
(Photo by Gabriel Olsen/Getty Images)
All Robert Rodriguez Movies Ranked
Alita: Battle Angel turns 5!
Texas native Robert Rodriguez developed his signature kinetic style way back while he was still in film school, when a short film he made called Bedhead earned him enough attention to convince him to pursue film seriously. Since then, Rodriguez has embraced his love of genre fare and become one of Hollywood’s foremost purveyors of slick, well-crafted grindhouse-style action. He began his big screen career with bombastic modern westerns like Desperado and From Dusk Till Dawn, the latter of which featured fellow cult connoisseur Quentin Tarantino. The friendship between the two of them produced multiple collaborations over the years, including the neo-noir Sin City and the aptly named joint double feature Grindhouse, which spawned a tongue-in-cheek spinoff franchise.
In between all of that, Rodriguez found time to crank out an effects-driven, family-friendly adventure about a couple of Spy Kids, and the film was such a critical and commercial hit that it spawned three sequels, all of which Rodriguez also directed. It’s no wonder James Cameron entrusted him with his long-in-development Alita: Battle Angel, which quickly emerged as a cult favorite. His latest were Netflix’s We Can Be Heroes and Spy Kids: Armageddon. With all of that in mind, we thought it was about time to take a look at his filmography and see how his films match up with each other. Read on to see the full list and see where your favorites land!
92%
Critics Consensus: A kinetic and fun movie that's sure to thrill children of all ages.
Synopsis: Two young kids become spies in attempt to save their parents, who are ex-spies, from an evil mastermind. Armed with a bag of high-tech gadgets... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino, Alexa PenaVega, Daryl Sabara
Directed By: Robert Rodriguez
91%
Critics Consensus: Made on a shoestring budget, El Mariachi's story is not new. However, the movie has so much energy that it's thoroughly enjoyable.
Synopsis: El Mariachi (Carlos Gallardo) is a traveling guitar player with the modest desire to play music for a living. Looking for a job, he stops... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Carlos Gallardo, Consuelo Gómez, Reinol Martinez, Peter Marquardt
Directed By: Robert Rodriguez
76%
Critics Consensus: Visually groundbreaking and terrifically violent, Sin City brings the dark world of Frank Miller's graphic novel to vivid life.
Synopsis: In this quartet of neo-noir tales, a mysterious salesman (Josh Hartnett) narrates a tragic story of co-dependency, while a musclebound vigilante (Mickey Rourke) tears his... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jessica Alba, Devon Aoki, Alexis Bledel, Powers Boothe
Directed By: Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller
75%
Critics Consensus: Though the concept is no longer fresh, Spy Kids 2 is still an agreeable and energetic romp.
Synopsis: Now full-fledged Spy Kids, Carmen (Alexa Vega) and Juni (Daryl Sabara) Cortez are back for another James Bond-style adventure. Their newest mission takes them to... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino, Alexa PenaVega, Daryl Sabara
Directed By: Robert Rodriguez
70%
Critics Consensus: Machete is messy, violent, shallow, and tasteless -- and that's precisely the point of one of the summer's most cartoonishly enjoyable films.
Synopsis: After nearly being killed during a violent fight with a powerful drug lord, a former Mexican Federale known as Machete roams Texas streets as a... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Danny Trejo, Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba, Steven Seagal
Directed By: Robert Rodriguez, Ethan Maniquis
77%
Critics Consensus: A cool and hip grindhouse throwback, Planet Terror is an unpredictable zombie thrillride.
Synopsis: An ordinary evening in a small Texas town becomes a grisly nightmare when a horde of flesh-eating zombies goes on the prowl. Cherry (Rose McGowan),... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodríguez, Josh Brolin, Marley Shelton
Directed By: Robert Rodriguez
76%
Critics Consensus: Although it may be too zany for adults, We Can Be Heroes balances its sophisticated themes with heart and zealous originality.
Synopsis: When alien invaders kidnap Earth's superheroes, their children must team up and learn to work together if they want to save their parents and the... View Full Synopsis
Starring: YaYa Gosselin, Lyon Daniels, Andy Walken, Hala Finley
Directed By: Robert Rodriguez
71%
Critics Consensus: Desperado contains almost too much action and too little story to sustain interest, but Antonio Banderas proves a charismatic lead in Robert Rodriguez's inventive extravaganza.
Synopsis: Mariachi (Antonio Banderas) plunges headfirst into the dark border underworld when he follows a trail of blood to the last of the infamous Mexican drug... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Joaquim de Almeida, Cheech Marin
Directed By: Robert Rodriguez
67%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A student tries to buy his way out of a huge debt to the tune of $7,000 by volunteering for medical trials. Things get surreal... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Roby Attal, Lauren Hatfield, Carlos Gallardo, Pierce Bailey
Directed By: Robert Rodriguez
66%
Critics Consensus: Violent, pulpy, loopy fun, with Depp stealing the show.
Synopsis: Return of the mythic guitar-slinging hero, El Mariachi (Antonio Banderas), in the final installment of the Mariachi/Desperado trilogy. The saga continues as El Mariachi makes... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Johnny Depp, Mickey Rourke
Directed By: Robert Rodriguez
66%
Critics Consensus: A pulpy crime drama/vampire film hybrid, From Dusk Till Dawn is an uneven but often deliriously enjoyable B-movie.
Synopsis: On the run from a bank robbery that left several police officers dead, Seth Gecko (George Clooney) and his paranoid, loose-cannon brother, Richard (Quentin Tarantino),... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Harvey Keitel, George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino, Juliette Lewis
Directed By: Robert Rodriguez
61%
Critics Consensus: Alita: Battle Angel's story struggles to keep up with its special effects, but fans of futuristic sci-fi action may still find themselves more than sufficiently entertained.
Synopsis: Set several centuries in the future, the abandoned Alita is found in the scrapyard of Iron City by Ido, a compassionate cyber-doctor who takes the... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Keean Johnson, Mahershala Ali
Directed By: Robert Rodriguez
55%
Critics Consensus: Spy Kids: Armageddon offers solidly diverting action for younger viewers, even if it's starting to feel like this franchise has run out of reasons to continue.
Synopsis: When the children of the world's greatest secret agents unwittingly help a powerful Game Developer unleash a computer virus that gives him control of all... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Gina Rodriguez, Zachary Levi, Connor Esterson, Everly Carganilla
Directed By: Robert Rodriguez
58%
Critics Consensus: Rip-off of other sci-fi thrillers.
Synopsis: To the students at Harrington High, the principal and her posse of teachers have always been a little odd, but lately they've been behaving positively... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jordana Brewster, Clea Duvall, Laura Harris, Josh Hartnett
Directed By: Robert Rodriguez
47%
Critics Consensus: Shorts has imagination and energy, but most viewers beyond elementary school will likely tire of the kiddie humor and sensory overload.
Synopsis: In the little town of Black Falls, every house looks the same and almost everyone works for Black Box Unlimited Worldwide Industries, purveyors of a... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jon Cryer, William H. Macy, Leslie Mann, James Spader
Directed By: Robert Rodriguez
45%
Critics Consensus: The movie will be found wanting if one is not taken in by the 3-D visuals.
Synopsis: Pint-sized kid spy Juni Cortez (Daryl Sabara) faces his biggest challenge yet when he confronts the Toymaker (Sylvester Stallone), a ruthless villain sentenced to virtual... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino, Alexa PenaVega, Daryl Sabara
Directed By: Robert Rodriguez
42%
Critics Consensus: A Dame to Kill For boasts the same stylish violence and striking visual palette as the original Sin City, but lacks its predecessor's brutal impact.
Synopsis: The damaged denizens of Sin City return for another round of stories from the mind of Frank Miller. In "Just Another Saturday Night," Marv (Mickey... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Josh Brolin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Directed By: Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller
31%
Critics Consensus: Although Hypnotic isn't without glimmers of inspiration, the ultimate effect of this often clunky crime caper will be to leave you feeling rather sleepy.
Synopsis: Determined to find his missing daughter, Austin detective Danny Rourke finds himself spiraling down a rabbit hole investigating a series of reality-bending crimes where he... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Ben Affleck, Alice Braga, JD Pardo, Hala Finley
Directed By: Robert Rodriguez
29%
Critics Consensus: While possessed with the same schlocky lunacy as its far superior predecessor, Machete Kills loses the first installment's spark in a less deftly assembled sequel.
Synopsis: When the president (Carlos Estevez) of the United States has a mission that would be impossible for just any mortal man, the person he needs... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Danny Trejo, Michelle Rodriguez, Sofía Vergara, Amber Heard
Directed By: Robert Rodriguez
23%
Critics Consensus: Burdened by a rote plot and unfunny scatological humor, All the Time in the World suggests that the Spy Kids franchise has run its course.
Synopsis: Marissa Cortez Wilson is a retired spy who keeps that identity hidden from her clueless husband and whip-smart twin stepchildren, Rebecca and Cecil. When a... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jessica Alba, Alexa PenaVega, Jeremy Piven, Joel McHale
Directed By: Robert Rodriguez
20%
Critics Consensus: The decision to turn this kiddie fantasy into a 3-D film was a miscalculation.
Synopsis: Bullied by classmates, young Max escapes into a fantasy, conjuring up the action-packed lives of Lavagirl and Sharkboy. But one day, Lavagirl and Sharkboy suddenly... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Taylor Lautner, Taylor Dooley, Cayden Boyd, George Lopez
Directed By: Robert Rodriguez