Review of Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) by Brad G — 07 Jan 2011
Robert Rodriguez's first foray into digital photography is a rather hit & miss affair. Hit: Johnny Depp is bloody brilliant as The Man With Three Arms, The Man With No Eyes, The Man With A Wicked Appetite for Puerco Pibil.
Willem Dafoe and Mickey Rourke as the main baddie and his chihuahua carrying henchmen. Actually, all of the supporting players are pretty fantastic: Eva Mendes, Ruben Blades, Danny Trejo. Miss: The CGI insanity.
I hate, hate, hate the CGI muzzle flashes and bullet hits. Desperado was all about squibs and blood bursts, but this film never feels real. It feels like an extended sequence from Desperado's opening Buscemi campfire tale.
It just never feels in the moment. And the epic feel never really gets epic. I know Banderas, Hayek, and others had varying schedules and scenes together had to be shot separately (a trick Rodriguez has used expertly in the past), but here they feel just that--separate.
Very frustrating. Not VF.
This review of Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) was written by Brad G on 07 Jan 2011.
Once Upon a Time in Mexico has generally received positive reviews.
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