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This film is the third installment in the El Mariachi series (Desperado would be the second installment). Antonio Banderas plays El Mariachi, a guitar playing, gun toting folk hero. Whatever people say about him is mostly true. He can take on an army all by himself using nothing but his guitar case...which doubles as an automatic machine gun. He's the quickest draw in the southwest, even when gunfighters have grown to be passe. He's fought for himself and for his lady love, but now, he's been chosen (or should I say blackmailed) into fighting for his country.
Johnny Depp, arguably the current King of Cinema, plays a sociopathic CIA agent, Sands, who wears funny t-shirts and fake moustaches, has an unhealthy love of pork and an even unhealthier hatred for the man who cooks it. While his quirks and pecadillos may carry his legend as a loose cannon, he's also a crafty veteran of the force who is about to embark on stopping a revolution in Mexico. It seems there is a drug cartel led by yet another folk hero, Barillo (Willem Dafoe), that have their sights set on overthrowing the government and el presidente. The cartel also has an ace in their pocket by the name of General Marquez (Gerardo Vigil) who is leading the coup.
Sands is building his own army of sorts, forcibly acquiring the services of El Mariachi and his partners Lorenzo and Fideo (Enrique Iglesias and Marco Leonardi, respectively). While Mariachi is doing this for his country, he also has a personal vendetta with Marquez, as the General murdered his wife (Salma Hayek) and daughter right in front of him. Sands also recruits a retired FBI agent (Ruben Blades) and has a man on the inside (Mickey Rourke). It comes down to a game of trust and you never know who to trust and who to get behind.
Man, did I love this film. Director Robert Rodriguez (with his second film of the summer, no less) has put together an amazing and original action film. Flashbacks and fantasy intermix with a unique twist on the spaghetti westerns of old. Banderas and Depp are as cool as a cucumber throughout. Depp never ceases to amaze me and I am going on record to say he's the best actor of my generation. That's bold, I know, but no one morphs the way he does and no one is as consistent as he is. He is a pleasure to watch onscreen, even if the film is no good. You are always guaranteed an excellent performance by Depp and I feel as if he is so highly underrated that it's criminal. The acting from the rest of the ensemble cast is well up to par, but no one shines like Depp in this film.
This film is a blast, no pun intended. Leave your personality at the door and enjoy this otherwordly adventure from Rodriguez. It's as if Mexico is its own planet and the characters are its inhabitants. Brilliant stuff.
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