Once Upon a Time in Mexico

After neither El Mariachi nor Desperado garnered any sort of box office success, it probably took (writer/director) Robert Rodriguez some time before he convinced the studio to let him make the third installment of the trilogy.

El Mariachi (Antonio Banderas) is forced back into action when a CIA agent (Johnny Depp) tells him that there are some really bad dudes after him.

Remembering the death of his wife (Salma Hayek) and daughter at the hands of some other really bad dudes, El (as he’s called these days) brings back his trusty guitar case (which, if you’re familiar with the movies, you know does not contain a guitar). He teams up with some mariachi friends, and through a series of very well executed action sequences, kicks the asses of the bad guys.

But the CIA agent is more than a little crooked. He may be a good guy with a bad side, or he may just be a bad guy with a good badge. Who knows for sure? He definitely has another agenda, and finding out whose side he’s on is part of the fun.

Once Upon a Time in Mexico is easily the best of the mariachi trilogy. The action scenes are really cool, particularly the one that finds El Mariachi and his wife climbing down the side of a building while chained together at the wrist and surrounded by gunfire. Rodriquez, whom we’ve always felt was in the “style over substance” category of filmmaking, has impressed us quite a bit with this latest effort. It’s a very well-made film with style and substance.

It never hurts to have Johnny Depp starring in a movie. He’s easily the best actor of our generation, and probably one of the best actors Hollywood has ever seen (so it’s nice to see the Academy finally recognize him with a Best Actor nomination for Pirates of the Caribbean) (Editor's note: our reviewer needs to see more classic movies and classic actors). His CIA agent demands your respect and adds a touch of humor to every scene. It’s a shame Mr. Depp doesn’t have time to be in every movie Hollywood releases.

If you’re already a fan of the El Mariachi series, Once Upon a Time in Mexico is definitely a pleaser. If you aren’t a fan, you could easily become one from watching this superior third installment.

Made for a moderate $28 million and grossing over twice that much, Columbia Tristar has provided an excellent special edition DVD for the movie. The video, presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen, is not only noteworthy because the quality is excellent, but also because this is one of the first movies to be shot digitally. The colors and detail are superb, with absolutely no foreign artifacts, edge enhancement or halo effect. It’s not as good as Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, but possibly the best since (though that would be saying a lot).

The problem with the audio, which does a fine job with its Dolby Digital 5.1, is that it’s overshadowed by the obviously digital transfer of the video. The surrounds get a good workout, with bullets and explosions and the like using all five channels effectively, and some very good examples of panning. It’s an above average audio track for sure, but it seems so much less spectacular next to the superb video.

Extras include an audio commentary by Rodriguez, a ten-minute flick school, in which Rodriguez talks about various ways to speed up filming and cut down the budget while shooting on digital film, Ten Minute Cooking School, in which Rodriguez teaches you how to make the pork dish eaten by Johnny Depp in the film, deleted scenes, “The Anti-Hero’s Journey,” “Film is Dead,” an evening with Robert Rodriguez, and a featurette on the special effects.

It’s an excellent DVD that makes us long for more filmmakers to start shooting digitally.

Once Upon a Time in Mexico, from Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment
102 minutes, anamorphic widescreen (1.78:1) 16x9 enhanced, Dolby Digital 5.1
Starring Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Johnny Depp, Mickey Rourke, Eva Mendes, Danny Trejo, Enrique Iglesias, Marco Leonardi, Cheech Marin with Ruben Blades and Willem Dafoe
Produced by Elizabeth Avellan, Carlos Gallardo, Robert Rodriguez
Written and directed by Robert Rodriguez

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