Salma-Hayek Movie Reviews

• Skin tone! Wow! In the Superbit version there's a dramatic difference in skin tone, it looks a lot richer and is a much truer color.
• As the camera pans over to Selma's face you can see much more detail in her face and on her skin.
• The colors of El Mariachi's guns are much different and they glimmer in the Superbit version. In the original version they are a dull metallic color.

The DTS audio track is as dramatic a difference as the picture. Most noticeably is when El Mariachi jumps backward from the top of the building firing his pistols. In the DTS audio track you hear a thud as he lands, something I didn't hear in either the old or new Dolby Digital tracks. Of all the Superbit Titles, Desperado is the easiest to recommend as a 'replacement' DVD for someone who already owns the original version. The improvements in the Superbit version are significant enough to warrant a purchase and you don't give up anything going to Superbit, as the original release didn't have any special features. However, there was also a double feature release (yep, Superbit makes release #3), which had Desperado on one side and El Mariachi on the other, so that's a pretty huge special feature to give up (and the only way to own El Mariachi on DVD).

[Geoffrey Kleinman, DVDTalk.com]

What gives this movie an edge over other action flicks, in my opinion, is that it doesn't pretend to be anything else. Sure, there is a little romance, but the girl (Salma Hayek) never distracts from the action scenes... in fact, she participates to a limited degree in some of them. Sure, there's humor, but it's not Schwarzenegger-style cheesy one-liners, it's actually funny, and again, it doesn't distract from the action.

Now, the action. Pure, unadulturated, edge-of-your-seat action. Top notch. Eye-candy galore.

This movie gets 4 stars instead of 5 for two reasons: #1, it's entirely one-dimentional, and #2, the gun-battles, as is typical in most action movies, stretch the bounds of reality to the breaking point. Yes, Antonio Banderas *does* reload, but still, I think 5 guys with machine guns can take one guy with 2 hand guns. Don't watch it for reality, or for complexity, watch it for gorgeous action scenes.

And it's beautifully realized. Somewhere between John Woo and Sergio Leone with a little Coppola and Tarantion thrown in for luck, this movie is a miracle of story-telling and style.

This time, the Mariachi-Man(with a small arsenal in his suitcase) is played by Antonio Banderas(THE MASK OF ZORRO). Every scene that he's in is filled with violence and dangerous sexuality that makes him one of the most sought-after male leads in Hollywood. In the opening, Steve Buscemi(CON-AIR, FARGO, THE BIG LEBOWSKI) tells the story of a mysterious shadowy stranger who goes from bar to bar, looking for the man who destroyed his life. In the process, he shoots up everybody, including the bartender, much to the unease of 'tender, Cheech Marin(T.V.'s NASH BRIDGES, TIN CUP).

You see he's part of the front for Bucho, played by Joaquin Del Alameida (ONLY YOU, CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER), the man who killed Mariachi's woman. And Alameida is wonderfully cast as the baddie, being shadowy and sexy at the same time with a gruff voice and commanding eyes that you can read like a book.

And so, the story rages on, and so does the mythology. Mariachi goes from place to place, trying to avoid being shot at in action scenes that look borrowed from the Universal Studios Western Stunt Show. In the process, Banderas meets Carolina, played by the beautiful Salma Hayek(54, THE FACULTY, FOOLS RUSH IN). She's eye candy, but instead of just looking pretty like most models in film(see CINDY CRAWFORD in FAIR GAME), she actually ACTS. Her character is complex, in that she is part of the Bucho's Front, so she understands the violence and the drugs. That's how she is able to fall in love with Banderas in the first place.

And there's many contradictions that hide in this film(the Mariachi has one spur, not two; the movie is in the present, but there's a lack of any technology; the love scene with Banderas and Hayek is beautiful, whereas the cut to his enemy having sex is slutty and whore-ish, you are able to make out the contrast between good and evil) and in these scenes, Rodriguez handles things beautifully.

Again, the love scene with Banderas and Hayek is a gorgeous standout. There are, what seems like a hundred lit candles in the room and the beautiful "Bella" by Santana is played in the background. It's filmed slowly, passionately, and so romantically that you're almost hypnotized by it. It's the best love scene since the Snipe' neck-bite in BLADE.

There are many surprises in this film that are worth mentioning, but I won't go into them. See this film for yourself, then rent "From Dusk Till Dawn" and you'll have yourself a great American-Mexican Western-Fest in your own living room.

--Matt

• Skin tone! Wow! In the Superbit version there's a dramatic difference in skin tone, it looks a lot richer and is a much truer color.
• As the camera pans over to Selma's face you can see much more detail in her face and on her skin.
• The colors of El Mariachi's guns are much different and they glimmer in the Superbit version. In the original version they are a dull metallic color.

The DTS audio track is as dramatic a difference as the picture. Most noticeably is when El Mariachi jumps backward from the top of the building firing his pistols. In the DTS audio track you hear a thud as he lands, something I didn't hear in either the old or new Dolby Digital tracks. Of all the Superbit Titles, Desperado is the easiest to recommend as a 'replacement' DVD for someone who already owns the original version. The improvements in the Superbit version are significant enough to warrant a purchase and you don't give up anything going to Superbit, as the original release didn't have any special features. However, there was also a double feature release (yep, Superbit makes release #3), which had Desperado on one side and El Mariachi on the other, so that's a pretty huge special feature to give up (and the only way to own El Mariachi on DVD).

[Geoffrey Kleinman, DVDTalk.com]

What gives this movie an edge over other action flicks, in my opinion, is that it doesn't pretend to be anything else. Sure, there is a little romance, but the girl (Salma Hayek) never distracts from the action scenes... in fact, she participates to a limited degree in some of them. Sure, there's humor, but it's not Schwarzenegger-style cheesy one-liners, it's actually funny, and again, it doesn't distract from the action.

Now, the action. Pure, unadulturated, edge-of-your-seat action. Top notch. Eye-candy galore.

This movie gets 4 stars instead of 5 for two reasons: #1, it's entirely one-dimentional, and #2, the gun-battles, as is typical in most action movies, stretch the bounds of reality to the breaking point. Yes, Antonio Banderas *does* reload, but still, I think 5 guys with machine guns can take one guy with 2 hand guns. Don't watch it for reality, or for complexity, watch it for gorgeous action scenes.

And it's beautifully realized. Somewhere between John Woo and Sergio Leone with a little Coppola and Tarantion thrown in for luck, this movie is a miracle of story-telling and style.

This time, the Mariachi-Man(with a small arsenal in his suitcase) is played by Antonio Banderas(THE MASK OF ZORRO). Every scene that he's in is filled with violence and dangerous sexuality that makes him one of the most sought-after male leads in Hollywood. In the opening, Steve Buscemi(CON-AIR, FARGO, THE BIG LEBOWSKI) tells the story of a mysterious shadowy stranger who goes from bar to bar, looking for the man who destroyed his life. In the process, he shoots up everybody, including the bartender, much to the unease of 'tender, Cheech Marin(T.V.'s NASH BRIDGES, TIN CUP).

You see he's part of the front for Bucho, played by Joaquin Del Alameida (ONLY YOU, CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER), the man who killed Mariachi's woman. And Alameida is wonderfully cast as the baddie, being shadowy and sexy at the same time with a gruff voice and commanding eyes that you can read like a book.

And so, the story rages on, and so does the mythology. Mariachi goes from place to place, trying to avoid being shot at in action scenes that look borrowed from the Universal Studios Western Stunt Show. In the process, Banderas meets Carolina, played by the beautiful Salma Hayek(54, THE FACULTY, FOOLS RUSH IN). She's eye candy, but instead of just looking pretty like most models in film(see CINDY CRAWFORD in FAIR GAME), she actually ACTS. Her character is complex, in that she is part of the Bucho's Front, so she understands the violence and the drugs. That's how she is able to fall in love with Banderas in the first place.

And there's many contradictions that hide in this film(the Mariachi has one spur, not two; the movie is in the present, but there's a lack of any technology; the love scene with Banderas and Hayek is beautiful, whereas the cut to his enemy having sex is slutty and whore-ish, you are able to make out the contrast between good and evil) and in these scenes, Rodriguez handles things beautifully.

Again, the love scene with Banderas and Hayek is a gorgeous standout. There are, what seems like a hundred lit candles in the room and the beautiful "Bella" by Santana is played in the background. It's filmed slowly, passionately, and so romantically that you're almost hypnotized by it. It's the best love scene since the Snipe' neck-bite in BLADE.

There are many surprises in this film that are worth mentioning, but I won't go into them. See this film for yourself, then rent "From Dusk Till Dawn" and you'll have yourself a great American-Mexican Western-Fest in your own living room.

--Matt

• Skin tone! Wow! In the Superbit version there's a dramatic difference in skin tone, it looks a lot richer and is a much truer color.
• As the camera pans over to Selma's face you can see much more detail in her face and on her skin.
• The colors of El Mariachi's guns are much different and they glimmer in the Superbit version. In the original version they are a dull metallic color.

The DTS audio track is as dramatic a difference as the picture. Most noticeably is when El Mariachi jumps backward from the top of the building firing his pistols. In the DTS audio track you hear a thud as he lands, something I didn't hear in either the old or new Dolby Digital tracks. Of all the Superbit Titles, Desperado is the easiest to recommend as a 'replacement' DVD for someone who already owns the original version. The improvements in the Superbit version are significant enough to warrant a purchase and you don't give up anything going to Superbit, as the original release didn't have any special features. However, there was also a double feature release (yep, Superbit makes release #3), which had Desperado on one side and El Mariachi on the other, so that's a pretty huge special feature to give up (and the only way to own El Mariachi on DVD).

[Geoffrey Kleinman, DVDTalk.com]

What gives this movie an edge over other action flicks, in my opinion, is that it doesn't pretend to be anything else. Sure, there is a little romance, but the girl (Salma Hayek) never distracts from the action scenes... in fact, she participates to a limited degree in some of them. Sure, there's humor, but it's not Schwarzenegger-style cheesy one-liners, it's actually funny, and again, it doesn't distract from the action.

Now, the action. Pure, unadulturated, edge-of-your-seat action. Top notch. Eye-candy galore.

This movie gets 4 stars instead of 5 for two reasons: #1, it's entirely one-dimentional, and #2, the gun-battles, as is typical in most action movies, stretch the bounds of reality to the breaking point. Yes, Antonio Banderas *does* reload, but still, I think 5 guys with machine guns can take one guy with 2 hand guns. Don't watch it for reality, or for complexity, watch it for gorgeous action scenes.

And it's beautifully realized. Somewhere between John Woo and Sergio Leone with a little Coppola and Tarantion thrown in for luck, this movie is a miracle of story-telling and style.

This time, the Mariachi-Man(with a small arsenal in his suitcase) is played by Antonio Banderas(THE MASK OF ZORRO). Every scene that he's in is filled with violence and dangerous sexuality that makes him one of the most sought-after male leads in Hollywood. In the opening, Steve Buscemi(CON-AIR, FARGO, THE BIG LEBOWSKI) tells the story of a mysterious shadowy stranger who goes from bar to bar, looking for the man who destroyed his life. In the process, he shoots up everybody, including the bartender, much to the unease of 'tender, Cheech Marin(T.V.'s NASH BRIDGES, TIN CUP).

You see he's part of the front for Bucho, played by Joaquin Del Alameida (ONLY YOU, CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER), the man who killed Mariachi's woman. And Alameida is wonderfully cast as the baddie, being shadowy and sexy at the same time with a gruff voice and commanding eyes that you can read like a book.

And so, the story rages on, and so does the mythology. Mariachi goes from place to place, trying to avoid being shot at in action scenes that look borrowed from the Universal Studios Western Stunt Show. In the process, Banderas meets Carolina, played by the beautiful Salma Hayek(54, THE FACULTY, FOOLS RUSH IN). She's eye candy, but instead of just looking pretty like most models in film(see CINDY CRAWFORD in FAIR GAME), she actually ACTS. Her character is complex, in that she is part of the Bucho's Front, so she understands the violence and the drugs. That's how she is able to fall in love with Banderas in the first place.

And there's many contradictions that hide in this film(the Mariachi has one spur, not two; the movie is in the present, but there's a lack of any technology; the love scene with Banderas and Hayek is beautiful, whereas the cut to his enemy having sex is slutty and whore-ish, you are able to make out the contrast between good and evil) and in these scenes, Rodriguez handles things beautifully.

Again, the love scene with Banderas and Hayek is a gorgeous standout. There are, what seems like a hundred lit candles in the room and the beautiful "Bella" by Santana is played in the background. It's filmed slowly, passionately, and so romantically that you're almost hypnotized by it. It's the best love scene since the Snipe' neck-bite in BLADE.

There are many surprises in this film that are worth mentioning, but I won't go into them. See this film for yourself, then rent "From Dusk Till Dawn" and you'll have yourself a great American-Mexican Western-Fest in your own living room.

--Matt

• Skin tone! Wow! In the Superbit version there's a dramatic difference in skin tone, it looks a lot richer and is a much truer color.
• As the camera pans over to Selma's face you can see much more detail in her face and on her skin.
• The colors of El Mariachi's guns are much different and they glimmer in the Superbit version. In the original version they are a dull metallic color.

The DTS audio track is as dramatic a difference as the picture. Most noticeably is when El Mariachi jumps backward from the top of the building firing his pistols. In the DTS audio track you hear a thud as he lands, something I didn't hear in either the old or new Dolby Digital tracks. Of all the Superbit Titles, Desperado is the easiest to recommend as a 'replacement' DVD for someone who already owns the original version. The improvements in the Superbit version are significant enough to warrant a purchase and you don't give up anything going to Superbit, as the original release didn't have any special features. However, there was also a double feature release (yep, Superbit makes release #3), which had Desperado on one side and El Mariachi on the other, so that's a pretty huge special feature to give up (and the only way to own El Mariachi on DVD).

[Geoffrey Kleinman, DVDTalk.com]

What gives this movie an edge over other action flicks, in my opinion, is that it doesn't pretend to be anything else. Sure, there is a little romance, but the girl (Salma Hayek) never distracts from the action scenes... in fact, she participates to a limited degree in some of them. Sure, there's humor, but it's not Schwarzenegger-style cheesy one-liners, it's actually funny, and again, it doesn't distract from the action.

Now, the action. Pure, unadulturated, edge-of-your-seat action. Top notch. Eye-candy galore.

This movie gets 4 stars instead of 5 for two reasons: #1, it's entirely one-dimentional, and #2, the gun-battles, as is typical in most action movies, stretch the bounds of reality to the breaking point. Yes, Antonio Banderas *does* reload, but still, I think 5 guys with machine guns can take one guy with 2 hand guns. Don't watch it for reality, or for complexity, watch it for gorgeous action scenes.

And it's beautifully realized. Somewhere between John Woo and Sergio Leone with a little Coppola and Tarantion thrown in for luck, this movie is a miracle of story-telling and style.

This time, the Mariachi-Man(with a small arsenal in his suitcase) is played by Antonio Banderas(THE MASK OF ZORRO). Every scene that he's in is filled with violence and dangerous sexuality that makes him one of the most sought-after male leads in Hollywood. In the opening, Steve Buscemi(CON-AIR, FARGO, THE BIG LEBOWSKI) tells the story of a mysterious shadowy stranger who goes from bar to bar, looking for the man who destroyed his life. In the process, he shoots up everybody, including the bartender, much to the unease of 'tender, Cheech Marin(T.V.'s NASH BRIDGES, TIN CUP).

You see he's part of the front for Bucho, played by Joaquin Del Alameida (ONLY YOU, CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER), the man who killed Mariachi's woman. And Alameida is wonderfully cast as the baddie, being shadowy and sexy at the same time with a gruff voice and commanding eyes that you can read like a book.

And so, the story rages on, and so does the mythology. Mariachi goes from place to place, trying to avoid being shot at in action scenes that look borrowed from the Universal Studios Western Stunt Show. In the process, Banderas meets Carolina, played by the beautiful Salma Hayek(54, THE FACULTY, FOOLS RUSH IN). She's eye candy, but instead of just looking pretty like most models in film(see CINDY CRAWFORD in FAIR GAME), she actually ACTS. Her character is complex, in that she is part of the Bucho's Front, so she understands the violence and the drugs. That's how she is able to fall in love with Banderas in the first place.

And there's many contradictions that hide in this film(the Mariachi has one spur, not two; the movie is in the present, but there's a lack of any technology; the love scene with Banderas and Hayek is beautiful, whereas the cut to his enemy having sex is slutty and whore-ish, you are able to make out the contrast between good and evil) and in these scenes, Rodriguez handles things beautifully.

Again, the love scene with Banderas and Hayek is a gorgeous standout. There are, what seems like a hundred lit candles in the room and the beautiful "Bella" by Santana is played in the background. It's filmed slowly, passionately, and so romantically that you're almost hypnotized by it. It's the best love scene since the Snipe' neck-bite in BLADE.

There are many surprises in this film that are worth mentioning, but I won't go into them. See this film for yourself, then rent "From Dusk Till Dawn" and you'll have yourself a great American-Mexican Western-Fest in your own living room.

--Matt

• Skin tone! Wow! In the Superbit version there's a dramatic difference in skin tone, it looks a lot richer and is a much truer color.
• As the camera pans over to Selma's face you can see much more detail in her face and on her skin.
• The colors of El Mariachi's guns are much different and they glimmer in the Superbit version. In the original version they are a dull metallic color.

The DTS audio track is as dramatic a difference as the picture. Most noticeably is when El Mariachi jumps backward from the top of the building firing his pistols. In the DTS audio track you hear a thud as he lands, something I didn't hear in either the old or new Dolby Digital tracks. Of all the Superbit Titles, Desperado is the easiest to recommend as a 'replacement' DVD for someone who already owns the original version. The improvements in the Superbit version are significant enough to warrant a purchase and you don't give up anything going to Superbit, as the original release didn't have any special features. However, there was also a double feature release (yep, Superbit makes release #3), which had Desperado on one side and El Mariachi on the other, so that's a pretty huge special feature to give up (and the only way to own El Mariachi on DVD).

[Geoffrey Kleinman, DVDTalk.com]

What gives this movie an edge over other action flicks, in my opinion, is that it doesn't pretend to be anything else. Sure, there is a little romance, but the girl (Salma Hayek) never distracts from the action scenes... in fact, she participates to a limited degree in some of them. Sure, there's humor, but it's not Schwarzenegger-style cheesy one-liners, it's actually funny, and again, it doesn't distract from the action.

Now, the action. Pure, unadulturated, edge-of-your-seat action. Top notch. Eye-candy galore.

This movie gets 4 stars instead of 5 for two reasons: #1, it's entirely one-dimentional, and #2, the gun-battles, as is typical in most action movies, stretch the bounds of reality to the breaking point. Yes, Antonio Banderas *does* reload, but still, I think 5 guys with machine guns can take one guy with 2 hand guns. Don't watch it for reality, or for complexity, watch it for gorgeous action scenes.

And it's beautifully realized. Somewhere between John Woo and Sergio Leone with a little Coppola and Tarantion thrown in for luck, this movie is a miracle of story-telling and style.

This time, the Mariachi-Man(with a small arsenal in his suitcase) is played by Antonio Banderas(THE MASK OF ZORRO). Every scene that he's in is filled with violence and dangerous sexuality that makes him one of the most sought-after male leads in Hollywood. In the opening, Steve Buscemi(CON-AIR, FARGO, THE BIG LEBOWSKI) tells the story of a mysterious shadowy stranger who goes from bar to bar, looking for the man who destroyed his life. In the process, he shoots up everybody, including the bartender, much to the unease of 'tender, Cheech Marin(T.V.'s NASH BRIDGES, TIN CUP).

You see he's part of the front for Bucho, played by Joaquin Del Alameida (ONLY YOU, CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER), the man who killed Mariachi's woman. And Alameida is wonderfully cast as the baddie, being shadowy and sexy at the same time with a gruff voice and commanding eyes that you can read like a book.

And so, the story rages on, and so does the mythology. Mariachi goes from place to place, trying to avoid being shot at in action scenes that look borrowed from the Universal Studios Western Stunt Show. In the process, Banderas meets Carolina, played by the beautiful Salma Hayek(54, THE FACULTY, FOOLS RUSH IN). She's eye candy, but instead of just looking pretty like most models in film(see CINDY CRAWFORD in FAIR GAME), she actually ACTS. Her character is complex, in that she is part of the Bucho's Front, so she understands the violence and the drugs. That's how she is able to fall in love with Banderas in the first place.

And there's many contradictions that hide in this film(the Mariachi has one spur, not two; the movie is in the present, but there's a lack of any technology; the love scene with Banderas and Hayek is beautiful, whereas the cut to his enemy having sex is slutty and whore-ish, you are able to make out the contrast between good and evil) and in these scenes, Rodriguez handles things beautifully.

Again, the love scene with Banderas and Hayek is a gorgeous standout. There are, what seems like a hundred lit candles in the room and the beautiful "Bella" by Santana is played in the background. It's filmed slowly, passionately, and so romantically that you're almost hypnotized by it. It's the best love scene since the Snipe' neck-bite in BLADE.

There are many surprises in this film that are worth mentioning, but I won't go into them. See this film for yourself, then rent "From Dusk Till Dawn" and you'll have yourself a great American-Mexican Western-Fest in your own living room.

--Matt

Unfortunately, unsure of where to take this concept, "54" degenerates into a muddled mass, remaining cool and aloof from the viewer for the majority of its running time.

Shane (Ryan Phillippe) is a teenager with a crush on soap-opera star Julie Black (Neve Campbell). When a newspaper article reports that Julie has been spotted at the nightclub several times, the handsome but dim-witted Shane pays a visit. Gaining admission via his rugged good looks, he manages to land a job as a busboy, eventually working his way up to bartender.

The club's owner, Steve Rubell ("Wayne's World" creator Mike Myers, in a highly-touted dramatic role), is a drug addict who runs the nightclub his way, with little regard for the consequences of his actions. (In a nationally-televised interview, for example, Rubell cheerfully admits that he lies to the IRS about how much money the club makes.) His is a world of pills, music, and regrets, none of which are easily remembered the next day.

This had the potential to be an interesting story, but the execution is, alas, very clumsy. The script is unfocused; it doesn't really succeed at conveying either the excitement of the era, or any indication why the club was so highly regarded. It's "The Last Days of Disco" meets "Boogie Nights," with all the high-points somehow lost along the way.

But whatever flaws the film may have, they are not the fault of Myers; indeed, so convincing is his performance that all thoughts of Wayne Campbell and Austin Powers were forever purged from my mind. Myers knows that Rubell is not a hero; he's just a junkie trying to get by the best way he knows how, and he plays the role accordingly. I have new respect for his abilities as an actor.

In fact, Myers is so good that the film suffers when he's not on the screen. Although the character of Rubell is intriguing, he's reduced to a relatively small part. Considering that nearly all the events which happen in the movie (including an IRS audit of the club and the death of a patron) would significantly affect his character, it's surprising that he's given so little screen time in comparison to the exceedingly bland Shane. Ryan Phillippe seems to be sleep-walking through his role, mumbling his lines and showing little interest in any of the remarkable things that happen to him. Neve Campbell turns in her usual competent performance, but the script never allows her to become a "real" person. She remains just another face passing briefly through Shane's life. This is one of the most disappointing facets of the story: getting to know the "real" person behind the Famous Actress persona that Julie wears should be fascinating; instead, it comes off as trite.

The movie succeeds, however, at capturing the claustrophobic feel of a crowded nightclub. Nearly every scene is "lit" only by neon signs or disco strobe lights. The grainy, underexposed look which results from this method of shooting is just right. The music is also well-chosen, capturing the feel of the late '70s. Rubell's spoken introductions to many of the songs are also quite amusing. An "A+" for atmosphere, but alas, that alone doesn't make a great film.

"54" isn't horrible, but it steps all over itself while attempting to convey a story. Rather than needing MORE plot, the film should've dropped its superfluous elements and focused on its most interesting storyline: Steve Rubell's struggle to keep the club open in the face of adversity. The film rolls along nicely during Mike Myers' scenes, but overall it plays out like the disco music featured on its soundtrack: occasionally pleasant, but ultimately going nowhere.

You seem like a cool person-come into Studio 54!

Welcome to my party handsome!

Studio 54 is about the infamous disco nightclub-where a New Jersey guy goes to NYC to get into Studio 54 and not only gets inside this legendary palace-but gets a job behind the bar!

And Mike Meyers did a powerful job as the Steve Rubell-Meyers should of got an oscar for this-or at least an Academy Award!

So watch Studio 54-we may not be able to get into the real Studio 54-but this movie is your ticket to get past the velvet ropes and have one shimmering party!

A man named Steve Rubell had a dream-to throw the best damn party the world had ever seen-and make it last forever!

Well,Steve Rubell-you did just that!

In memory of a great party thrower-Steve Rubell!

And of course Studio 54!

In our hearts and minds-Studio 54-and Steve Rubell will always party on!

El Mariachi (Antiono Bandaras, Spy Kids), that guitar welding Mexican, is back. This time he's hired by a CIA agent named Sands (Johnny Depp, Sleepy Hollow) to kill a rival named General Marquez (Gerardo Vigil). Marquez it seems has robbed some very important things away from El Mariachi, and so revenge is on his mind.

There are a few other sub-plots to sift through. With a rouge FBI agent (Ruben Blades, Cradle Will Rock), drug kingpin's (Willem Dafoe, Existenz), exiled criminal from the US (Mickey Rourke, 9 ½ Weeks), a corrupt cop from Mexico (Eva Mendes, 2 Fast 2 Furious) and El Marichi's pals (Enrique Iglesias and Marco Leonardi (Texas Rangers)) show up too.

There is so much to sift through in this movie's plot; it took a while for it all to make sense. Who are the good guys? Who are the bad guys? Just what is Willem Dafoe's character up too? All is answered but you need to give the movie enough time, you need to wallow through the confusion, until it all begins to make sense.

What makes this process easier is the wild action sequences. Which are some of the most inventive in a while. With very little CGI and lots of wild camera angles, this is not your run of the mill explosions, and shaky-camera stunts. I especially liked the sequence in which Mariachi and Carolina (Salma Hayek, Frida) are hanging from the side of a building. It's breathtaking and death defying all at the same time.

I also liked how the film keeps its tongue firmly in cheek. This movie is full of laughs and one liners that don't take away from the film. The humor also manifest's its self in some of the more inventive sequences. I loved Sands three-arm routine, and the bomb in the Bass case. Lot's of fun for everyone.

The other saving grace is Depp. Who gets the most screen time, even more than the film's hero does. His character is so layered; you're not quite sure what side he's on. He's funny, a little mysterious, and the only character fully realized in this film. Just to watch him is to appreciate Rodriguez's witty and spry sense of humor and how it translates to the screen. I'd love to see Depp work with Tarantino. Hmm...

Bandaras, Hayek, Dafoe, and Rourke are all but wasted, by the confines of their characters. The script has very little for each of them to do. For instance Hayek' s role is barely a cameo, Rourke's is underdeveloped, and Bandaras just seems to be there to wrap up lose ends.

I liked the movie. The good definitely outweighs the bad. I just wonder how many people will have the patience to give the movie its due. Judging from the large group who walked out even before the movie was over, I just don't know.

Give ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO a chance. It's a meandering route, but at the end of the road it's well worth your time.

***1/2 out of 5

Antonio Bandares returns to the roll that made him famous, even though he doesn't have a lot of screen time, he always manages to capture your attention whenever he's around. He's brooding, big and he has the loudest gun in the world.

It's plot is a bit complex for a movie like this, there's a lot of characters and there's a side-story that involves a plastic surgery that could've been tossed out, but hey, it gets Willem Defoe in cool bandages so I won't complain too much. I would've liked more shooting, but it manages to feel EPIC. The final battle has military and people warring it out in the streets, 3 Mariachis attempting to save the Mexican president and "El" finally getting revenge and getting "free", it's all fantastic.

The movies full of quirkiness too, from Mickey Rourke hiding his cute little dog from his boss, to Depps strange obsession with pork, it adds lots of humor to the shooting.

And speaking of the shooting, it's SO over the top it can't help but be un-effecting. There's hardly any blood in this thing, which is all good, it makes it easier for the audience members who actually take this stuff seriously.

Is this a sequel? Ummmm, erh...no, not really. It's a sequel the same way Desperado was a sequel to El Mariachi, but who cares about stuff like that? This is a cool flick, and it's nice to have Robert Rodriguez back making real movies instead of kid stuff.

THE STORY:

Juni Cortez comes out of "retirement" to save sister Carmen from an evil Virtual Reality game that threatens to corrupt the lives of America's youth (yuk yuk yuk) forever. Juni must enter the VR game and battle through 5 levels of CyberWarfare facing other gamers and assorted CyberMonsters to save Carmen.

THE COOL THINGS:

Obviously the big sell of this movie are the 3-D special effects. You'll get your old school 3-D glasses (red lens in one eye, blue in the other) at the box office and the movie conveniently tells you when to put them on. The virtual reality/3-D world of the video is just awesome to see and the "high-tech" battles of the movie are a nice contrast to the mutated creature/monsters of the previous movies. Overall, the movie gets an 'A' for FX. Another big plus going for this movie is the prominent role of Grandpa Cortez (the legendary Ricardo Montalban) who aides Juni in rescuing Carmen. That's about it for the cool stuff though...

THE CRITIQUE:

Something just feels off and missing from this movie. Much of the charm of the first two movies is lost. There are no "cutesy" bad guys in this film, just follow "CyberWarriors" and virtual robot baddies. The pacing of the movie also just feels very off. The journey of Juni and his friends to Level 5 of the game, while at parts exciting, just feels very un-epic and un-exciting. The ending of the movie is also very anti-climatic. The movie is just extremely short. I found myself quite underwhelmed when Juni and the crew finally "saved" Carmen and reached Level 5 to "beat the bad guy." Have you ever found yourself doing and seeing something you were looking forward to and when it was over thought to yourself "That's It????"

One cool thing at the end was bringing back much of the characters from the previous films (a nod to the franchise reaching it's finish) but again, it just feels so anti-climatic. The addition of Sylvester Stallone as the crazed Toymaker was a nice touch for the adults (with nods to Rocky in the bloopers) but seriously, how many of the little kids in the audience even know who Stallone is or having memorable recollections of Rocky or Rambo?

BEST SCENES:

1.Juni vs. Demetria is the "Battlebot Competition"

2.The Race scene

3.Lava Surfing

THE VERDICT:

I'm a big fan of the Spy Kids series and quite honestly, "Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over" simply underwhelms. Sure, the action and FX are well done, but the story and pacing of the movie just doesn't deliver the same amount of "oomph" that the first two films do. If you're looking for cool VR action this movie does that well in spades, but for an entertaining and enthralling story you can probably do better elsewhere.

Fare thee well Carmen and Juni Cortez, it was fun but sadly enough the Game really is over.

Recommendation: Stick with the first two movies.

From,
Zack Paslay,age 9

THE STORY:

Juni Cortez comes out of "retirement" to save sister Carmen from an evil Virtual Reality game that threatens to corrupt the lives of America's youth (yuk yuk yuk) forever. Juni must enter the VR game and battle through 5 levels of CyberWarfare facing other gamers and assorted CyberMonsters to save Carmen.

THE COOL THINGS:

Obviously the big sell of this movie are the 3-D special effects. You'll get your old school 3-D glasses (red lens in one eye, blue in the other) at the box office and the movie conveniently tells you when to put them on. The virtual reality/3-D world of the video is just awesome to see and the "high-tech" battles of the movie are a nice contrast to the mutated creature/monsters of the previous movies. Overall, the movie gets an 'A' for FX. Another big plus going for this movie is the prominent role of Grandpa Cortez (the legendary Ricardo Montalban) who aides Juni in rescuing Carmen. That's about it for the cool stuff though...

THE CRITIQUE:

Something just feels off and missing from this movie. Much of the charm of the first two movies is lost. There are no "cutesy" bad guys in this film, just follow "CyberWarriors" and virtual robot baddies. The pacing of the movie also just feels very off. The journey of Juni and his friends to Level 5 of the game, while at parts exciting, just feels very un-epic and un-exciting. The ending of the movie is also very anti-climatic. The movie is just extremely short. I found myself quite underwhelmed when Juni and the crew finally "saved" Carmen and reached Level 5 to "beat the bad guy." Have you ever found yourself doing and seeing something you were looking forward to and when it was over thought to yourself "That's It????"

One cool thing at the end was bringing back much of the characters from the previous films (a nod to the franchise reaching it's finish) but again, it just feels so anti-climatic. The addition of Sylvester Stallone as the crazed Toymaker was a nice touch for the adults (with nods to Rocky in the bloopers) but seriously, how many of the little kids in the audience even know who Stallone is or having memorable recollections of Rocky or Rambo?

BEST SCENES:

1.Juni vs. Demetria is the "Battlebot Competition"

2.The Race scene

3.Lava Surfing

THE VERDICT:

I'm a big fan of the Spy Kids series and quite honestly, "Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over" simply underwhelms. Sure, the action and FX are well done, but the story and pacing of the movie just doesn't deliver the same amount of "oomph" that the first two films do. If you're looking for cool VR action this movie does that well in spades, but for an entertaining and enthralling story you can probably do better elsewhere.

Fare thee well Carmen and Juni Cortez, it was fun but sadly enough the Game really is over.

Recommendation: Stick with the first two movies.

From,
Zack Paslay,age 9