Once Upon a Time in Mexico

Cafe Society
1

Saw this last night on opening night, and MAN, was it good. Well, by “good” I mean, if you liked Desperado and other like movies, you’ll love this film. Aside from just having the typical cast members that Rodrigues likes (Cheech for example), it’s got some great action sequences, some amazing humor, and of course, Johnny Depp steals the show in every scene he’s in (which is, thankfully, a lot). A rather amazing amount of characterization for an action film, and although it seems to be the exact same plot as Desperado (which, was essentially, the exact same plot as El Mariachi), it’s a lot of fun, and has some really great moments.

One of my favorite parts [SPOILER]When Johnny Depp’s character meets “El” in the restaraunt and tells him that, due to the fact this is the best plate of (whatever it was he was eating), he was going to go in the kitchen, and kill the cook.

“You want me to kill the cook?”

“No, I’ll kill the cook. My car’s already out back.”[/spoiler]

So, who else saw it?

2

I loved Once Upon a Time in Mexico. Loved it, loved it, loved it. Depp was hilarious, and I liked Mickey Rourke and William Dafoe too.

I was puzzled for a while by the gun El Mariarchi fired that took shotgun shells, then I realized it was probably just a sawed-off shotgun. Was this correct?

I’m going to have to take a look at the sountrack, if for nothing else than the “Pistolero!” song.

One of my favorite parts:

Cheech’s character says “You wouldn’t kill me for $10,000” and walks behind Johnny Depp’s character, who mouths “Yes I would.”

3

Loved the movie!

I wonder aloud if Rodrigues got his inspiration of the people revolting FOR democracy from the brouhaha in Venezuela, and the CIA men were just as erratic as Depp.

The “monk treat” for those who wonder what is after the credits:

The CIA man (Depp) puts on his glasses and looks better and ready for more action.

And I think Fionn is correct about El Mariachi’s gun.

4

Hah, I was going to start this thread earlier when I came back from the movies, but I was too shy. I was sure someone would start one anytime now, and I was right.

I loved it as well! Johnny Depp stole the movie again–he was funny, gorgeous, and perfect as the psycho CIA agent. Things I liked:

[SPOILER]Sands and his fake arm.

Sands and the little kid, working together after Sand was blinded.

Sands threatening the informer.

Essentially, everything Sands says. Depp was, I repeat, excellent. And his outfits were brilliant. (i.e. the shirt that says “CIA.”)

I also thought the stunt where Mariachi and his wife are chained together and they escape down the side of a building was kinda neat.

And there were all these bizarre little touches that absolutely cracked me up: the Remote-Controlled Guitar Bomb of Doom, the way the on-the-run American fugitive hides the dog behind his back, “Are you a Mexi-CAN or a Mexi-CAN’T?”[/SPOILER]

There were a lot of absolutely beautiful shots–I love the warm Mexican sunlight.

I just loved the black humor that ran throughout the movie. Apparently I was the only one, though–the theatre I was in didn’t seem overly appreciative, but I was cracking up.

However…

Thank God, I missed the part where Agent Sands’ eyes are gouged out–by some lucky coincidence, that happened right when I ran to the bathroom. I probably never would have recovered–I’m phobic about eyes being touched, much less being GOUGED OUT. God.

I’d also like to point out that Rotten Tomatoes currently is quoting Hollywood Report Card’s review of Bend It Like Beckham in their Once Upon a Time In Mexico section, for some odd reason. The result is a quote that says: “It’s a warm fun movie with a good sense of humor.” BWAHAHAHA.

I haven’t seen any of the earlier movies, but I got the gist of the plot nonetheless.

5

Just saw it. I had only seen “El Mariachi” though, not “Desperado”, and felt like I was missing a lot of crucial back story.

Best Hollywood use of the John Woo-style shootout scenes I have ever seen. Best ever outside of “A Better Tomorrow” and “The Killer”, even.

“Are you a Mexi-CAN or a Mexi-CAN’T” had me rolling in the frickin’ aisles.