by Richard Dennis
Once Upon a Time in Mexico starts off with a bang and rarely lets up from there. It’s a trashy, loud, violent, and extremely bloody piece of south of the border “pulp fiction.” Director Robert Rodriguez, fresh off his kid flick dabblings with the ultra-successful Spy Kids series, decides to put everything but the kitchen sink into this R-rated extravaganza and we are all the more entertained because of it. Mexico is the final installment of Rodriguez’ Mariachi trilogy but it is much larger in scale (and pure entertainment value) than the two previous films, El Mariachi and Desperado. The two earlier films were successful in their own right, but it is clear that Rodriguez did not want to repeat the same old story again. He fills Once Upon a Time in Mexico with old school homages that Sergio Leone himself would have grinned at.

For the second time this summer, there is really only one reason to see this film: Johnny Depp. The man can simply do no wrong at the cinemas this season and Mexico is no exception. Depp’s character literally jumps off the screen and you miss him every time he’s not there. Luckily, Depp is given the most screen time, even more so than Antonio Banderas (who’s main plotline almost feels like a side note) This is Depp’s movie all the way, and he imbues his Agent Sands character with such life and humor that you literally just want to see a movie about him. His character also has the greatest arch (and payoff) in the film. Wait until you get a load of Depp in the last act. It almost makes you wonder if Robert Rodriguez had grown bored with his own main characters, because the Agent Sands character has the most pop and sizzle of the whole film.

Once Upon a Time in Mexico is not a perfect film by any means. The plot is somewhat convoluted and colorful actors like Willem Dafoe and Mickey Rourke are all but wasted. But who cares? There are great stunts, beautiful women (although Salma Hayek appears in the film only briefly), and a wealth of warm sunsets, dashing gunfighters, and bittersweet revenge to add to the frosting on the cake. Grab a date, go see Once Upon a Time in Mexico, and have some roasted pork afterwards at your favorite Mexican restaurant. You’ll know what I mean.

Richard Dennis

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