Captain Pantoja and the Special Services(Pantaleón y las visitadoras)

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Peru, Spain · 1999
Rated R · 2h 17m
Director Francisco J. Lombardi
Starring Angie Cepeda, Salvador del Solar, Mónica Sánchez, Pilar Bardem
Genre Comedy, Drama

The Peruvian army captain Pantaleon Pantoja, a very serious and strict officer, is chosen by his superiors to set up a special service of female visitors to satisfy the sexual needs of the soldiers posted on remote jungle outposts. His repressed nature clashes with his official duties in this raunchy comedy.

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What are critics saying?

New York Post by

Director Francisco de Lombardi fills his sensual film with plenty of gorgeous shots of the lush landscape and its equally exotic, miniskirted "fauna."

San Francisco Chronicle by Jonathan Curiel

A pedestrian film that provides little more than a superficial treat.

Los Angeles Times by Kevin Thomas

While Pantaleón does have its scorching erotic moments and skewers establishment hypocrisy toward prostitution, it lacks the originality and complexity of "Y Tu Mamá."

New Times (L.A.) by Luke Y. Thompson

This may not seem to be the stuff of comedy, but a comedy it is, and a compelling one too, laden with hot sex and standout performances.

TV Guide Magazine by Maitland McDonagh

A military satire in the tradition of M*A*S*H and Catch-22, based on Peruvian novelist Mario Vargas Llosa's 1973 book.

L.A. Weekly by Mark Olsen

Roaming freely between comedy (which mostly works) and drama (which mostly doesn't) before settling on trite sentimentality, the film may not be an altogether unpleasant way to pass the time, but, ultimately, the innocuous Captain Pantoja doesn't earn its stripes.

Village Voice by Nick Rutigliano

Sadly, most of Lombardi's movie is too doggedly mediocre to cut loose, overheated (and quite lovely) cinematography notwithstanding.