Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Robert Rodriguez

Writer (WGA):

Robert Rodriguez (written by)

Release Date:

12 September 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

The Time Has Come.

Plot:

Hitman "El Mariachi" becomes involved in international espionage involving a psychotic CIA agent and a corrupt Mexican general.

Plot Keywords:

Mariachi | Drug Lord | CIA Agent | General | Coup

Awards:

3 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Antonio Banderas	...	El Mariachi
Salma Hayek	...	Carolina
Johnny Depp	...	Sands
Mickey Rourke	...	Billy
Eva Mendes	...	Ajedrez
Danny Trejo	...	Cucuy
Enrique Iglesias	...	Lorenzo
Marco Leonardi	...	Fideo
Cheech Marin	...	Belini
Rubén Blades	...	Jorge FBI
Willem Dafoe	...	Barillo
Gerardo Vigil	...	Marquez
Pedro Armendáriz Jr.	...	El Presidente (as Pedro Armendariz)
Julio Oscar Mechoso	...	Advisor
Tito Larriva	...	Cab Driver

Also Known As:

El Mariachi 3 (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence, and for language.

Runtime:

102 min | Italy:101 min (Venice Film Festival)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) (Canadian Home Video rating) | Iceland:16 | Malaysia:18SG | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Brazil:14 | Finland:K-15 | France:-12 | Germany:18 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:15 | Italy:T | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 (DVD rating) | Norway:18 (original rating) | Philippines:R-18 | Poland:18 | Singapore:M18 (DVD rating) | Singapore:NC-16 (original rating) | South Korea:18 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R (#38421)

Filming Locations:

Guanajuato, Mexico

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The name "Ajedrez" is Spanish for chess.

Goofs:

Continuity: Before the guitar maker presents his work to El Mariachi, he is shown playing it left-handed. In the next shot, he is strumming right-handed. Then, as he hands it over to El, it is positioned as if he had just been playing left-handed again.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Agent Sands: I never heard of him.
Belini: Who?
Agent Sands: The man you recommended.
Belini: The guitar fighter?

Movie Connections:

References Batoru rowaiaru (2000)

Soundtrack:

Malagueña

all flash, little substance

With "Once Upon a Time in Mexico," director Robert Rodriguez returns to his "El Mariachi" roots - but unlike the prodigal son, this particular homecoming provides little cause for celebration. Rodriguez' signature style is visual inventiveness combined with wise guy humor and cartoon violence. The problem is that his films rarely have the depth of content to go along with all that directorial razzmatazz. As a result, they tend to become little more than empty, cold exercises in style - and "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" is no exception.

The film is obviously intended as some sort of satire on the kind of governmental and political corruption that has plagued that North American country since the Spaniards first set foot on Mexican soil. The messy, overcomplicated plot involves a vicious drug cartel's planning to stage a coup d'etat against the current government, and a murderous CIA agent's working behind the scenes pulling the strings of all the parties involved. Just trying to keep all the plot lines and characters straight requires a program and a score card. Antonio Banderas heads an all-star cast that includes Salma Hayek, Mickey Rourke, Enrique Iglesias, Cheech Marin, Willem Dafoe and Ruben Blades, but the only person who gets to do any real ACTING is Johnny Depp as the gringo CIA agent, but even he is reduced to self-mimicry after awhile. Moreover, the tone of the film is so dispassionate, so flip and arch that we find ourselves completely detached from what's taking place on screen.

"Once Upon a Time in Mexico" is one of those films in which the actors spend most of their time winking at the camera to let us know that they're in on the joke, and the director performs somersaults with his camera to keep reminding us of just how "cool" and "with it" he is. Unfortunately, all style and no substance makes Robert a very dull filmmaker.