher than I expected number of up votes. Good to know some others feel the same.
The depictions of Cubans was so offensive and stereotypical, Miami wouldn't let it be made there.
Pacino isn't the only ethnic impersonator. Stephen Bauer, Manny the best friend, is the only Cuban in this entire film:
F Murray Abraham-Jewish, awful accent. "Di ha maaay!" instead of Digame!
Mary Mastrantonio-Italian, and sounds it.
Robert Loggia-Italian. His attempt at a Cuban accent is just to growl.
Several other actors are Mexicans playing Cubans with not even any attempt to sound Cuban. To non Latinos, seemingly they can't tell the difference. But to Latinos it's as a ridiculous as having Stallone play a guy from Georgia.
So why do many people love this film? It's an over the top cartoon. There's zero attempt at realism. The same audience that thinks gangster rap is "real" or actually doesn't care, so long as it gives them an excuse to wallow in violence.
If you want to believe snorting coke means you can survive 30 bullets to the chest and belly, this is your film. If you want anything else, it's not for you.
ETA: I'm glad of the strong reactions to my review, both the downvotes and the higher than I expected number of up votes. Good to know some others feel the same.