There are legends and there are myths of the El Mariachi, the guitar playing hero that has a guitar case full for weapons to punish the drug cartels in Mexico. As time has gone by the legend of the Mariachi has grown to epic proportions and while many of the stories may have evolved over time there really is such a man. He is man that had lost everything gained it all back and lost it all once more and it appears he will never be free from his past that haunts him. Sands is a corrupt CIA officer that has large plans for the country and its leadership and these plans include using the Mariachi. It appears a new drug lord Barillo has plans for taking over the country by killing the president and installing himself as its new leader and while Sands does not mind having the president killed he does not want Barrillo in power. So the plan seems simple enough by bringing in the Mariachi to kill Barrillo after he has assassinated the president. But while the plan may seem simple to the Mariachi its execution will be far from easy and will most likely see him sent to an unmarked grave. For Sands appears to be playing many sides in the epic struggles of the resistance of Mexico as all sorts of villains from ex FBI officers to renegade criminals will come out of the woodwork to gum up the gears for the Mariachi as he tries to extract a revenge that has been a long time in coming and finally find the peace and freedom he so desperately seeks.

The third installment of the El Mariachi trilogy has been a long time in coming and may leave some fans of the series disappointed while others, myself included, will fall in love again with the story of the guitarist turned hero. Without divulging vital parts of the plot I was truly disappointed by how they dealt Carolina into the script as it really angered me to see them do that to her. But other than that I again was emerged in the wonderful world of Robert Rodriquez and his story of the Mariachi. Antonio Banderas seems made for this part as he wields the guitar and guns with equal flair. The movie is a constant action packed sequence that leads from one shootout to the next in a virtual blood bath. Very few movies could pull this off as it is easily gratuitous to say that least but the campiness of the whole film, which is obviously intentional, adds that flair to it that makes it so good. Maybe that is why Banderas is so good in the part as he does not have to do any type of serious acting but rather can revel himself in the character of the Mariachi and a story that is campy. Johnny Depp adds another weird and flamboyant character his resume as Sands and even he was surprised at how much he was in the movie, which might have been too much. I don’t care how much Pirate of Caribbean has done in the box office this movie is about the Mariachi and doesn’t need that many side stories. You mat wish to refresh yourself on the story and see Desperado before you see Once Upon a Time but either way if you liked Desperado you will not be disappointed by Once Upon a Time, I wasn’t.
4 stars out of 5