Desperado

REVIEW
Sophmore director Rodriguez returns to the scene of the crime with this occasionally dazzling sequel to his refreshing low-budget debut, El Mariachi. Rodriguez has all the right elements in place: sexy Banderas; a strikingly beautiful yet uncharacteristicly strong female lead in Hayek; and a budget for enough pyrotechnics to blow up an entire city block. Sadly, however, Desperado, though flawlessly filmed and edited (by Rodriguez himself), fails to capture the good-humored slapstick zaniness of its predecessor and commits the sin of taking itself too seriously. The film certainly starts off with a bang: Following a wonderfully moody setup in which Buscemi tells some tall tales to bartender Marin and the trigger-happy denizens of his sleazy Mexican bar, Banderas (taking up the role of the Mariachi from the first film) breezes into town seeking vengeance. The ensuing gun battles will stand up proudly against the best of John Woo for their outstanding choreography and bubblegum hilarity. But Rodriguez blows all his ammunition in the first 40 minutes and the remaining hour sees the action become increasingly sporadic and inane. Still, Banderas exudes pure charisma and is a savory pleasure to watch.