The concluding installment of Robert Rodriguez's El Mariachi trilogy hits more than a few flat notes. Sure, star Antonio Banderas looks all vengeful, and Johnny Depp rips great, bawdy one-liners, but there are so many double-dealings, backstabbings and plot twists, you'll need a guidebook to get through it. The south of the border plot, if you must know, involves a two-faced CIA operative (Depp) attempting to thwart the assassination of El Presidente.
Meanwhile, Mexico's favorite son, El Mariachi (Banderas), has a chance at revenge against his longtime nemesis, drug kingpin General Marquez. The action is outrageous, as El Mariachi achieves superhero levels of coolness, and the movie's sense of retro style is cool. But that success is overshadowed by the waste of Willem Dafoe, Mickey Rourke and Latin heartthrob Enrique Iglesias, plus, the story draaags on. On top of that, it has more of a bust-up than a bang-up ending.