Die Hard. Indiana Jones. James Bond. These are just three of the great action movie franchises that Hollywood’s major studios have turned out since the silver age of cinema. Again, they are just some of the great franchises that have been developed in that time. Audiences can also look to the likes of Ghostbusters (not counting the 2016 iteration), and more recently, the Expendables franchise, as well as quite a few franchises from Marvel Studios and DC. For all of the great franchises that have come from Hollywood’s major studios, it is interesting to note here in what is Hispanic American Heritage Month, (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15) that few if any major movie franchises have focused on Hispanic stars. Enter director Robert Rodriguez’s famed “Mexico Trilogy.” The trilogy started with El Mariachi in 1992, continued in 1995 with Desperado and concluded in 2003 with Once Upon a Time in Mexico. The trilogy is perhaps the most well-known Hispanic-centered movie franchise to this day, and late last month, Arrow Video paid new tribute to the trilogy and its legacy with a new 4-disc set dubbed The Mexico Trilogy. Yes, there are four discs for a three-movie set. That is because the second of the trilogy’s entries, Desperado, is presented both on Blu-ray and 4K while its other two movies are presented solely on Blu-ray. This matter will be discussed later, as it makes the set a little bit of a mixed bag. The primary positive of this newly released collection is the bonus content that accompanies the set. It will be discussed shortly. The set’s packaging is also a positive to note. It will be examined later after the discussion on the movies’ presentation. Each item noted here is key in its own way to the whole of The Mexico Trilogy. All things considered they make the collection a mostly positive way to pay tribute to a famous (or the most famous) Hispanic-centered action movie franchise in Hollywood’s history.
Arrow Video’s recent release of the Robert Rodriguez-directed Mexico Trilogy (released Aug. 27) is a largely successful offering for fans of the trilogy. It is too bad that it was released late last month, instead of now during Hispanic American Heritage Month. That is because of its place in the annals of movie history and cultural history, being really the most well-known Hispanic-centered movie franchise. The movie’s history is celebrated extensively through the bonus content featured throughout its four discs, primarily by Rodriguez himself. Rodriguez discusses, for instance, how the trilogy’s lead-off, El Mariachi, became such an unsuspecting cult hit among audiences because of its low budget and big action. As Rodriguez explains, the whole thing was recorded over the course of roughly two weeks with a camera that he had in fact borrowed from someone he knew. The cast members were all people he knew. They were not big stars. Because of its simple, almost guerilla style shooting, it looked (and continues to look) like nothing else out there in regard to action movies.
Rodriguez continued that discussion in the new bonus interview that accompanies Desperado, noting that despite having a bigger budget than that of El Mariachi (and major studio backing), the movie was shot over the course of just 34 days. Having such a short shooting schedule, it turned out to be just as impressive as anything else out there that audiences had to choose from in regard to action movies.
On a side note, another new interview, this one with one of the crew talking about bringing in the guns that were used for the movie, makes for plenty of laughs. This as the figure in question talks about how the ATF actually ended up almost getting involved. This as regulations for the use of weaponry in movies here in the U.S. is far different than in Mexico. The story in question is a great anecdote that is sure to entertain audiences in its own right.
Rodriguez’s own growth continues in his new interview featured with Once Upon a Time in Mexico as he talks about his love for digital filmmaking versus old school filmmaking. This after he had talked so much in the previous interviews about how that older style of moviemaking was great, too. His discussion herein makes for plenty of engagement, as does his related discussion on film theory. All three of these discussions collectively are the most important of the bonus features that come with this set. When they are considered alongside all three of the feature-length audio commentaries (also provided by Rodriguez) and the other extras that come with the set, the whole therein makes for so much to appreciate.
While the expansive bonus content that accompanies The Mexico Trilogy makes for plenty for audiences to appreciate, the set is not without at least one major fault. That fault is the presentation of only one of the trilogy’s movies, Desperado, on 4K UHD and Blu-ray. The other two movies are featured only on Blu-ray. The understanding is that Arrow Video allegedly is not to blame for this issue. Who is at fault is up in the air, but no doubt it is going to leave many audiences questioning what has happened. This especially considering that The Mexico Trilogy is already available on Blu-ray, having been released previously in 2005 on Blu-ray. At the time of this review’s posting, audiences can purchase that Blu-ray set at an average of $25.30 versus an average of $64.30 for the new re-issue. The Blu-ray set average was achieved by averaging prices listed through Walmart, Books-a-Million, and Amazon while the new set’s average was reached through Amazon, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, and Walmart. Neither set was listed through Target. Keeping this in mind that the new set features only one of the trilogy’s movies on 4K while both feature all three on Blu-ray, one honestly cannot fully justify paying the extra money for this new set. That is unless one is that truly devoted a fan of the movies to the point that they want that new, extra bonus content, which also includes reversible box art on each of the movie’s boxes and a double-sided posted with each movie. To that end, this general presentation aspect is something of a detriment to the set and honestly could be the deciding factor.
Staying on the matter of the general presentation, there is one more element herein that could play just as much into audiences’ decisions. That element is that each of the movies, as noted, are housed in their own cases separate from one another. This is somewhat different from the previously released set from Sony. It ensures fully that each disc is in its own housing, thus protecting the discs from any damage. All three cases are housed in a larger box that is contained in a bigger slipcase housing. That exterior packaging is a positive, certainly. What’s more, that the whole does not take up but so much space on audiences’ movie racks makes it all the more positive. At the same time though, the packaging for Sony’s previous Mexico Trilogy set is even more space saving. To that aspect, it could play even more into the potential downfall for this set unless one is truly a hardcore fan of the franchise and absolutely has to have that new bonus content. Keeping all of this in mind, Arrow Video’s recently released presentation of The Mexico Trilogy proves something of a mixed bag presentation of this great Hispanic-centered action movie franchise.
Arrow Video’s recently released presentation of the Robert Rodriguez-helmed The Mexico Trilogy is an intriguing new take of the trilogy. The set is going to be a point of contention for Arrow Video when it is all said and done. That is because it does have some points of concern in comparison to Sony’s previously released collection. The new bonuses that accompany the new collection really are its saving grace. They are going to ultimately be the point that leaves audiences to make their decision on whether to pay the extra money for this set. This especially, again, considering that only one of the set’s movies is presented here in 4K UHD while all three are once again presented on Blu-ray, as with the previously released set from Sony. Keeping all of this in mind, Arrow Video’s presentation of The Mexico Trilogy proves to be neither the best nor the worst of this year’s new box sets for grown-ups and this year’s new movie and TV re-issues.
The Mexico Trilogy is available now. More information on this and other titles from Arrow Video is available at:
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