I was interested in the discrepancy between this film's current star rating on IMDb (4.9 out of 10) and the very enthusiastic reviews given by some users. This review is trying to get at the heart of that discrepancy.
Briefly, the title refers to a small town in Southern Texas close to the Mexico border. In this future, a sort-of feudalism has been reinstated. Small towns are owned and controlled by rich lords (in this case "the Judge," who is over a hundred years old and has a hankering for young boys). Everyone in the community essentially works for him. Atolladero follows two policemen, one a cynical veteran just trying to make it to retirement and the other an ambitious younger one wanting to go to the police academy in Los Angeles. The problem is that The Judge gets to decide who stays and who leaves Atolladero. The younger policeman plans to approach The Judge at the dogfight that day, where the Judge should be in a good mood. However, things take a dark turn.
Atolladero tries hard to be cult movie. It has an interesting science fiction meets western ambiance. The actors are all good. Iggy Pop seems to be having a good time as the crazed, half-Indian security guard to The Judge. The production design is interesting. Yet, for all of that, Atolladero is not as much fun as it wants to be. Only one scene, involving a mechanized K-9 unit, really grabbed me.
I think the film needed a stronger director, maybe an Alexa de la Iglesia, at the helm. Although made during the time of Spanish cult films, like Iglesia's Accion Mutante or Juanma Uloa's Airbag, Atolladero lacks the energy of those films. Instead, it is trying for a certain mood or ambiance. Occasionally, the film hits that mood, but often it misses. Take for instance the final showdown between the weary, older policeman and Iggy Pop. This should be the big scene in the movie, yet, like another reviewer noted, it is thrown away, almost completely off screen. Maybe putting the expected showdown off-screen was the point, but it made for a frustrating change of pace, instead of a refreshing one.
Atolladero is not bad really, but it is a bit too self-aware and not as exciting as it should be. The film is a mood piece that clearly works for some people (the strong reviews), but not for the majority (the somewhat harsh 4.9 rating).
