A silly adventure tale that would have failed even with a $200 million budget.
3 Comments
09/26/03
El Mariachi (1992)
92
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:25
Fresh:23
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
Genre: Foreign Films
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... [More]
Starring: Carlos Gallardo, Consuelo Gomez, Peter Marquardt
Director: Robert Rodriguez
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Reviews for El Mariachi
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.
03/13/07
more life than 10 summer blockbusters combined
01/01/00
Has tons more charm than its star-studded, big-budget reprise, Desperado.
08/09/03
No review available.
10/18/02
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
The energy that propels the action and the style and humor of the film and its players makes El Mariachi an entertaining ride.
01/01/00
No review available.
11/01/05
Arguably the most amazing film made in 1990s.
09/09/02
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
Watching his film, you can feel the sheer joy that went into its creation.
01/01/00
Top CriticA gripping, tautly-paced action flick that outdoes most of Hollywood's similar output.
01/01/00
Top CriticIt 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 CriticNo review available.
03/27/03
Juicy, adroit, and likable.
03/13/07
Top CriticNo review available.
06/02/03
While the story may be a common one, Rodriguez, who wrote, produced, shot and edited the entire film himself, has a uniquely straightforward wit that makes what might otherwise have been just another shoot-'em-up something more than that.
01/01/00
Low-budget filmmaking at its most clever.
08/05/02
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