Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003)

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Now, together with his capable cohorts Lorenzo (Enrique Iglesias) and Fideo (Marco Leonardi) the legend of El Mariachi attains new levels of

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Related Movies: sequel of Mariachi, El (1992) Desperado (1995) [sequel]

Behind the Scenes: Read more about the production The Legend Continues The Players About The Production

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External Reviews

Sometimes it's easier than others to forgive a filmmaker his excesses. Such a case is Once Upon a Time in Mexico, a mess of a movie that nevertheless entertains because each individual piece stands high enough on its own merits that it's not necessary tolook hard at the nonsensical linking material. Once Upon a Time in Mexico isn't so much a movie as it is a series of action/comedic sequences. 

Robert Rodriguez's gun-slingin', car-chasin' joyous mess of a movie -- featuring Johnny Depp, Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek and more -- is also a political allegory on an epic scale.

--Andrew O'Hehir

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Like Leone's movie, the Rodriguez epic is more interested in the moment, in great shots, in surprises and ironic reversals and closeups of sweaty faces, than in a coherent story. Both movies feed on the music of heroism and lament. Both paint their stories in bold, bright colors. 

--ROGER EBERT (Chicago Sun-Times)

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After the legendary success of El Mariachi and the extremely good Desperado, you want the third one to be the ultimate movie - the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of the storied series. But, instead, we're given a mish-mash of interweaving plotlines that is much more confusing in the long run than satisfying. Perhaps expectation gets in the way, but you really, really want something more. 5/10

-- (CHUD.com)

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The action is outrageous, as El Mariachi achieves superhero levels of coolness, and the movie's sense of retro style is cool. But that success is overshadowed by the waste of Willem Dafoe, Mickey Rourke and Latin heartthrob Enrique Iglesias, plus, the story draaags on. On top of that, it has more of a bust-up than a bang-up ending. C+

-- (E! Online)

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How can you resist a movie that features Willem Dafoe sporting a tan, Mickey Rourke cradling a Chihuahua and Johnny Depp turning in another oddball tour de force? It's all there in Robert Rodriguez's gloriously incoherent salute to action movie mythology, "Once Upon a Time in Mexico,' another giddy exercise in genre busting from a filmmaker who has become the best one-man band working in movies today. 

--Glenn Whipp (L.A. Daily News)

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It's difficult to resist the feeling that Rodriguez has lost control of himself--his growing obsession with assuming nearly all the key creative positions on his films (production designer, editor, cinematographer, composer), as well as taking screen credit for them, suggests that he is either hopelessly insecure or staggeringly conceited.

--Wade Major (Boxoffice Magazine)

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Robert Rodriguez is a wizard when it comes to making films on shoestring budgets. So take his wallet away. ...Rodriguez finishes off the "El Mariachi" trilogy with its biggest budget yet - $30 million. Nevertheless, "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" doesn't have half the charm of its two cut-rate predecessors. 

--Jami Bernard (New York Daily News)

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Robert Rodriguez's gun-slingin', car-chasin' joyous mess of a movie -- featuring Johnny Depp, Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek and more -- is also a political allegory on an epic scale.

--Andrew O'Hehir (Salon)

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When it comes to creating excitement or adrenaline, [it] never really succeeds C+

--Lee Tistaert (Lee's Movie Info)

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Once Upon a Time in Mexico is an explosive and well choreographed gun assault that only falters to reload every once in awhile. 8/10

--Joseph Kastner (Movie-Vault.com)

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If you're looking for the most confusing plot since Memento, but also yearn for the mindless action of Tomb Raider, this is your movie. 

--Derek May (MovieWeb)

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Directed by

Robert Rodriguez Sin City, From Dusk Till Dawn, Desperado

Written by

Robert Rodriguez From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter, Curandero, Sin City

Cast

Antonio Banderas Shrek 2, Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles, The Mask of Zorro Salma Hayek Traffic, Dogma, From Dusk Till Dawn Johnny Depp Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Sleepy Hollow, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Mickey Rourke Man on Fire, The Pledge, The Rainmaker Eva Mendes Training Day, Hitch, 2 Fast 2 Furious Danny Trejo Heat, From Dusk Till Dawn, Con Air Enrique Iglesias 50 Sexiest Video Moments, VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards, MTV Europe Music Awards 2002 [more]

Music By

Johnny Depp Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Sleepy Hollow, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Robert Rodriguez Kill Bill: Vol. 2, Sin City, From Dusk Till Dawn

Go for Depp. Go for Rodgrigeuz behind the camera. Don't go for a story you can sink your teeth into because you'll just end up chipping your tooth.  --Brian Gallagher (MovieWeb) See it, but don't bother trying to follow it or you'll end up ruining it for yourself.  --Joshua 'Clark' Bertram (MovieWeb) "Once Upon..." isn't unwatchable but it feels half-formed, a shoddy Sergio Leone 'tribute' filmed from a first draft by a director who lacks the discipline to match his talent. The credits proclaim this to be "A Robert Rodriguez flick". It's about time he made a film.  --Nev Pierce (BBC Films) Ostensibly the final chapter in Robert Rodriguez’ drug-lord-killin’ trilogy, “Once Upon a Time in Mexico” is not so much a sequel as a different, more epic take on a familiar tune.  --Kevin N. Laforest (Montreal Film Journal) A dog’s breakfast of violence and partially developed characters, but if you can live with that, then you can have a lot of fun with this audacious, oddball film. 77/100 --Brian Webster (Apollo Guide) Slow-moving, surprisingly light on action and occasionally confusing, this is something of a disappointment, despite yet another great performance from Depp and at least one stand-out action scene.  --Matthew Turner (ViewLondon) "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" moves with uncanny cool; it has a strange lukewarm energy that most Hollywood action films lack. --Jeffrey M. Anderson (San Francisco Examiner)