The Time Has Come.|Sep. 11, 2003|United States|102 Min.|R
Genre: Action;Drama;Mystery
Description: Once Upon a Time in Mexico, released in 2003, is an action-packed thriller with a gripping storyline. The film follows El Mariachi, who is recruited by CIA agent Sheldon Jeffrey Sands to assassinate General Emiliano Marquez, a corrupt Mexican Army officer. Marquez has been hired by a powerful drug lord, Armando Barillo, to kill the President of Mexico and overthrow the government during a period of political unrest in Culiacán, the capital of Sinaloa. Years earlier, El Mariachi and his wife Carolina had confronted Marquez in a shootout, injuring the general. In retaliation, Marquez killed Carolina and their daughter in an ambush, fueling El Mariachi’s desire for vengeance.
Sands also enlists Jorge Ramírez, a former FBI agent, to eliminate Barillo, who had murdered Ramírez’s partner, Archuleta. Additionally, Sands assigns AFN operative Ajedrez to track Barillo’s activities. While monitoring Barillo, Ramírez encounters Billy Chambers, an American fugitive under Barillo’s protection. Chambers, who has grown weary of Barillo’s demands, agrees to help Ramírez in exchange for protection and surrendering to U.S. authorities once Barillo is defeated.
Meanwhile, Sands’ agent, Cucuy, betrays the mission by tranquilizing El Mariachi and handing him over to Barillo. However, Chambers ultimately kills Cucuy, allowing El Mariachi to escape and regroup with his allies Lorenzo and Fideo to continue his mission. In the final act, Ramírez discovers Barillo’s lifeless body after a failed medical procedure while investigating a hospital scene where armed men had stormed in and killed several doctors. The film is a high-stakes tale of revenge, betrayal, and justice set against the backdrop of Mexico’s turbulent political landscape.
Cast director: Robert Rodriguez
Cast actor: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Johnny Depp, Eva Mendes, Mickey Rourke, Danny Trejo, Enrique Iglesias, Marco Leonardi, Cheech Marin, Rubén Blades
Original name: Once Upon a Time in Mexico