Antonio Banderas lit up the action movie scene in the 2000s with a handful of high-energy films that mixed his smooth charisma, sharp fighting skills, and that signature intense stare. While his biggest action breakout came earlier with Desperado in 1995, the 2000s brought back some of his most loved characters in explosive sequels and new adventures, making him a go-to guy for over-the-top gunfights, swordplay, and spy gadgets. These movies turned him into a reliable action star who could handle everything from kid-friendly thrills to gritty revenge tales, all while keeping audiences on the edge of their seats with non-stop chases and clever one-liners.
Let’s start with the Spy Kids series, because that’s where Banderas really owned the family action space in the early 2000s. In Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams from 2002, he reprises his role as Gregorio Cortez, the super-spy dad who’s equal parts tough operative and loving father. This time, his kids Carmen and Juni team up with another spy family to stop a mad scientist on a mysterious island full of wild inventions like thumb-sucking monsters and giant cookies that come alive. Banderas gets to strut his stuff in gadget-filled fights, zooming around in spy cars and battling henchmen with high-tech yo-yos and rollerblades. The movie cranks up the fun with Robert Rodriguez directing again, packing in lava surfing scenes and a roller coaster chase that feels like a theme park ride gone rogue. Banderas shines as the unflappable dad who dives into danger without breaking a sweat, showing off flips and punches that make you forget he’s playing a parent. It’s pure popcorn action, light-hearted but loaded with stunts that keep the pace flying.
Just a year later, in 2003, Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over took things even wilder. Banderas is back as Gregorio, but now the action blasts into a virtual reality video game world where Juni has to beat levels to save his sister and shut down an evil gamer’s plot to trap kids inside the game forever. Banderas joins the digital fray, suiting up as a pixelated hero with laser eyes and mega strength, leading epic battles against robot armies and lava monsters in 3D glory. Picture this: massive coliseum fights with chariots crashing everywhere, hoverboard races through neon cities, and Banderas swinging swords against giant spiders. He nails the mix of humor and heroism, barking orders like “Level up!” while dodging fireballs. The 3D effects pop off the screen with stuff flying at you, and Banderas’ energy holds it all together, making it one of those rare sequels that amps up the excitement without losing the charm. Kids and adults alike got hooked on the non-stop levels, from mine cart dodges to thumb-war giants.
Shifting gears to something darker and more grown-up, Once Upon a Time in Mexico hit theaters in 2003, wrapping up Robert Rodriguez’s Mexico Trilogy with Banderas as El Mariachi, the black-clad gunslinger avenging his family’s murder. This one’s a bloody, stylish explosion of revenge, where El Mariachi gets pulled into a coup against a corrupt Mexican president by a CIA agent played by Johnny Depp. Banderas storms through dusty towns with his guitar case arsenal, unleashing dual-wielded pistols in slow-motion ballets of bullets. One standout scene has him perched on a church balcony, picking off bad guys like a one-man army while flamenco guitars wail. He teams up with old pals like Steve Buscemi and Salma Hayek in flashbacks, but the real thrill is the chaos: exploding bars, motorcycle chases through markets, and a finale where he faces off against a traitor in a hail of gunfire. Banderas brings brooding intensity, muttering lines in Spanish before erupting into violence, his long coat billowing like a cape. It’s got that gritty Western vibe mixed with modern action flair, full of Rodriguez’s signature tricks like split-screen shootouts and fiery guitar solos that double as weapons.
Then came The Legend of Zorro in 2005, where Banderas slips back into the mask as the dashing masked vigilante fighting for justice in old California. This sequel to 1998’s The Mask of Zorro picks up years later, with Zorro married to Elena (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and facing a new threat from nitroglycerin-smuggling villains plotting to sway an election. Banderas swings from chandeliers, lashes his whip to disarm goons, and rides horseback through flaming fields in some of the decade’s most acrobatic fights. There’s a wild train sequence where he battles assassins atop speeding cars, flipping over rails and slashing swords while the whole thing hurtles toward doom. Off the battlefield, he woos his wife with charm, but when the action kicks in, it’s pure spectacle—dynamite blasts rocking canyons, rooftop duels under the stars, and a massive winery brawl with wine barrels exploding like bombs. Banderas owns the role with flair, his athleticism shining in every leap and thrust, blending romance, humor, and high-stakes heroism into a swashbuckling blast.
These 2000s films built on Banderas’ earlier action cred, like Desperado, but cranked the stakes higher with bigger budgets and bolder stunts. In Spy Kids 2 and 3, he proved he could lead colorful, inventive action that appealed to everyone, dodging traps in worlds built from imagination. Spy Kids 2 dives into bio-engineered nightmares on a fog-shrouded island, where creatures like hybrid dinosaurs and psychic plants turn every corner into a fight—Gregorio zips through it all on jetpacks, punching foes with precision while keeping a straight face. The 3D in the third one adds depth to battles like the “Help Desk” level, where avatars wrestle in zero gravity, or the bone dragon chase that feels endless and exhilarating. Banderas’ Cortez is the steady anchor, his spy suits gleaming as he hacks systems and hurls henchmen.
Once Upon a Time in Mexico goes full throttle on vengeance, with El Mariachi stitching his own wounds mid-fight and riding into shootouts on a horse like a modern bandit king. The film’s chaos peaks in a town square massacre, bodies piling up as Banderas dances through the fray, his guns never jamming. Depp’s wild agent adds comic relief, but Banderas carries the soul, his eyes burning with loss-fueled rage. Every explosion feels personal, from the bar where he ignites liquor bottles to the presidential palace assault with tanks rolling in.
Zorro’s 2005 return ups the ante with real historical grit—those nitroglycerin plots mirror old railroad scams, but the action explodes it into cinema magic. Banderas trains with his son in secret, then unleashes hell: whipping pistols from enemies’ hands during a monastery raid, surfing dynamite carts down mountains, and a climactic airship showdown with fireballs raining down. His chemistr
