By RUSSELL BAILLIE
Some final instalments in trilogies can be one film too much.
For every Return of the King, there are five or so duff chapter threes — whether it's The Matrix, The Godfather or Back to the Future. Unfortunately, Once Upon a Time in Mexico is one of these.
Though
it could be argued it's not quite the third flick in director Robert Rodriguez' saga, as having started it with the legendary low-budget action flick El Mariachi, he then remade it with Desperado.
It sure helps to have seen one of the first two. Especially as the story here is a perplexing mash of flashbacks and something to do with a drug baron's attempt to overthrow the Mexican president.
But what enjoyment there is on offer here isn't about plot. It's to do with some hilarious action set-pieces. The one where Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek escape from a tall building while chained together is a classic.
And there's a sideshow from a scene-stealing Johnny Depp as CIA guy Sands. His bizarre turn as the cruel agent is nearly as inspired as his off-kilter turn in Pirates of the Caribbean, though he's far less cuddly a character in a far more blood-soaked movie.
He's not the only peripheral character hamming it up, with oddball supporting turns also coming from Willem Dafoe, Mickey Rourke and, um, Enrique Iglesias.
It's a movie in need of those extra-colourful personalities — main man Banderas, as the
guitar'n'gun-slinger "El", is an especially dull presence unless he's shooting at someone.
The DVD features are a cut above the usual, care of extra features such as the Robert Rodriguez Ten Minute Flick School and Film Is Dead: An Evening With Robert Rodriguez featurettes (both of which every future entrant of the 48 Hour film contest should watch), a Mexican cooking lesson, and deleted scenes.
DVD, video rental
