El Mariachi (1992)
92 %
Reviews Counted: 26 Fresh: 24 Rotten:2 Average Rating: 7/10
Consensus:
Made on a shoestring budget, El Mariachi's story is not new. However, the movie has so much energy that it's thoroughly enjoyable.
Runtime: 81 mins
Synopsis: While earning room and board for a song, a down-on-his-luck musician gets into deep hot water when he's mistaken for a guitar case-toting hitman in a small Mexican town. EL MARIACHI was produced by do-it-yourself Austin, Texas auteur Robert Rodriguez (FROM DUSK TILL DAWN, SPY KIDS) on a... [More]
Genre: Foreign Films
Starring: Carlos Gallardo, Consuelo Gomez, Peter Marquardt
Buy It On DVD
Reviews
The unrelenting tempo is bolstered by Rodriguez's camera work and editing: nearly every frame seems to have been shot with a careening, handheld camera, and they're cut together in a skillful, fluid fashion that enhances the tension and pace.
Comment
03/13/07
Top Critic
No festival is true to its name if it doesn't display at least one discovery. In 1992 that spot was occupied by Robert Rodriguez, who made a charming actioner for $7,500; never mind that Columbia later invested $1 million for its theatrical release.
06/26/06
Rodriguez goes for broke with a breakneck pace, swarms of bullets, cinematic tricks, and a tone as playful as it is knowing of genre conventions. The director's light touch is all his own; and this unpretentious offering delivers in all departments.
01/26/06
Brilliant low-budget filmmaking. Better than most action films with ten times the budget.
07/20/04
Nowhere near as extravagant as its succesors, yet it remains a constant simple pleasure, best enjoyed with a shot of Patron and a cold Corona
02/21/04
A silly adventure tale that would have failed even with a $200 million budget.
09/26/03
Has tons more charm than its star-studded, big-budget reprise, Desperado.
08/09/03
It goes without saying that Mr. Rodriguez, having made such a clever and inventive debut, is prepared for a big future of his own.
05/20/03
Top Critic
Not exactly a monumental contribution to cinematic art, but it's a lot of fun.
01/09/02
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• El Mariachi at Rotten Tomatoes
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