Educational Media Reviews Online

Mexico 2: Mexico City begins in the chaotic, bustling heart of this capital city and then proceeds on a fast-paced overview of area attractions. City highlights include: the Metropolitan Cathedral; Zócalo, the city's main square; the Plaza del Toro, the largest bull fighting ring in the world; sidewalk cantinas; and roaming mariachi bands. The narrator provides brief summaries of history, architecture, and culture along the way.

The video also takes us to the archeological ruins of Teotihuacán, 30 miles north of Mexico City. Here we see the remains of a once thriving civilization dating back to around 300 BC, including pyramids, roadways, and the vestiges of dwellings. The narrator climbs the 243 steps to the top of the Pyramid of the Sun, the third largest pyramid in the world.

Travelers considering a vacation in Mexico City should investigate other sources. Mexico 2: Mexico City visits only a few attractions, and provides limited descriptions of those. It also gives no indication of how a tourist who speaks little to no Spanish would manage or travel about the region. Film quality is mediocre, scenes transition unevenly, and the video ends somewhat abruptly.

During the introduction, the narrator states that the population of Mexico City is 23 million, while near the conclusion she declares that it is 32 million. She also claims that it is the world’s largest city. Although Mexico City ranks among the ten most populous metropolitan regions, it is not the world’s largest city. With such obvious mistakes in consistency and fact checking, one wonders what other inaccuracies the film may contain. Not recommended.