Movie Review - 'Machete'

Machete Starring Danny Trejo, Jessica Alba, and Robert De Niro Directed by Robert Rodriguez and Ethan Maniquis Rated R

The problem with Machete is that, underneath the hokum, there's a real story trying to get out. The timing is right for such a story, so it's a real shame that the venue is simply all wrong. Complicating matters is that, with a hefty chunk of time spent on the more serious plot than anyone could have expected, the fun of what Machete could be is also compromised a little too much. The end result is two half-filled bags, two sets of unmet expectations, and another curiosity for director Robert Rodriguez. The history of this project, in case you don't know, is rooted in Grindhouse, the exploitation double feature Rodriguez co-assembled with Quentin Tarantino. Rodriguez' Planet Terror was pretty entertaining; Death Proof is Tarantino's worst film. But Grindhouse was developed as a full experience of the low-budget, fairly amateur films of the early 1970s filled with bare breasts, bare storylines, and the right to bear arms, so the double feature included some trailers like Werewolf Women of the SS (directed by Rob Zombie), Don't from Shaun of the Dead director Edgar Wright, and Machete. In that trailer, we learn that Machete (Danny Trejo), used to be a Mexical federale who was out for revenge after his family was murdered by drug lords. "They messed with the wrong Mexican," warned the phony trailer, only in stronger terms. Turns out, the trailers were bigger items of discussion than either main attraction, and there has even been talk about making more of them into feature-length films since 2007. Rodriguez went away to write a script expanding on the trailer, hired Ethan Maniquis to co-direct (for reasons he'd have to explain), and some three years later, here we are. Rodriguez has kept the elements from the trailer and has wrapped them around an immigration story. Since this was filmed a year ago, it pre-dates the current debate about the Arizona immigration enforcement bill, but there are echoes of that tension throughout the film. And that's why, in one sense there's an exploitation aspect to this film, because on some key points, Machete is not too far from reality. But presented the way the film is, it makes those points stand out for the wrong reasons. The same goes for the blood and guts: Why even broach a more serious subject? How can these two things co-exist? In fact, it was a little disconcerting that there's not more R-rated stuff throughout instead of story development. When the time comes to resolve things, Machete grinds to an absolute halt getting everything lined up for a big finale that's really not that big. The camp is reinforced by the casting: Danny Trejo, hardly a leading man by Hollywood standards, does a decent job, but he's really limited in his dialogue and at 65, doesn't move believably in some of the action scenes. Still, he's better than Jessica Alba, who takes this way too seriously. The primary supporting players, though, are pretty good: Jeff Fahey as a crooked political insider, Robert De Niro as a bloodthirsty, flag-waving, fence-building senator, and especially Michelle Rodriguez as a kind of cross between Che Guevara and a half-dressed Harriet Tubman all pull their weight. Less can be (and deserves to be) said about Lindsay Lohan and Steven Seagal, clearly employed here because they're unemployable, the kind of actors you'd expect in an over-the-top, blood-soaked decapitation fest. If only it didn't have that pesky story to wrestle with.

Comments

[Vince]

Really enjoyed this film; it was big dumb fun. I called it the Mexican Expendable when I walked outside of teh screening, and I was right. Plot holes, ridiculous gore, over the top acting and action. But I had a good time.

Rodriguez was never great with dialog (or not nearly as good as his best bud Tarantino), however, so whenever the film stopped with the action, it faltered a bit.

[Vince]

Oh and another thing I wanted to point out. That fake trailer for "Don't" was directed by Edgar Wright, while Eli Roth directed "Thanksgiving".

[Kidd]

Don't and Shaun of the Dead were directed by Edgar Wright, Eli Roth made the fake trailer Thanksgiving.
And Deathproof was really good.

[american2010]

Since the film crew made a very very strong political statement about opposing Arizona enforcing federal immigration laws, all true Americans should stay away from this movie

[Colin]

Sure, because "all true Americans" realize that the nation was founded on the concept of My Way or the Highway.

[C-Ro]

Well it is supposed to be like an old exploitation film so I expected this to fall off on the story and end up maybe a three star movie, that's disappointing it came down to two. Why would someone say stay away from a movie If you're a true American? Wouldn't they just dismiss it if they were a "True American." What's there to be afraid of that you have to stay away?

[Nick Capertina]

American 2010 just doesn't like Mexicans.

I'm an Arizona resident, and I think its horrible that they passed such a law. Its ruining our states image, and losing us money. "TRUE AMERICANS" would care more about our financial state as a whole, instead of blaming it on an entire race of people who have done nothing but try and make a home for themselves. A smilar incident occurred about 70 years ago. Maybe you remember it; The Holocaust? Germany was failing financially and its people were at the governments throat, so they told them it was the jews fault. And what do you know! Ignorant assholes like "American2010" believed them, and sure enough, 6 million people died because of an entire nation buying into the governments bullshit.

Maybe if "TRUE AMERICANS" would quit being so ignorant and realize we shouldn't be fighting each other, we should be rising up against the assholes who are pigeonholing us into a depression, while they count they're money on they're 500 million dollar yachts -_-

That being said, I'm excited to this tomorrow. I kind of figured it wouldn't get good reviews, but neither did Grindhouse, and I loved that. Deathproof was a hell of a lot better than Planet Terror in my opinion, and based on you saying it wasn't, I'm not talking your word on this one =P

But I do respect your opinion! Thanks for the great review =D

[Honz Brix]

Hey Nick i'm a little drunk so i might have what you are saying wrong here. Are you saying that America is going to go around and start grabbing all Mexicans and putting them in camps and executing them? I just don't see how this relates to the holocaust at all, but like i said i have had a few tonight.