THE MEXICO TRILOGY: A Big & Bloody Boxed Set

THE MEXICO TRILOGY (Blu-ray/4K UHD)

1993-2003 / 287 min (3 movies)

FROM ARROW VIDEO

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😸

Once an indie auteur darling, Robert Rodriguez has gone on to bigger things, but the three films in his Mexico Trilogy might ultimately be his legacy. The first was an audacious calling card and the second established the unique stylistic approach he’d apply to all of his action films. The third was a bit overreaching, but we’ve seen far worse final chapters of beloved franchises.

Arrow Video has put together an excellent boxed set featuring these films and packed it with enough new & archival bonus features to make it indispensable for fans of Mexico’s most endearing guitar-playing killer.

I must confess that I never saw El Mariachi until now, though I always meant to get around to it. The film’s backstory is the stuff of legend…budding young filmmaker Robert Rodriguez managed to scrape together a mere $7000 to make it, handling virtually all of the behind-the-camera duties himself while casting his friends in key roles, few of whom had any acting experience. It’s a hell of an impressive debut and massively entertaining…violent, funny, action-packed and boasting surprisingly good performances. Co-producer Carlos Gallardo plays the title character, an unemployed mariachi who’s mistaken for a revenge-minded gangster coming to town to kill his doublecrossing boss. As much as I’ve always loved Desperado, this one might be my new favorite.

Speaking of which, 1995’s Desperado boasts a larger budget and more tech toys at Rodriguez’ disposal. And he makes the most of the opportunity. Bloody and stylishly over-the-top, the film opens with a bang and only takes its foot off the gas during a slightly meandering middle act. Antonio Banderas assumes the role of El Mariachi, now a revenge-fueled killer looking for ultimate payback against the druglord who killed his girlfriend and rendered him unable to play guitar. In addition to Banderas, Desperado boasts a terrific cast playing a variety of quirky, funny and/or menacing characters. Though extremely violent, there’s also a greater emphasis on humor, especially during the first half, with plenty of quotable dialogue. And if that ain’t enough, you've got Salma Hayek, who might have been the sexiest woman alive at that point. 

"I thought I paid this."

The inevitable Law of Diminishing Returns rears its ugly head with 2003’s Once Upon a Time in Mexico. This one is sort of the Godfather Part III of the Mexico Trilogy…not a bad film by any stretch, but lacking key components that made the first two so memorable. In this case, the overall narrative is too damn busy and stuffed with more supporting characters than it really needs. There are long stretches where El Mariachi (Banderas again) takes a backseat to a variety of bad guys, most notably Johnny Depp as cold-blooded CIA Agent Sands, who recruits El to kill a corrupt Mexican general after the man assassinates the President (in order to stir-up political turmoil). Depp and his character steal the entire movie, which suggests maybe Rodriguez has grown bored with his own creation. The film is still flashy, fun and bloody, but easily the weakest in the trilogy.

In addition to excellent Blu-ray transfers of all three films, this set includes an additional disc of Desperado in 4K Ultra HD (which looks great, though not necessarily better). But it’s the bevy of bonus features that make The Mexico Trilogy worth grabbing, including a lot of brand new material made especially for this release. Arrow has also thrown in the usual batch of physical supplements (posters, a booklet, etc), which we weren’t able to check out.

 

EXTRA KIBBLES

NOTE: Free Kittens Movie Guide was provided with a promo disc for review purposes. Physical supplemental material included with the final product (booklets, artwork, inserts, etc) were not available for review.

EL MARIACHI

INTERVIEWS - Big Vision, Low Budget features Robert Rodriguez, who discusses how he made the film…practically by himself; The Original Mariachi features Carlos Gallardo, who starred in and co-produced the film; In The Music of El Mariachi, several of the musicians discuss their contributions to the soundtrack.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By writer/director Robert Rodriguez.

TEN MINUTE FILM SCHOOL - One of several episodes Robert Rodriguez once did about grassroots filmmaking.

“BEDHEAD” - A 1991 short by Robert Rodriguez.

TRAILER/TV SPOT

DESPERADO

INTERVIEWS - Lean and Mean is another new interview with Robert Rodriguez; Shoot Like Crazy features producer Bill Borden; Kill Count is an interview with stunt coordinator Steve Davison; Lock & Load features FX coordinator Bob Shelley.

GAME CHANGER - An appreciation by Gareth Evans (the guy who directed the ‘Raid’ movies).

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By writer/director Robert Rodriguez.

TEN MORE MINUTES - Another episode by Robert Rodriguez.

TEXTLESS OPENING - The catchy opening musical number, sans credits.

TRAILERS

ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO

INTERVIEWS - The Revolution Will Be Digitized is another new interview with Robert Rodriguez, who discusses his decision to film digitally; Troublemaking features FX editor Ethan Maniquis.

ARCHIVAL FEATURETTES - Inside Troublemaker Studios is a look at rodriguez’ studio; In Ten Minute Cooking School, Rodriguez shows how to make a dish worth killing for (that makes sense if you’ve seen the movie); The Anti-Hero’s Journey (the mariachi’s overall story); The Good, the Bad & the Bloody: Inside KNB FX is about the elaborate effects

TEN MINUTE FLICK SCHOOL - Another episode with Rodriguez.

FILM IS DEAD: AN EVENING WITH ROBERT FODRIGUEZ - Not sure I agree with him, but he’s fun to listen to.

DELETED SCENES - With optional commentary

TRAILERS

NEW ARTWORK, SUPPLEMENTARY BOOKLET and POSTERS (not reviewed)