Part of The Mexico Trilogy box set from Arrow Video out 8/27/2024.
A man who had been long gone for the area returns with his guitar case to a small border town where he soon faces enemies and love.
Written and directed by Robert Rodriguez, this second entry in what would become the Mexico trilogy is kind of a sequel, kind of a remake of El Mariachi, taking the character and giving him more budget. The film official description and major plot points make it a sequel, but some of the story beats scream remake. That being said, it all doesn’t really matter as this an incredibly entertaining film and this reviewer’s favorite of the trilogy. The story here gains from a higher budget and more experience on Rodriguez’ part. The writing and direction have evolved and are better than the first film while maintaining the spirit of El Mariachi.
The cast here is updated with Antonio Banderas taking over the part of El Mariachi, the musician with no name and a past, helping the film sell the character very well and reminding people why he shot up to fame and gathered a ton of fans back in the mid-1990s. The man is a born performer, showing it by doing stage performance here, acting, fights, etc. His part here is done just right, showing the talent and charisma he has. Coming as Carolina, El Mariachi’s love interest, is Salma Hayek proving she can take on the best ad make a scene all about her without even trying. Charisma man meet charisma woman. This is how you cast a potential couple, tons of chemistry, good actors, lots of talent, and a fearlessness that is memorable. Making his entry in the trilogy here is Danny Trejo, the man of many a stolen scene, something he does plenty of here. Trejo is fun, he clearly is enjoying himself and that connects to the viewers beautifully here. The rest of the cast is also solid with Joaquim de Almeida coming in to give his now patented bad guy performance, one that works great here, and a few small roles filled by very recognizable faces.
In this one, the music is a bigger item than in El Mariachi with Los Lobos providing the soundtrack and it’s so much fun. The music is a big part of this film and their contribution here is fantastic. The film’s action works so well with the music and vice versa, with some truly entertaining fight sequences, may they be gunfights, knife fights, or others, making this an explosive action western.
This new release looks and sounds fantastic on Blu with the image looking crisp and really allowing the proper upgrade for those who were sitting on the old DVDs. The extras are solid (see below) and the packaging as well.
This set is basically the set for fans of the Mexico trilogy and, until further notice, the set for Robert Rodriguez fans. It is packed with extras that are great watches with fascinating information on his process, behind the scenes work, each film, and even episodes of 10-Minutes Film School which is always a great watch. The inclusion of his 1991 short film Bedhead is a great move here as short films are often underseen. The set also includes interviews with some of his collaborators such as original Mariachi Carlos Gallardo and stunt coordinator Steve Davison, audio commentaries with Rodriguez, delete scenes, a featurette about the music of El Mariachi, a cooking video, new and archival materials, and a whole lot more. A dedicated fan could spend a full week going through these and be entertained.
