In Once Upon a time in Mexico there was a heroic guitar-playing gunman, a cartel kingpin, a CIA agent, a military general, an ex-FBI agent and a Mexican president that couldn’t get along.

Desperado 2: Once Upon A Time in Mexico is the final movie to the trilogy El Mariachi (1992) and Desperado (1995).

Robert Rodriguez, director of the trilogy, cleverly incorporates background information to remind viewers of how El Mariachi (Antonio Banderas) came to the point where he is in his life.
Rodriguez uses the memories of the mariachi to bring viewers to the present.

Rodriguez raises the dead, waking two of Desperado’s deceased in different roles: Danny Trejo, as CIA agent Sands’ (Johnny Depp) intimidating traitor for hired muscle, and Cheech Marin, as an informer who tells Depp’s character of El Mariachi’s location.

Sands (Depp) sends his cronies to find El Mariachi (Banderas) to restore a balance of power in Mexico.

El is informed by Sands that a cartel kingpin Barrillo (Willem Dafoe) pays a corrupt general to assassinate the president and seize power. The same general who killed El’s wife, Carolina (Salma Hayek), and their child. Sands forces the mariachi into killing the general for revenge. Because the mariachi is a hated in Mexico, Sands assures El that his life will be protected as long as he does the job.

He only wants the mariachi to gun down the general once the president is dead. There’s millions of dollars hidden in the presidential palace that Sands wants.

Sands also convinces ex-FBI agent (Ruben Blades) to avenge the death of his former partner.

Blades uses Mickey Rourke’s character, Dafoe’s jaded henchman and fugitive, to get close to Barillo. Of course, the plan was conceived by the ruthless mind of Sands.

Sands scheming and greed finds trouble for him. Sands girlfriend Ajedrez (Eva Mendes) turnsout to be a traitor, as well. Ajedrez is a special agent for Mexico’s law enforcement and a spy for Barillo. Ajedrez greed for money makes her get Sands tortured severly.

Banderas gets help to from Now, together with his capable cohorts Lorenzo (Enrique Iglesias) and Fideo (Marco Leonard) as the mariachi’s sidekicks.

Once Upon A Time In Mexico has amazing gun scenes for those that enjoy a good shoot-out.

Rodriguez throws in a shocking end that viewers might be surprised to see.

Overall, the movie is a great date movie. This movie has non-stop action. For people that don’t like violence, gore or people being tortured, this movie is not for you. It also has a romance. In the first film of the trilogy, Mariachi tracks down a Mexican drug-lord “Bucho” with the help of his friends. The Mariachi takes on his entire army of henchmen to get revenge for the killing of his love and the injury of his hand. Check out movies.yahoo.com for more information on these films.