El Mariachi/Desperado

It shouldn't come as any surprise that the U.S. dollar goes a long way in Mexico. The exchange rate is definitely in the favor of the green paper bills with a portrait of George Washington featured prominently in the center. A full-length motion picture with limited resources can easily be made as long as the locale serves as a good backdrop. And that's precisely what a young filmmaker from San Antonio, Texas did in 1992. Like a Chicano MacGyver, the then-23-year-old, bandana-wearing Robert Rodriguez set out to make his directorial debut with a small wad of cash, chewing gum, some string, a paper clip, and a rubber band with the micro-budget actioner 'El Mariachi.' (It's all documented in the must-read "Rebel Without a Crew.")

Set in the small border town of Ciudad Acuna, the movie opens as a quaint tale of a young man with aspirations of being a respected mariachi. Unfortunately, the local bars, which he quickly discovers, can't afford such entertainment, especially when there's only one of him. One barkeep even demonstrates how technology has made live performances obsolete as a boy jumps up from a corner of the room and plays his electric keyboard like it was a five-piece band. And with an accordion to boot! The scene also demonstrates Rodriguez's attempt at creating comedy in what's supposed to be a straightforward action flick, utilizing many of the same camera techniques as Raimi in 'Evil Dead.'

It's a good call on the part of the young filmmaker since the simple plot of mistaken identities takes a while to find its footing and kick into gear with the whole shoot 'em up clashes. It works, too, in the favor of the lone musician who knows how to handle his guitar but little about guns. The comedy somehow makes the fact that the mariachi is very lucky during gunfights easier to digest and enjoy for all the mayhem they create. He's forced to defend himself when he's suddenly mistaken for a crazed hitman dressed like him and carrying a guitar case. And his luck gets even weirder when the two accidentally trade cases. The only person willing to help him is a beautiful and friendly saloon owner with whom the unnamed guitarist later falls in love with.

'El Mariachi' is a fun and engaging action pic that goes toe-to-toe with anything Hollywood can dish out. It's made even more surprising by the fact that it comes from then first-time director, Robert Rodriguez, working with pennies — what Tinseltown spends in a day for catering services. To cut costs, Rodriguez reportedly used the same cast to work as his production crew. He also never did a second take so as to conserve film and integrated bloopers into the final cut, like the small turtle at the beginning crossing the road. It's a well-made and stylish low-budget film, displaying the filmmaker's enthusiasm for making it, which is part of its unique charm and attraction. (Movie Rating: 4/5)

Three years later, Robert Rodriguez followed up his debut smash with 'Desperado,' which covers much of the similar ground as its predecessor. The unnamed guitarist continues on his vengeance trip to see the death of the men responsible for killing the woman he loved. Actually, he kinda, sorta already accomplished that goal in the first movie. And in a rather unexpected but satisfying fashion, I might add. But no matter. Here, the gun-toting musician is now on the hunt, aiming to bring down the drug cartel behind Moco's entire operation. His blood quest has pretty much evolved into a mission of cleaning up the Mexican streets of drugs and their manufactures.

With a budget 100-times that of the original, Rodriguez's zest and gusto for filmmaking remains the main attraction and appeal in this sequel. Action sequences are hilariously exaggerated and inflated — the same over-the-top, schlocky style we see in his later films. Village streets and bar rooms will suddenly erupt into blazes of gunfire and violence. Even an explosion, thanks to a hand grenade, enters the foray while the hero of the flick jumps between rooftops without the slightest scratch to show for it. Then there's that crazy, wild shootout involving two more mariachis with guitar cases hiding a machine gun and a rocket launcher. With more money to splurge, so too goes a higher body count as this movie clearly demonstrates. At one point, two men are seen piling up corpses and endure the dirty job of mopping up the bloodbath.

Joining the silly mayhem is an entire cast of relatively unknown actors during the time of filming. Except, of course, Cheech Marin's funny cameo as a bartender serving what looks like the world's worst beer. Antonio Banderas takes over in the lead role as the broken-hearted musician seeking retribution. We won't hold the fact that he's actually Spanish against him since he portrays the Mexican hero rather fittingly, dancing the flamenco atop a bar counter while firing two pistols at once. 'Desperado' also introduced American audiences to the drop-dead gorgeous Salma Hayek, playing El Mariachi's new love interest. And just for good measure, Rodriguez brings in Steve Buscemi, Quentin Tarantino, and the always cool character-actor Danny Trejo.

Story-wise, this isn't a straightforward sequel since much of the plot feels like a repeat of the last. It could be argued as a remake of the first film (sound familiar?), only difference being the substantial amount of money backing it and the larger cast. But whatever the logic, 'Desperado' is an action-packed and boisterous follow up, a more polished approach to the melodramatic nonsense, boasting excessive and gratuitous acts of violence which are both exciting and comical. Once we get into the third feature, which together make up what has come to be known as the 'Mexico Trilogy,' it becomes a bit more apparent what Rodriguez aims to accomplish with this series of mariachi films. (Movie Rating: 3.5/5)

Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats

'El Mariachi' and 'Desperado' arrive to Blu-ray as a double feature on the same Region Free, BD50 disc. It's housed in a blue eco-lite vortex keepcase with a cover art that shows Antonio Banderas in character walking alone. Once placed in the player, viewers are asked which version they'd like to watch first and then taken directly to a standard menu selection.

While full-motion clips from both films and music play in the background, users can switch between the two flicks by pressing on the UP arrow key on their remote from the PLAY MOVIE option. This highlights a movie reel with a curved arrow at the very top left-hand corner of the screen. After pressing ENTER, the menu remains the same. But to ensure that you'd made the right selection, move the cursor that looks like a guitar pick to SCENE SELECTION, where you can verify the movie you are about to watch.