Once Upon A Time In Mexico

I’ve been meaning to write this review for weeks, but for one reason or another have not gotten around to it until now. What was lost in immediacy is now gained in perspective. As a result, I can judge the film more fairly.

Perhaps “film” is a misnomer, for within the opening credits, writer/director Robert Rodriguez makes it quite clear that none of what is about to transpire is to be taken seriously. Rather than use the standard tag, “A Robert Rodriguez Film,” or perhaps, “A Film By Robert Rodriguez,” the filmmaker chooses the much cheekier “A Robert Rodriguez Flick.” The credits go one step further in setting the tone, when we find out that the movie was “chopped” instead of edited by Mr. Rodriguez.

“Once Upon A Time…” is billed as the final chapter in Rodriguez’s now-legendary “El Mariachi” saga. It’s strange then, that the star of the movie is not Antonio Banderas’ El Mariachi, but instead is Johnny Depp in his second scene stealing turn in as many films (his last being Capt. Jack Sparrow in this summer’s Pirates Of The Caribbean.)

Depp is masterful as the corrupt Agent Sands, a CIA operative who uses Mexico as if it were his personal playground, and delights in wearing the cheesiest of tacky t-shirts (Cleavage Inspection Agent anyone?)

The “flick” seems to have been written with the Sands character in mind, with the El Mariachi stuff added in afterwards to fill the gaps. The beautiful Salma Hayak is unforgivably underused, getting what amounts to a glorified cameo’s worth of screen-time. Admittedly, the screen time is put to good use, as in one particularly thrilling scene in which Banderas and Hayak escape from would-be assassins while bound together by chains.

Overall, this was a fun picture, but I don’t quite understand the four star ratings it’s been getting in the press.