Machete: Review

Machete

Directed by Robert Rodriguez and Ethan Maniquis
Starring: Danny Trejo, Jessica Alba, Robert De Niro, Michelle Rodriguez and Steven “Fatso” Seagal


Wish I was Machete.

Stupendously ugly but liquid nitrogen cool, the man knows how to take out the trash--and get the girl(s) too.

Machete is a continuation of the grindhouse theme Rodriguez started with, well, Grindhouse, a double feature that he and Quentin Tarantino put together a few years ago. Easily the best part of Grindhouse was the previews shown before each flick, with the Machete trailer being one of the better ones.

If you don’t have an appreciation for grindhouse movies or even a love of “B” movies, then you almost certainly won’t like Machete. If, however, you like all types of movies, dig the exploitation, baby; attend Chris Alexander’s Film School Confidential! and aren’t put off by excessive gore, then you’re going to love Machete.

Starting at 10 and then flying along at 11, Machete not only glories in its excess it revels in political conspiracies and satire that actually touch on the truth … albeit, the truth on steroids. Machete is successful because it embraces stereotypes (hilariously) and its gore is funny rather than offensive; not only that, the music is so apropos, it gets laughs all on its own.

Rodriguez and Maniquis deftly capture the 70’s feel. You wouldn’t know you were watching an up-to-date film except for the fact that there are cell phones and computers. Keep in mind though, “Machete don’t text.”

The acting is well done, with the actors generally “getting” the genre they’re living in. Ironically, Lindsay Lohan is better as a revenging nun than as a strung out drug addict; sometimes it’s tough to play yourself. Jessica Alba is “this close” to being naked, Michelle Rodriguez is tough and beautiful as usual and truly seems to understand what kind of film she’s making. But it’s Danny Trejo who’s the star, and it’s great to see this character actor take on the leading role--he puts the movie on his shoulders and never lets us down.

The political story line, like everything else, is pumped to the extreme but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hit on the very real themes of fear and bigotry. But the reason I like Machete so much is because it’s just having such a good time being Machete—to thine own self be true. Damn straight.

Point of Interest: I liked Grindhouse when it was released in theatres but (unlike most of the critics) I liked Planet Terror more than Death Proof. I found Death Proof too self-referential and it was two entirely different films smashed together to make one. But as I mentioned earlier it was the previews that were the best part of Grindhouse. How horribly disappointed I was then, when I purchased both Death Proof and Planet Terror only to discover that the previews that were in Grindhouse weren’t included on the two-disc DVDs (except Machete). Of course that was a few years ago, and just recently they released the Blue Ray DVDs with the trailers … weasels. The good news is that the Canadian contribution to the trailers (and I thought the best) was Hobo with a Shotgun, and it’s been made into a feature to be released in 2011—praise Jebus.