This was my first Rodriguez and I remember really liking his energy. Exploring his filmography over the years has always been fun, but with the exception of perhaps one or two films, revisiting them hasn't.

Desperado's first half hour or so is absolutely fantastic. It shows Rodriguez's sense of style and his ability to shoot action really well. He sets the scene perfectly, giving his audience no doubt as to what we're going to watch. A Mexican western, with loads of over the top violence, sweat and blood.

The problem is, however, that Rodriguez doesn't keep his promises. For the better part of Desperado, Rodriguez seems to be stuck on repeat, a trait often present in his films. It almost…

Desperado kicks off in spectacular fashion, with Steve Buscemi regaling barman Cheech Marin and his pals with the story of a near-mythic gunman, "the biggest Mexican I have ever seen". His tall tale is intercut with exaggerated footage of El Mariachi (now played by Antonio Banderas) wiping out a bar-full of real lowlifes. "I think he's headed this way," Buscemi adds helpfully.

For 50 minutes, the film maintains that momentum, setting up its Leone-ish story through a series of deft set-pieces as Banderas blasts up a second saloon, gets acquainted with leggy book-store owner Salma Hayek and encounters a knife-throwing mystery man (Danny Trejo).

But then the story gets away from Rodriguez, becoming repetitive and uninteresting as it sets up…

While Paul Thomas Anderson may be my favorite director, Robert Rodriguez is the director I would most emulate if I made movies.
I love the overly melodramatic way he emphasizes certain scenes, but he never really overuses it.
Where El Mariachi was more about the story, Desperado is more about the style. Beautiful actors, beautiful guns, beautiful explosions, but most of all, amazingly choreographed gunfights more than makeup for the light narrative. Where El Mariachi had a machine gun in a guitar case, Desperado has a rocket launcher in a guitar case. There's nothing really new here from El Mariachi, everything is just bigger. I also have to say that as much as I love Quentin Tarantino the director, I…

This was my first Rodriguez and I remember really liking his energy. Exploring his filmography over the years has always been fun, but with the exception of perhaps one or two films, revisiting them hasn't.

Desperado's first half hour or so is absolutely fantastic. It shows Rodriguez's sense of style and his ability to shoot action really well. He sets the scene perfectly, giving his audience no doubt as to what we're going to watch. A Mexican western, with loads of over the top violence, sweat and blood.

The problem is, however, that Rodriguez doesn't keep his promises. For the better part of Desperado, Rodriguez seems to be stuck on repeat, a trait often present in his films. It almost…

Desperado is a high voltage entertainer that serves as cross over of Clint Eastwood's spaghetti westerns and John Woo's Hong Kong kickers. Even though claimed as a sequel of Rodriguez's low budget magic 'El Mariachi' Desperado is actually a high potential remake of the former making Rodriguez entry to Hollywood where no compromise dollars flow ceaselessly.For many Robert Rodriguez might not be felt as bold for making a scene by scene remake sequel but he just played a safe bet and eventually proved credible director that guarantees profit for the producers.

The best this with Desperado is its Mexican flavor. Rodriguez never allowed his boy to be adopted by Uncle Sam. Rodriguez's little guitairto is menacing as well as romantic…