DVD Review

Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2004)

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Once Upon a Time in Mexico | 154859__once_l

'TIME' BANDIT Banderas goes ballistic in ''Mexico''

Once Upon A Time in Mexico: Rico Torres

Credits

Release Date: Sep 12, 2003; Rated: R; DVD Release Date: Jan 20, 2004; Genres: Action/Adventure, Crime; With: Antonio Banderas, Willem Dafoe, Johnny Depp, Salma Hayek and Eva Mendes; Distributor: Columbia Pictures

By Sumeet Bal

Inspired by Sergio Leone, director (and writer, producer, editor, composer, cameraman) Robert Rodriguez wraps up his ''El Mariachi'' trilogy with Once Upon a Time in Mexico, a bloody, chaotic epic about a Mexican patriot who must stop two miscreants from staging a coup d'etat. Antonio Banderas captivates as the smoldering, long-haired mariachi hero (''El'' for short), while Johnny Depp's sardonic, trigger-happy CIA agent is a masterfully witty, quirky creation. Despite a convoluted plot, Rodriguez's mix of old-fashioned shoot-outs and digital technology makes this a worthy melancholy fairy tale.

EXTRAS With characteristic passion for his craft, Rodriguez pours his heart into the special features, including three minidocs that offer an inside look at the one-man filmmaking studio and an in-depth commentary sure to satiate even the most vigilant movie geek.

Posted Feb 02, 2004

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Movie Review Once Upon a Time in Mexico (Sep 12, 2003) | Owen Gleiberman
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Cover Story Odd man in: Johnny Depp on the ''Pirates'' life (Sep 12, 2003) | Chris Nashawaty
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