Once Upon a Time in Mexico

Rating:
Summary: A Great Movie From Robert Rodriguez
Review: "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" is done just like "El Mariachi" was.
This film which isn't exactly an independent film looks like it cost about one million dollars to make.Such seens as when Johnny Depp walks through a kitchen to shoot a cook and the blood actually splatters on the camera as if it was shot with a hand held camera.The film is about a rouge C.I.A agent named Sands
(Johnny Depp) in his second hit film of 2003 who hires El (Antonio Banderas) to kill a army general who is planning on shooting the president of Mexico.The general also is a key to El's past.Things that seem to bother me is the plot is kind of botched a little bit and Enrique Iglesias isn't a great actor.
But also in the all-star cast is Willem Dafoe as a somewhat mafia guy,Mickey Rourke,Eva Mendes,Cheech Marin,and Salma Hayek (who is in the movie about ten minutes).The film is better than
"El Mariachi" and "Desperado" but is only a movie you can watch maybe ten times before getting bored with.B- for the movie and
A for the acting.Enjoy!!!

Rating:
Summary: Third "Mariachi" film slightly suffers from "sequel curse"!
Review: "Once Upon A Time In Mexico" is the third in director Robert Rodriguez's "Mariachi" series which started with the indepedent hit, "El Mariachi" and reached crossover appeal with 1995's "Desperado". The swan song to Rodriguez's beloved trilogy set the same high standards I reserved for other 2003 sequels such as Bad Boys II., Terminator 3, and Freddy vs. Jason and sadly ended up leaving me with the same half-dissapointed feeling I left the other films with. Interestingly enough, it suffers from many of the same problems. The same way Michael Bay felt that throwing nearly the same cast in front of bigger, louder, and more elaborate action scenes would make for a worthy sequel in "Bad Boys II", Rodriguez follows suit with "Mexico". Robert also seems stuck in the "T3" predicament where he can't match the original's artistic story-telling or the sequel's creative action sequences and dramatic back story so he just hits us with a two-hour fireworks show.

"Once Upon A Time" has Johnny Depp's crooked CIA agent tracking down Banderas' Mariachi for a assassination mission. He wants "El" to eliminate the leader of a rebel army after they take out the Mexican President. Also thrown in the mix are a retired F.B.I. agent looking for revenge, Eva Mendez's sexy but sadistic Mexican Federal officer, and a South-American drug czar (played by Willem Dafoe of all people). Also along for the ride are Mickey Rourke, Cheech Marin, Danny Trejo, Salma Hayek, and Enrique Iglesias, who are all jammed into an all-star cast. Problem is with all these characters, there isn't much screen time for everyone. Banderas gets a nice portion of the scenes but it isn't nearly enough screen-time as he had in "Desperado" and as a result, his character comes off somewhat underdevolped. The returning Salma Hayek gets little more than an "extended cameo". Mendez gets a heavy billing but she really only shows up for a handful of scenes. Depp's charismatic C.I.A. agent seems to be the only character who gets a good portion of the story dedicated to him. Depp does give an "A+" perfomance though so we can forgive it. Towards the third act, it becomes less about Depp (though he does show up a few more times to steal the show before all is said and done) and more about a "juggling act" between all the remaining underdeveloped characters.

As I already mentioned, Robert has made the same mistake as Bay with the "Bad Boys" sequel. Both seem to have forgotten that "winning formula" that came with them the first (or in Robert's case, "second") time around. "Desperado" and "Bad Boys" respectively were both good-looking action films but the dynamic that really impressed me wasn't just the fact that they were "loud" and had a big body count. Both films took a low-budget attempt with entertaining characters, great musical scores, and an all-around good story and made a crowd-pleaser that really looked like a million bucks. Unfortunately, neither director gave their respective films the credit it deserved in other areas as they seem to believe that having a familiar cast and bigger explosions would make up for lack of depth in both the story and characters.

I enjoyed "Once Upon A Time In Mexico". The same way that I enjoyed the other movies I mentioned (with the possible exception of T3) but with all came an inability to pass or even match the entertainment value I got with their predacessors. "Mexico" is honestly probably the best effort of them all. Robert's script shows a lot of brilliance, most noteably with the clever dialouge exhibited by Depp's character. The concluding scenes are certainly never boring but just a tad bit underwhelming for a final chapter in a trilogy. All in all, this movie is a fun and exciting conclusion to Rodriguez's "Mariachi" series.

The DVD for "Mexico" has some real good special features. Rodriguez is very insightful in his audio commentary for the film and also goes into detail on several elements of film-making on a number of featurettes. The deleted scenes are an added treat though there really isn't anything that sticks out as being particulary amazing. Needless to say, if you liked the movie, you will be impressed by the DVD.

Rating:
Summary: Watchable dark comedy with several fun performances
Review: "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" works as both a fable and a dark comedy. Anyone hoping for a dose of reality or a great drama will be disappointed. Director Robert Rodriguez admittedly was having a great time playing with his digital cameras and other gadgets while making the movie. The cast of excellent actors was also having fun, and none of them took the project seriously. Although the film is rather violent in a cartoonish sort of way, it's often very entertaining. It is what it is - nothing less, nothing more.

The movie is the third of Rodriguez's movies about the exploits of El Mariachi [Antonio Banderas], a wandering Mexican musician whose true avocation is fighting injustice and corruption. In this episode he uncovers a plot to kill a Central American president in order to install a military government that is friendly to a powerful drug cartel. One of the plan's leaders is the general who killed El Mariachi's wife [Selma Hayek] and daughter in the second movie, "Desperado". Another powerful adversary is Sands [Johnny Deep], a psychotic CIA agent who tries to use El Mariachi for his own devious purposes.

Not a great movie, "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" is a fun movie.

Rating:
Summary: WILLIE BLANCO RATES MEXICO MINUS 5 ENCHILADA'S
Review: "EL MARIACHI" GOOD TO VERY GOOD PROMISING NEW DIRECTOR- NO LETS CALL HIM FILM MAKER- ROBERT RODRIGUEZ... RODRIGUEZ EITHER HAS VERY LIMITED TALENTS, (THAT WERE TRASPARENTLY EXPOSED IN MEXICO), OR HE HAS BECOME A VICTIM OF THE PATHETIC HOLLYWOOD SYSTEM THAT UNSHAMINGLY CRANKS OUT PRODUCTS THAT PICKS THE POCKET OF AND EXPLOITS THE EXPLOITABLE.( GIMME DOLLA!).

BOYS AND GIRLS - THE MOVIE STINKS... SAVE YOUR BUCKOLA'S BUY A HOT FUDGE SUNDAY- YOU KNOW THAT'S GOING TO BE GOOD..

IF YOUR INTERESTED IN A MINDLESS, POORLY SCRIPTED FILM WITH THIRD RATE STUNTS EXPLOSIONS AND SPECIAL EFFECTS, THIS IS FOR YOU. SO POORLY CAST IS FINE ACTOR JOHNNY DEPP ( WHOSE ONE OF MY FAVORITES), THAT IF THIS WAS HIS FIRST FILM IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HIS LAST. ONCE UPON A TIME THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN SOME INTEGRITY AND PRIDE IN FILM MAKING IN HOLLYWOOD BUT IT GOT LOST IN MEXICO, RIGHT ALONG WITH R ROD. DID I MENTION THIS FILM STINKS? WILLIE BLANCO RATES THIS PRODUCT MINUS 5 ENCHILADA'S.

Rating:
Summary: A Tangled Story
Review: 'Once Upon a Time in Mexico' continues the story of El Mariachi, played by Antonio Banderas. After the events of 'Desperado,' El Mariachi attempted to settle down with Carolina, played by Selma Hayek, but a ruthless Mexican general had other plans. Having lost the love his life, El Mariachi retires to a mission where guitars are made until the henchmen of rogue CIA agent Sands, played by Johnny Depp come calling...

This is one confusing tale. There are multiple parties pulling the strings. Agent Sands is encouraging a Mexican revolution, but he wants the leader in charge killed after the revolution is over. The head of a Mexican Drug cartel, played by Wilem Dafoe, is funding the revolution, and trying to make himself disappear in the process. The Mexican General is intent on sezing power in Mexico. It takes careful attention to figure out how exactly the parties all fit together.

Don't go looking for a lot of 'good guys' in this movie. There are probably only two genuinely good guys: El Mariachi and Jorge, a retired FBI agent. Whether they are actually good guys is debatable. Many of the characters evolve throughout the story, and a few even become likeable.

If you are watching the movie to see Selma Hayek, don't bother. Her role is minimal, and you find out that she is killed off before the events of the film even take place. She frequently given second billing in this movie even though she has less screen time than a dozen other actors. Still, she does have a memorable opening scene.

Overall, I tempted to give this movie 3.5 stars. However, I liked it more than three stars, and since 3.5 is not an option, I'll go with four. I'd recommend it to anyone that liked 'Desperado,' but some of those fans are bound to be disappointed. The movie is frequently confusing, often gory, and not for children.

Rating:
Summary: A Fun Movie Despite its Flaws
Review: After "Pirates of the Carribbean" I became a Johnny Depp fan. His whimsical, fanciful, ironic wit and style are engaging and delightful. It's fun watching him have fun performing. "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" is no exception.

If you have the concentration to follow a terribly convoluted plot, you will finally sort out the threads and breathe a sigh of relief when the complexity unwinds. In the meantime, sit back and enjoy the performances of Antonio Banderas and Depp as they make the most of a flawed film.

Sometimes, it is difficult to tell if the movie is taking itself seriously or simply embarking on a ridiculous lark of a tale full of absurd stereotypes and funny lines delivered with a somewhat straight face.

Not a wonderful film but an entertaining one.

Rating:
Summary: A Fun Movie Despite its Flaws
Review: After "Pirates of the Carribbean" I became a Johnny Depp fan. His whimsical, fanciful, ironic wit and style are engaging and delightful. It's fun watching him have fun performing. "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" is no exception.

If you have the concentration to follow a terribly convoluted plot, you will finally sort out the threads and breathe a sigh of relief when the complexity unwinds. In the meantime, sit back and enjoy the performances of Antonio Banderas and Depp as they make the most of a flawed film.

Sometimes, it is difficult to tell if the movie is taking itself seriously or simply embarking on a ridiculous lark of a tale full of absurd stereotypes and funny lines delivered with a somewhat straight face.

Not a wonderful film but an entertaining one.

Rating:
Summary: Johnny Depp and Antonio Banderas are better than ever
Review: after the hugely summer of 2003's Pirates Of The Caribbean, Johnny Depp (Secret Window, Finding Neverland) returns as a corrupt Agent named Sands who brings Antonio Banderas (Evita, The Body) gun toting El Mariachi out of hiding...soon Banderas is brought into a web of double and triple crosses involving something to do with overthrowning the president. Banderas spins, flings, soars, jumps, rolls and just does about every thing in this movie and Depp gives us another enjoyable and unforgettable character as he gets all the highlights in this movie. Depp doesnt do all the things Banderas does but he does lose his eyes towards the end. Also starring Willem Dafoe (upcoming XXX:State Of The Union, Shadow OF The Vampire), Eva Mendes (Hitch, Stuck on You), Mickey Rourke (Spun, Angel Heart), Danny Trejo (From Dusk Till Dawn, Anchorman), Cheech Marin (Tv's Nash Bridges, Christmas With The Kranks), Enrique Inglesias, Ruben Blades (Color Of Night, Devils Own) and Salma Hayek (Frida, Dogma). Hayek doesnt have a big part in this movie basically because she's just in flashbacks. Good action scenes makes this third installment of Robert Rodriquez's trilogy a grand ride even though its not as good as Desperado or El Mariachi...its still bloody good fun.

Rating:
Summary: The Good, The Bad, and The Mexican
Review: After three unimpressive kid flicks, director, writer, composer, and editor Robert Rodriguez makes his highly anticipated return to directing bloody, over-the-top violence with "Once Upon A Time in Mexico", the third film in his "El Mariachi" trilogy. The original "El Mariachi" brought new meaning to the phrase "More bang for your buck" by offering an unexpected and excellent action film for only $7,000. Its follow-up, "Desperado," not only launched the careers of both Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek, it also became an instant classic among its genre. That's why it's so painful, so aggravating, and ultimately so disappointing that Rodriguez decided to make "Mexico" his final adventure for the Mariachi.

The film opens with an introduction to C. I. A. Agent Sands (Johnny Depp, who's performance gives us another reason this year to worship the ground he walks on) who is searching for the legendary El Mariachi (Banderas). It seems that events between this film and the last have caused the avenging guitarist to lie low and stop his one-man war against Mexican drug dealers. Sands needs to bring El out of retirement so that he can stop an evil general (Gerardo Vigil) from assassinating the President of Mexico. Flashbacks show us that El has a score to settle with the general, so he agrees to help. So let begin the simple, straightforward, revenge-driven action extravaganza, right? No, sorry. First, Rodriguez has to introduce a number of different side characters, sub-plots, and double crosses. He then tries to explain why Character A needs to kill Character B. Then there's some back-story and then some more confusing exposition. It's becomes such a tangled mess that you won't realize who's killing who for what reason or why Depp is missing his eyeballs at the film's end.

"Once Upon A Time in Mexico" joins the ranks of Bad Boys II, Men In Black II, T3, and Star Wars as an overdue sequel, which seems to lead to either strong disappointment or loss of interest. After an eight-year wait, it is so frustrating to discover that this story doesn't satisfy. Rodriguez is trying too hard to tell too many stories at once. By trying to be more than it should, it becomes a bloated mess that just blubbers incoherently. While "Desperado" was a simple revenge story, this film tries to be a guided tour through government and criminal politics in Mexico. With all the new characters, especially Depp's Agent Sands, Banderas becomes nothing more than a subplot in his own movie. His scenes come out of nowhere, seemingly thrown in at random. Rodriguez said he only took a few weeks to film this movie, but then waited several years to edit it. Maybe it would have been smarter to have "chopped" the film while it was still fresh in his head.

What the film lacks in story it makes up for with everything else. Banderas is the only one who could play El Mariachi with such brooding cool. He's a combination of style, anger, camp, and calm. Depp's Agent Sands is not as wild as his Captain Jack Sparrow from that little pirate movie, but he's just as colorful. His transformation from a conniving rogue to a crippled gunslinger with superhuman powers is reason enough to see this film. As if these awesome characters weren't enough, Rodriguez adds some brilliant action scenes to the mix. While never up to par with "Desperado", the explosive gunfights and motorcycle chases are better than anything shown in theatres over the past summer.

"Mexico" is a fine display of the director's ability to showcase an entertaining mix of blood-soaked action, black humor, and wacky characters. It's the combining of these elements with unnecessarily complex storytelling that leaves a bad taste in one's mouth.

. GRADE: C + or 2 1/2 out of 4 stars

Rating:
Summary: Good scenes, but not much of a big picture
Review: After watching Desperado, I was excited to see this movie coming out, especially knowing that Selma Hayek was in this one also. Seeing Johnny Depp joining the film as an American agent promised a good film. Unfortunately, I really don't feel the film quite coalesced into a coherent whole.

Parts of the movie are flashbacks, which prevent us from getting a solid flow. Although flashbacks often work, I never quite got the feeling that all the flashbacks helped us understand what was happening in the present day. We are also introduced to characters, which have their pasts hinted at (like the former FBI agent or the other two members of the mariachi band), but we never get enough of the characters to feel that they fit. They seem more like a quick plot device used to fill a gap.

The movie has Johnny Depp playing the role of an agent trying to stay in control of the situation. His character is tough as well as funny. Some of his lines will stay with you, as the director or writer seemed to make him a second focal point for the movie, which does not seem to have helped.

The movie also has Willem DaFoe, but I really don't feel that I saw his character much. I have the feeling that maybe his big scenes had been cut from the movie. He seems out of place.

If you are a die-hard fan of one of the actors in the film, then I would see it. Otherwise, I would recommend giving this one a slip.