Rating: Summary: Don't forget the first one to... Review: Both of these movies are amazing, though I was all too happy that I was able to see El Mariachi before either of them. The first movie was done almost entirely volunteer with a budget that barely covered the cost of the ammunition -- and yes, at that shockingly low price-tag -- it was that good that it rated two sequels!Lots of southwest machismo flavor, guns, musicians, tragic love, what more could one want from a movie aiming for the top of the genre. Desperado first disjointedly continues from El Mariachi (believe me, if you saw E.M. first, you would have at least a few confused moments when viewing Desperado the first time). Once Upon a Time in Mexico picks up from where Desperado left off and the flash backs throughout the third movie do a reasonable job and tying the series together. The plots for all three are fantastical and legend, but all three movies work the genre style for all they are worth and end up way way way on top. Did I mention the astounding cast? It's not just the stars -- they've pulled out some pretty legendary supporting actors to boot. Five stars for the fact that in addition to being astoundingly fabulous movies -- each one of the three is able to stand as a solid movie unto itself without the other two. Four stars for the set -- only because the set doesn't include El Mariachi, which I think everyone should watch at least a few times. I think it is about time that El Mariachi garners due royalties along with its American companion sequels...
Rating: Summary: Don't forget the first one to... Review: Both of these movies are amazing, though I was all too happy that I was able to see El Mariachi before either of them. The first movie was done almost entirely volunteer with a budget that barely covered the cost of the ammunition -- and yes, at that shockingly low price-tag -- it was that good that it rated two sequels! Lots of southwest machismo flavor, guns, musicians, tragic love, what more could one want from a movie aiming for the top of the genre. Desperado first disjointedly continues from El Mariachi (believe me, if you saw E.M. first, you would have at least a few confused moments when viewing Desperado the first time). Once Upon a Time in Mexico picks up from where Desperado left off and the flash backs throughout the third movie do a reasonable job and tying the series together. The plots for all three are fantastical and legend, but all three movies work the genre style for all they are worth and end up way way way on top. Did I mention the astounding cast? It's not just the stars -- they've pulled out some pretty legendary supporting actors to boot. Five stars for the fact that in addition to being astoundingly fabulous movies -- each one of the three is able to stand as a solid movie unto itself without the other two. Four stars for the set -- only because the set doesn't include El Mariachi, which I think everyone should watch at least a few times. I think it is about time that El Mariachi garners due royalties along with its American companion sequels...
Rating: Summary: Great action film with a bit of humor. Review: How could anyone not love this film? It's got more of the wonderful action we saw in Desperado and the same great humor. Depp was amazing. Who couldn't appreciate the humor of him wearing the CIA shirt out in public or the little lines like "Are you a Mexi-Can or a Mexi-Can't?" As for those who say it's "Unbelievable" It's fiction...It's supposed to dance on the edge of unbelievable...else it wouldn't be fiction. The only beef I have with thte film is the repeat of the "you killed my woman, prepare to die" idea. Great film though, well worth your time...try to see Desperado first though.
Rating: Summary: Good Review: Johnny Depp was wonderful. The movie, in my opinios was good, but many people did not particularly enjoy it. Personally, I would see it just becuase Johnny Depp did such a great job of portraying his devious character Agent Sands.
Rating: Summary: GAWD AWFUL Review: OMG it was SO disjointed and over the top ridiculous!!! e.g., one scene (the typical running away from bad guys, shoot-outs galore, etc.,) Bandaras is up a flight of stairs, he puts his guitar case down and stands on it and surfs down the stairs to hit a guy and lands right under him with a gun pointing up at the guy's maracas...*rolling eyes* A#1 and first and foremost, a guitar case like that made for acoustic guitars would not support a child's weight, let alone a grown man and watching him stair-surf was just laugh out loud funny at a moment that was supposed to be serious...another scene a guy's guitar shoots flames out of the end of it then immediately after his friend puts his guitar case down,it sprouts wheels and he pulls out a remote control (like those little cars at radio shack?) and it rolls under a jeep and he pushes a button and it blows it up...GODZ OKAY!!! Johnny Depp is supp to have his eyes gouged out at one point and the blood on his face is so perfectly painted it looks like THE CROW makeup or something, it also looks purple not red...the writing is just horrid beyond the realms of madness, I've never seen anyting so bad. They had like 8 plots going on at once, dream sequences that you didn't know if they were dreams or what was happening, if someone got shot they flew thru the air backwards about 100 feet in the air (this happened over and over and over and over ad nauseum...). Bandaras didn't seem righteously PO'd, etc., etc., Man, it was SO unbelievably bad... There were also 2 characters that were were killed in Desperado that showed back up (the bartender-Cheech Marin, and the really bad-ass guy w/blades, no explanation of how and why they rose from the dead..Wm DaFoe as a Mexican (if you can envision the blatant miscasting of that one), and Mickey Rourke as some guy we could never figure out who exactly he was supp to be or what his purpose was really toting a little Chihuahua thru the entire movie... SAVE...YOUR...MONEY...it gets one star for Rodriquez's amazing ability to take a small budget and film breathtaking action scenes--mostly by his own hard work and inovation and workaholic nature, but IMHO when the action scenes are more important than writing a plot that's not a convolted mess, wow okay, what a waste of time and money.
Rating: Summary: Robert Rodriguez Rocks Review: Robert Rodriguez is the reason why I make movies myself. A self made director, cinematographer, editor, and everything else, Robert proves that if you have a dream you can make it happen. Besides making great movies, the insight into how he makes those movies is worth the price of the DVD alone. He doesn't spend the whole directors commentary telling you the characters and storyline. If a director has to explain the whole story in the commentary, it makes me think that they are not sure that we as an audience got what they were trying to tell us. As for me, I want the director to tell me how they got certain shots or how certain special effects were created, and that is exactly what Robert Rodriguez does. He continues to teach me about movie magic! He makes me feel as though he wants me to learn his secrets and tricks, and as a filmmaker myself, I appreciate it. Other directors could take lessons from this great visual artist. Desperado, Once Upon A Time In Mexico, From Dusk Till Dawn, Spy Kids, The Faculty, are all great examples of Roberts directing and storytelling abilities. Buy the DVD's!
Rating: Summary: A film made brilliant by one actor Review: This film is a fun, silly, at a glance three and a half star film. However Johnny Depp, as a mad CIA agent, gets it up to five stars. He is very funny, stylish, suitably psychotic and by the end, though his character is pretty horrible, you feel sympathetic to him and want him to win. The person who wrote the one star review of the film should realise the blood on J Depps face is meant to be styalised. Depp also ad libs tons of great lines. Well done Mr D!
Rating: Summary: Deadly Combination Review: This is a great 2-volume set. Two great films that will have you laughing and ducking for cover. Well worth the purchase.
Rating: Summary: Are you a MexiCan or a MexiCant? Review: This is not the type of film that will delve into your deep psyche and come up with something profound. It's guns, action and more guns. In my opinion Johnny Depp absolutely steals every single scene he is in. He's got his character, Sands, down and you can tell he's really into his role. Antonio Banderas is excellent at reprsing his role as el Mariachi and Salma Hayek is great eye candy and does faboulous stunt work! Grab this DVD, kick back and enjoy the ride!
Rating: Summary: Are you a MexiCan or a MexiCant? Review: This is not the type of film that will delve into your deep psyche and come up with something profound. It's guns, action and more guns. In my opinion Johnny Depp absolutely steals every single scene he is in. He's got his character, Sands, down and you can tell he's really into his role. Antonio Banderas is excellent at reprsing his role as el Mariachi and Salma Hayek is great eye candy and does faboulous stunt work! Grab this DVD, kick back and enjoy the ride!
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