When a girl is kidnapped in Mexico, Machete (Trejo) takes it upon himself to rescue her from the clutches of the drug lord known as Torrez (Seagal). However, things don't go exactly as Machete planned as his wife is killed in front of him and he's left for dead. Three years later, Machete has fled to America illegally and is scrounging for work. He's picked up by a man named Booth (Fahey) who hires him to kill Senator McLaughlin (De Niro) for $150,000. The job is a setup though as Machete never had any intention of killing the senator, but is framed for it. As Machete wrestles with his desire for revenge against Torrez, he's now a wanted man whose fate lies in the hands of an immigration agent named Sartana (Alba) and a woman who runs a taco stand named Luz (Rodriguez) who may or may not run an organization known as The Network. Machete will have his revenge and there will be a bloody trail filled with amputated limbs and the insides of all who stand in his way.
Machete has been a long anticipated film for anybody who was a fan of Grindhouse. All of the fake trailers seemed to add something special to the film and the combination of that intertwined between both Planet Terror and Death Proof made it a pretty incredible moviegoing experience. The experience just wasn't the same when the films were split up for home release. Now with the possibility of Thanksgiving also getting the full feature treatment, Machete is no longer just a fun idea for a two and a half minute trailer. Machete now clocks in at about an hour and forty five minutes, but could it spread that same sense of tongue in cheek ridiculousness throughout its entire duration? Yes, indeed it can.
If you're a fan of any of Robert Rodriguez's R-rated films from the past, then you probably won't have any trouble enjoying Machete. The film's best attribute is that it never takes itself too seriously and it pays off in the best way. The dialogue in the film really stands out once you come to this realization. Between the gratuitous sex and nudity and completely outrageous violence are some pretty hilarious one-liners delivered from just about everyone in the cast. The film's low budget is pretty apparent at times and it's obviously deliciously corny at others, but it'd be a downright lie if I told you it wasn't incredibly enjoyable and highly entertaining.
Machete is edited to look like it's from the 70's and it feels pretty authentic. Next to the delightfully absurd content contained in the film, the entire film has a gritty, grainy look that makes it feel older than it really is. That in addition to McLaughlin's ad campaigns, the voiceover for "Machete Kills" and "Machete Kills Again," and the charmingly retro soundtrack just shows that Machete wore its 70's exploitation film influences on its sleeve.
Some of the cast may leave you scratching your head, but put those doubts to rest. Danny Trejo is a better leading man than you may be expecting. What's sad is this might be the most satisfying role of Robert De Niro in years. Jessica Alba seemed a bit flat at times, but her shower scene will more than likely make you forget about that. Steven Seagal was surprisingly gratifying as the main villain, especially in the latter half of the film. Lindsay Lohan was the one I was most worried about, but she isn't given much screen time and pretty much plays herself in the film. I swear I spotted Quentin Tarantino as an extra towards the end of the film as well, but I'd have to see it again to make sure.
Machete is the most ridiculous, over the top, and brutally awesome film of the summer season. Its tongue in cheek attitude and 70's exploitation atmosphere results in the film being way more amusing than it probably should be. Machete is everything The Expendables should have been and then some. Intestines are used in a pretty extraordinary way and storing your cell phone in a unique place just took on a whole new meaning. With statements like that, how can you not see this?
Theatrical Release Date: September 3, 2010
Directors: Ethan Maniquis, Robert Rodriguez
Genre: action, adventure, crime, thriller
Runtime: 105 min
Cast: Danny Trejo as Machete
Robert De Niro as Senator McLaughlin
Jessica Alba as Sartana
Steven Seagal as Torrez
Michelle Rodriguez as Luz
Jeff Fahey as Booth
Cheech Marin as Padre
Don Johnson as Lt. Stillman
Lindsay Lohan as April
Tom Savini as Osiris Ampanpour
MPAA: Rated R for strong bloody violence throughout, language, some sexual content and nudity.
Overall Rating: 8/10
Local theaters and showtimes can be found below.
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Sources: imdb.com, comingsoon.net, youtube.com
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