Robert Rodriguez is a bit of a mad scientist. Honestly, that’s the only way to explain how we ended up with Once Upon a Time in Mexico, a movie that feels like it was edited by a guy who had three pots of coffee and a brand-new digital camera he didn't quite know how to use yet. It’s the third part of the "Mexico Trilogy," following El Mariachi and Desperado, but it doesn't really care about being a traditional sequel.
It’s loud. It’s messy.
Antonio Banderas is back as the mythic guitar-slinging gunslinger, but he’s almost a side character in his own franchise. The real star? Johnny Depp playing a corrupt, eccentric CIA agent named Sands who wears "I'm with Puta" t-shirts and orders puerco pibil in every dive bar he visits.
Most people remember this movie for the "Caliper" scene or the fact that Depp’s character ends up wandering around a revolution with bloody holes where his eyes used to be. But if you look closer, Once Upon a Time in Mexico is actually a landmark in film history for reasons that have nothing to do with the plot. It was one of the first major big-budget productions to go fully digital, shot on the Sony HDW-F900. Rodriguez saw George Lucas using it for Star Wars and decided he could do the same thing in his backyard for a fraction of the cost.
The Chaos of the Once Upon a Time in Mexico Production
The vibe of this movie is "organized chaos."
Rodriguez wrote the script in a hurry because a Screen Actors Guild strike was looming. He basically threw every idea he had at the wall to see what would stick. You’ve got Enrique Iglesias as a gunslinger. You’ve got Salma Hayek appearing in what amounts to a series of glorified cameos and flashbacks because she was only available for a few days. You’ve even got Mickey Rourke carrying around a tiny dog before his big The Wrestler comeback.
It’s kind of amazing the movie even makes sense. Or maybe it doesn't.
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The plot involves a coup d’état against the Mexican President, a drug lord played by Willem Dafoe (who is wearing some very questionable prosthetics), and a retired FBI agent played by Ruben Blades. It’s a political thriller trapped inside a cartoon. While Desperado was a tight, sexy revenge flick, this movie is an epic. It wants to be Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West, but it’s too hyperactive to sit still for a wide shot.
One of the coolest bits of trivia is how Johnny Depp’s role came to be. He wasn't originally supposed to be that prominent. But Depp, being Depp, started improvising. He decided his character should be obsessed with a specific pork dish. He decided he should wear disguises that fooled absolutely nobody. Rodriguez loved it so much he kept expanding the role.
Why the Digital Look Changed Everything
The visual style of Once Upon a Time in Mexico is... polarizing. To put it mildly.
Since it was shot on early 24p digital video, it has this distinct, hyper-real, almost plastic look. It lacks the grain and warmth of the 35mm film used in the previous two movies. At the time, critics weren't sure what to make of it. Some thought it looked cheap. Others realized it was the future.
Rodriguez was preaching the gospel of "Digital Filmmaking" to anyone who would listen. He did the cinematography, the editing, the scoring, and the production design himself. He calls it the "Troublemaker Studios" way. Basically, he wanted to prove that you didn't need a $100 million budget and a crew of a thousand people to make a blockbuster. You just needed a fast computer and some imagination.
The Music and the Mythos
The soundtrack is a banger. Rodriguez composed much of it himself, but he also pulled in tracks from Juno Reactor and Del Castillo. The "Sands' Theme" is an earworm that perfectly captures the swagger of the movie.
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But beneath the guitars and the explosions, there’s a weirdly tragic undercurrent. The character of El Mariachi is essentially a ghost by this point. He’s lost everything. His wife, his daughter, his sense of purpose. He only comes out of hiding because he’s a "tool" for the CIA. It’s a deconstruction of the action hero that people don't give the movie enough credit for.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Trilogy
A lot of casual fans think you need to watch these movies in a strict chronological order to understand them. You really don't.
El Mariachi is a gritty, low-budget indie. Desperado is a high-octane action romance. Once Upon a Time in Mexico is a sprawling political satire with gunfights. They feel like three different genres that just happen to share a lead character.
Some people complain that the movie is "too busy." They aren't wrong. There are about six different subplots happening at once. You have the military general planning the coup. You have the AFN agent seeking revenge for her father. You have the Mariachi's buddies (Iglesias and Marco Leonardi) providing backup. It’s a lot to keep track of.
But that’s the point. It’s supposed to be a "Mariachi Myth." Myths are messy. They change every time someone tells them.
The Legacy of a Digital Experiment
If you watch the movie today, the CGI effects—especially the blood—look a little dated. The digital blood splatters have that early-2000s "After Effects" shimmer that doesn't quite blend with the lighting. Yet, there’s a charm to it.
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It represents a moment in time when Hollywood was transitioning. Before every Marvel movie was shot on a green screen, Rodriguez was in Texas showing everyone how to use a digital workflow to move faster and be more creative.
It’s also one of the last times we saw this specific kind of "Star Vehicle" ensemble. It’s a movie where Willem Dafoe, Danny Trejo, and Eva Mendes can all exist in the same frame and it somehow feels natural.
Practical Takeaways for Fans and Filmmakers
If you’re revisiting Once Upon a Time in Mexico or watching it for the first time, keep these things in mind:
- Watch for the "Ten Minute Film School": The DVD and Blu-ray extras for this movie are legendary. Rodriguez explains exactly how he pulled off the stunts and the digital effects. It's better than most actual film school classes.
- Pay attention to the cooking: The puerco pibil recipe in the movie is a real Yucatecan dish. Rodriguez even includes a segment on how to cook it. It’s actually delicious, though maybe don't kill the cook like Sands does.
- Look at the framing: Despite the digital "flatness," Rodriguez has a great eye for comic-book-style framing. The way characters enter a room or hold their weapons is pure visual storytelling.
- Context matters: Remember that this came out in 2003. Compare it to other action movies from that year, like Bad Boys II or The Matrix Reloaded. It’s much scrappier and more experimental than its peers.
The movie isn't perfect. It’s overstuffed and sometimes confusing. But it has a soul. It has the energy of a filmmaker who is genuinely having fun with his toys. In a world of sanitized, committee-driven blockbusters, that’s something worth celebrating.
To get the most out of the experience, try to find the highest bitrate version possible. The early digital look can get "blocky" on low-quality streams. If you can snag a 4K upscale or a high-quality Blu-ray, the colors—especially the vibrant yellows and reds of the Mexican landscapes—really pop in a way that captures Rodriguez’s original vision.
Check out the special features if you’re an aspiring creator. Seeing how Rodriguez used his "one-man crew" philosophy to manage a cast of A-listers is genuinely inspiring for anyone trying to make something on a budget.