More movie madness

On Friday, I was very excited when the Netflix envelope appeared. Inside was Robert Rodriguez's "Once Upon a Time in Mexico." This movie is exciting for several reasons. First, it was filmed in Guanajuato and several other cities in Mexico. Second, in the last year I've grown quite fond of Rodriguez and his filmmaking. I particularly like to watch the special features on his DVDs because I learn a lot and marvel at the way his brain works. Lastly, the movie stars three highly attractive men: Johnny Depp, Enrique Iglesias, and Antonio Banderas.

While I've heard many people say they were disappointed in "Once Upon a Time in Mexico," I found the movie very entertaining. Sure, the plot is silly at times, but that's Rodriguez's style. As he says in the DVD extras, he started out as a cartoonist so he likes to add absurdities to his movies. I thought the casting and acting were excellent, the stunts were impressive, and the cinematography was beautiful. Anyone with a sense of humor and a fondness for innovative filmmaking should watch this movie. Anyone who's out to find plot holes should steer clear.


The other movie I was lucky enough to catch this weekend was "You Got Served." Anyone who voluntarily goes to see "You Got Served" probably knows what he's getting into. The movie is about a bunch of L.A. teenagers/young adults who take dancing very, VERY seriously. There are lots of dance-offs that are impressive; the acting is another story. I haven't seen such pathetic acting in years, and I see a lot of mediocre/bad movies. Regardless, Alison and I enjoyed the movie and laughed more than the writer/director probably intended for us to laugh.


My movie choices this weekend have something in common. Both feature pop stars in more-than-just-cameo appearances. Enrique Iglesias gets some screen time in "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" and there are several members of B2K in "You Got Served." It's possible that all of these pop stars have the same acting ability, but at least Rodriguez was smart enough to keep Enrique's lines down to a minimum. Casting B2K members in lead roles guarantees that B2K fans will hit up the movie theaters, but I believe that in the long run these casting choices will be a big reason why "You Got Served" will tank.