I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

The movie is made so realistic it has a lot of that WoW feeling at the right moments and never tooo over the top. the suspense is done so well and the emotion is felt. Very well put together with the music and all.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

I have loved some of Robert Rodriguez's later works like Sin City, so I was pretty excited to see this movie.The movie is extremely small budget and it really feels like it is more expensive than that. I mean, Robert Rodriguez makes this movie look like it had much more money spent on it, and that is because of his creativity and resourcefulness.The directing is really good. I loved many of the shots and scenes in this movie and the way they are edited.My problem with the film or at least my dilemma is... I just find this movie OK. The main actor and character itself is pretty lousy, the movie is too long for its own good, and the story is just OK.Many people argue that this might be justified because of the low budget. But I do believe that all of the story problems don't have anything to do with the budget. It is not as if I don't like low-budget films, I LOVE "The Evil Dead" and other low-budget films. I just find this movie uneventful, and sometimes boring.I think this film is the kind of film you should only watch once and move on with your life. I do recommend you to watch it though.

Two men arrive in a Mexican town; each dressed in black and carrying a guitar case… they are however very different. One, our protagonist, is an aspiring mariachi looking for somewhere to make a living playing his guitar; the other a killer named Azul, whose guitar case is full of weapons, is there to find and kill his former partner in crime, Moco. After Azul kills several of Moco's men the word is out that a killer in black, carrying a guitar case, is responsible. Inevitably they mistake the innocent mariachi for the killer and try to kill him… not only does he manage to get away he manages to kill four of them! He then takes refuge in the bar belonging to a woman called Domino. Before the film reaches its conclusion the mariachi will have more problems with Moco's men before it becomes clear that he isn't the man they want… and even then he won't be safe.This is an enjoyable action movie; certainly a lot more fun than many big-budget movies. The very low budget does show at times but that doesn't matter too much; it almost adds to the charm. The story is simple without any unnecessary subplots and at a mere eighty two minutes it certainly doesn't drag. The main cast do a decent enough job; most notably Carlos Gallardo as our titular mariachi, it was good that the character looked like an ordinary young man not an obvious action hero. Robert Rodriguez did a fine job directing and making this film for a pittance. There is plenty of action throughout the film; most of it isn't particularly shocking. There are also a few laughs to be had along the way. Overall I'd recommend this to the fans of action films.These comments are based on watching the film in Spanish with English subtitles.

El Mariachi plays his guitar but is mistaken for a hit men. Lot of thugs with guns keep trying to kill him. The story isn't the big draw of this movie. It's really just an excuse to shot a lot of guns and make an action movie. Robert Rodriguez signals his arrival with this well shot indie. Sure the big draw when it came out was the low low cost of production. That didn't matter when it comes to the value of the camera work. Even the most benign scenes are shot in an exciting compelling way. It's a great sample of what Rodriguez would do in Hollywood later on.I recently watched it again after almost 20 years. I have to admit that I don't remember the narration or the dubbing. They sounded odd to me. It's very distracting.

(Credit IMDb) El Mariachi just wants to play his guitar and carry on the family tradition. Unfortunately, the town he tries to find work in has another visitor...a killer who carries his guns in a guitar case. The drug lord and his henchmen mistake El Mariachi for the killer, Azul, and chase him around town trying to kill him and get his guitar case.Boring, low-budget, and poorly acted came to mind while I was viewing this movie. Yes. I mentioned the word overrated with this infamous Robert Rodriguez trilogy, but I did enjoy Desperado to some extents. I can see why people love this movie. It has a sense of style; they did what they could with the budget they had, but for this to have 7.0 rating baffles and befuddles me to the extreme.The Acting Carlos Gallardo is OK as Mariachi, but he doesn't have the presence of Banderas, and I didn't feel the qualities needed for him to help make this movie successful.Bottom line. I'll be honest with you. I watched this one over a month ago, and I'm struggling to remember things about it. Probably tells you the impact it had on me. Perhaps this one is for you, it clearly wasn't for me.3/10