A Mexican army regiment led by General Perez attempts a coup in hopes of taking over the presidency; little do they know El Mariachi, his guitar-wielding friends and a C.I.A. agent stand in their way. Once upon a Time in Mexico, directed by Robert Rodriguez, and starring Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek and Johnny Depp doesnÂ’t have a dull moment. This thriller follows up RodriguezÂ’s 1995 hit Desperado.

El Mariachi (the musician), a gun slinging guitarist played by Antonio Banderas, has his fair share of bad luck, but his luck only gets worse when C.I.A. agent Sands tracks him down to a quiet town south of the border.

The story line is focused around El Mariachi trying to prevent the murder of the President Pedro Armendariz and avenge the death of his old lover who died at the hands of the Barillo drug cartelÂ’s hatchet man, General Perez.

Rodriguez creates such a mind-twisting plot that viewers will be dizzy and left speechless by the end of the action.

Comedic scenes in the film include Agent Sands encouraging his right hand man by asking him ‘are you a Mexican or a Mexican’t.

Banderas captivates the audience with his onscreen passion as the rugged, gun slinging and musical El Mariachi. Banderas uses the perfect amount of roughness during the action sequences with softness during romantic scenes with his wife Carolina (Selma Hayek). HayekÂ’s beauty and tenderness compliment BanderasÂ’ rough image. BanderasÂ’s bad-ass attitude becomes apparent inside a bar, when he plays his guitar that turns into a pump-action shotgun to destroy his enemies.

Depp plays the suave C.I.A. agent Sands who recruits El Mariachi to help him stop an assassination attempt on the Mexican president. Depp is perfect for the role with his smooth-talking and belligerent attitude.

The action sequences never cease to thrill, especially when El Mariachi battles mexican General Perez and the Barillo cartel. One highlight of the film is the scene where El MariachiÂ’s sidekick, Enrique Iglesias, uses his guitar case as a flame-thrower to annihilate General PerezÂ’s troops. Rodriquez sucessfully made this into a great action thriller.

The old adobe buildings and red dirt roads bring a Mexican feel to the big screen. The final battle between El Mariachi and General Perez happens inside the PresidentÂ’s banquet hall, elegantly decorated with gold and bright red carpets and tapestry. The old-style setting makes this action film seem more like an old Western flick than a modern-day action film.

The only drawback to this thriller is the complicated plot. With so many characters whose loyalties shift, it is difficult to keep straight who’s against whom. Don’t expect the typical “one man takes on the whole army” scenario. El Mariachi needs all the help he can get when taking on the Mexican army and Barillo drug cartel.

This film is enjoyable, with a twisting plot and great action scenes. The acting from Depp and Banderas heightens the film from good to fantastic. Fans of Once upon a Time in Mexico can expect more great work from Rodriguez in the future.