Post by The Candyman on Sept 24, 2005 23:37:28 GMT -5
Quote: "Are you a Mexi-can, or a Mexi-can't?"
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Johnny Depp, Willem Dafoe, Eva Mendes
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Rating: R
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El Mariachi is back. And this time, it’s not just about the drug dealers.
For the final installment in the El Mariachi Trilogy, Robert Rodriguez has crafted the most intriguing and complex storyline of the series. Whereas the first two movies revolved mainly around El Mariachi and his conflict with a single drug lord, this one has more characters than you can count on two hands. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
As with Despserado, revenge plays a major part in the storyline. El Mariachi is still out for vengeance. He still struggles with an inner conflict (though not quite as much as the previous film). There’s still a drug lord. But those are only pieces of a larger plotline that contains, among other things: a stone cold CIA agent, a retired FBI agent, a military coup, a power-hungry general, and a nice warm plate of “puerco pibil.”
Antonio Banderas once again is great as the main character. However, this time El Mariachi is forced to share screen time with Agent Sands of the CIA, played to perfection by Johnny Depp. Sands ends up in many ways being a more intriguing character than El Mariachi (who we’ve all seen before), but this is good. Without his character, the story might settle down into all-too-familiar-territory. As it is, the script is much more epic than the previous two movies, and Agent Sands is one of the most fascinating characters of the entire trilogy. He’ll protect little children from danger, but he has no problem killing a chef just because his food is a little too tasty. Depp is extremely comfortable in the role, and by the end of the movie I was convinced Agent Sands deserves his own spin-off.
The directing is the best it’s ever been – Rodriguez has come a long way since El Mariachi. This film is saturated with colors and has a visual flair straight out of a comic-book or Sergei Leone’s classic spaghetti westerns, which obviously inspired it. Everything about this movie screams “Mexico” and “cool,” whether it be the lighting, sound or characters.
Unfortunately, the movie does have a few flaws. The pacing isn’t perfect – at times the movie drags on a little too slowly. That’s not good, considering Rodriguez has more characters than he knows what to do with. Some characters are developed to their full potential, but others seem like they’re just left out to dry – they don’t really serve a purpose except to look cool. The editing style is a bit too fast for my tastes, and as a result many of the action scenes lack a solid visual foundation. It’s almost as if Rodriguez wanted to make such scenes too fast-paced and kinetic. The camera cuts faster than you can develop the shot you just saw, which gives at least a few of the action scenes a rough and disjointed film.
Speaking of action scenes, except for the ones mentioned above, the action in this film is excellent. It’s not quite as exaggerated and fun as Desperado, but it’s still a great ride. From rappelling down an apartment complex, to a shootout in a cathedral, to a revolution in the streets, this movie has plenty to make action fans happy. Plus, we’re once again treated to two of El Mariachi’s buddies, and you know what that means: cool weapons!
Overall, the movie suffers from trying to accomplish too much. There are too many characters to keep track of, and at times the plot can be a bit confusing. The action is good, but at times feels like that was a monkey in the editing room. It’s really good, but not excellent, and deserving of an 8/10.
The Bottom Line: Not as good as Desperado, but still a satisfying conclusion to a great, action-packed trilogy.
Should I see it? If you’re a fan of action and the previous two movies, then yes. Absolutely.
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Johnny Depp, Willem Dafoe, Eva Mendes
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Rating: R
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
El Mariachi is back. And this time, it’s not just about the drug dealers.
For the final installment in the El Mariachi Trilogy, Robert Rodriguez has crafted the most intriguing and complex storyline of the series. Whereas the first two movies revolved mainly around El Mariachi and his conflict with a single drug lord, this one has more characters than you can count on two hands. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
As with Despserado, revenge plays a major part in the storyline. El Mariachi is still out for vengeance. He still struggles with an inner conflict (though not quite as much as the previous film). There’s still a drug lord. But those are only pieces of a larger plotline that contains, among other things: a stone cold CIA agent, a retired FBI agent, a military coup, a power-hungry general, and a nice warm plate of “puerco pibil.”
Antonio Banderas once again is great as the main character. However, this time El Mariachi is forced to share screen time with Agent Sands of the CIA, played to perfection by Johnny Depp. Sands ends up in many ways being a more intriguing character than El Mariachi (who we’ve all seen before), but this is good. Without his character, the story might settle down into all-too-familiar-territory. As it is, the script is much more epic than the previous two movies, and Agent Sands is one of the most fascinating characters of the entire trilogy. He’ll protect little children from danger, but he has no problem killing a chef just because his food is a little too tasty. Depp is extremely comfortable in the role, and by the end of the movie I was convinced Agent Sands deserves his own spin-off.
The directing is the best it’s ever been – Rodriguez has come a long way since El Mariachi. This film is saturated with colors and has a visual flair straight out of a comic-book or Sergei Leone’s classic spaghetti westerns, which obviously inspired it. Everything about this movie screams “Mexico” and “cool,” whether it be the lighting, sound or characters.
Unfortunately, the movie does have a few flaws. The pacing isn’t perfect – at times the movie drags on a little too slowly. That’s not good, considering Rodriguez has more characters than he knows what to do with. Some characters are developed to their full potential, but others seem like they’re just left out to dry – they don’t really serve a purpose except to look cool. The editing style is a bit too fast for my tastes, and as a result many of the action scenes lack a solid visual foundation. It’s almost as if Rodriguez wanted to make such scenes too fast-paced and kinetic. The camera cuts faster than you can develop the shot you just saw, which gives at least a few of the action scenes a rough and disjointed film.
Speaking of action scenes, except for the ones mentioned above, the action in this film is excellent. It’s not quite as exaggerated and fun as Desperado, but it’s still a great ride. From rappelling down an apartment complex, to a shootout in a cathedral, to a revolution in the streets, this movie has plenty to make action fans happy. Plus, we’re once again treated to two of El Mariachi’s buddies, and you know what that means: cool weapons!
Overall, the movie suffers from trying to accomplish too much. There are too many characters to keep track of, and at times the plot can be a bit confusing. The action is good, but at times feels like that was a monkey in the editing room. It’s really good, but not excellent, and deserving of an 8/10.
The Bottom Line: Not as good as Desperado, but still a satisfying conclusion to a great, action-packed trilogy.
Should I see it? If you’re a fan of action and the previous two movies, then yes. Absolutely.