Review of Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) by Walter J — 24 Jun 2014

The opening credits bill Robert Rodriguez as writer, producer, director and "short, chopped and scored by". However, if you look at IMDB not only did Rodriguez write, direct, photograph, edit and score the film, he was also the production designer, camera operator and the sound effects editor, so whether you love or hate this movie, credit nearly all goes to Rodriguez.

As the third and final of the Mariachi trilogy, this film is the biggest of the three films, making this "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" equivalent as the crown jewel of his trilogy. Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek are both back for this sequel, but they are joined by what is by far the most stellar cast of the series, which includes Johnny Depp, Mickey Rourke, Eva Mendes, Danny Trejo, Enrique Iglesias, Cheech Marin, Rubén Blades, Willem Defoe, Pedro Armendariz and many other familiar faces.

Of all the new folks, it's Johnny Depp as a freakin' modern day Zatoichi that steals the show. This was the same year that the first "Pirates of the Caribbean" came out, which launched Depp from mere movie star into Hollywood superstar territory, and deservedly so, though between this dil and Pirates, I much prefer this film and Depp's performance as well.

Depp plays a rogue CIA agent, or so he says, trying to take down Mexican drug dealer, Defoe by any smarmy means necessary. Depp oozes charm and has a hypnotic quality that beguiles those around him (and the audience) even though you know that he's going to screw over anyone who gets in his way.

This may be my favorite Depp character, which is aging something considering Depp's filmography. After watching this movie the firs time in theaters, my first thought was, I want a spinoff to follow Depp's Zatoichi-like blind gunman, along with his young helper (ALA "Lone Wolf and Cub").

Besides Banderas and Depp, the third part of this trio is Willem Defoe, who is good and has a pretty splashy character, especially near the end of the film after botched facial plastic surgery. Of the supporting characters, I remember being excited to see Mickey Rourke in anything.

Oh, and Eva Mendez is smokin' hot! Overall, this is a wildly entertaining action flick that is a fitting end to a memorable trilogy that had a very interesting evolution film-to-film.