Five years after your post, and over twelve years after the film's release, you're still right.
This was nothing near the quality of Desperado, and even that to me was inferior to El Mariachi. Once Upon a Time in Mexico fails mostly because it was poorly written. It's as if Rodriguez just winged it and had some fun. And that's a damned shame considering this was supposed to be the biggest budgeted, crown of the Mariachi trilogy. For Rodriguez to compare this to Good, Bad & the Ugly in that regard is so completely off. He totally blew a chance here to make an epic film. Instead, he made a movie that is silly, cheezy, and lacks any real character depth in Bandaras and Hayak's characters, and it's greatest sin is that it has very little if any drama. It's like you watch it, and don't care. That's the opposite of what El Mariachi and Desperado (and the Good, Bad & Ugly) achieved.
I do agree with the others though who said that Johnny Depp's character was a bright spot. He was over the top as well, but engaging on film. I'd add Ruben Blades as Jorge, the FBI agent as well. If Rodriguez had made a film about Depp getting in over his head as the CIA operative, and Blades trying to figure him out and stop him, it would have been far more captivating. But then it wouldn't really have been about the Mariachi story.
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