To anyone reading this review I ask you to please buy this film, preferably during the first week of release for the home video markets to make more of a financial impact for the studio. Despite my score this film begins with a fake trailer for its sequel which (without spoilers) is something I really want to see, so give them your money and make it happen!
For those who don’t know, Machete began life as a fake trailer attached to Grindhouse (2007, for which Planet Terror and Death Proof were released separately in the UK) and gained such a cult following that director Robert Rodriguez developed it into a full length film that was released in 2010. The trailer had a basic assassination-double-cross-revenge premise and showcases Rodriguez’s trademark flare for kinetic action and OTT violence.
In my opinion the film wasn’t as much fun as the trailer, but I have found that with a LOT of films I’ve seen over the years.
Fortunately I’m prepared for what’s in store for this film. I’m a fan of Robert Rodriguez’s work which incorporates a lot of outrageous action and violence, corny one-liners, a wild Spanish guitar soundtrack and buckets of fun.
As if you cared, the plot has our anti-hero recruited by President Rathcock (introducing Charlie Sheen as Carlos Estevez) to track down and kill schizophrenic revolutionist / terrorist Marcos Mendez (Bichir) who is threatening to launch a missile against America. Cue a 24 (2001 – present) style chase back to the States, which reveals the film’s true villain and leads us directly into the sequel, with plenty of dead bodies along the way.
From the off this is a crazy film that doesn’t try to be anything but fun and you shouldn’t take any of it seriously. Where the first film was about revenge this one is a spy adventure, complete with clichés such as countless faceless henchmen, a villainous layer in an old Aztec pyramid, hell there’s even a man with a golden gun! The film reminded me of the Scorpio episode of The Simpsons in terms of silliness and general OTT cartoon violence, which at first I thought was excessive for a 15 certificate, but within the outlandish context of the film it was fine.
As for the over the top weapons we have the double d’s’ bra machine gun, the codpiece revolver seen in From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) makes a welcome return, and for Machete’s signature tool we have electric and exploding varieties. And if you’ve ever wanted to see a ray gun that turns people inside out then this is the film for you!
Like Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) the plot branches out as we are introduced to multiple characters and their true motives, which can be a bit confusing, but I would advise turning your brain off and just enjoying this film as it has been made for fans of Rodriguez’s trademark brand of anarchy and cool. We see the return of several regular cast members including the crazy babysitter twins, special effect make up legend Tom Savini, and Antonio Banderas even returns for a cameo.
Speaking of which, there are a host of well-established actors making some excellent cameos that all add to the fun. Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr turns up for a memorable appearance, Lady Gaga is fantastic, Jessica Alba returns and Charlie Sheen states in a presidential campaign video that “Winning was just the beginning. And then we have Mel Gibson as the film’s true villain, Vos, who as you’d expect is batsh*t crazy with his ultimate plan. However his company developed the inside out gun and you will see he is a true Star Wars (1977) fan.
Danny Trejo has always played the mean badass who has a natural presence in everything I’ve seen him in. This is his film and I’m glad he takes centre stage with his ruthless nobility and his knack for one-liners spoken in third person: “Machete don’t Tweet. But one thing I never got for this film or its predecessor is why people pronounce his name Ma-chet-tay?
By no means is this film perfect and it has been slammed by other reviewers as being rubbish. In a way I can agree but this is homage to Grindhouse cinema and is meant to be a fun, Saturday night flick best watched with a few beers. The dialogue is cheesy and the plot is ridiculous and many things aren’t meant to make sense. For me one problem is that this is a film of two halves, which shifts down a gear halfway. The biggest problem however is that the fake trailer for the sequel was shown before it and as such the second half seems like a set up and loses all sense of urgency and momentum in the finale. As such I knew which characters would return and I just wanted them to get on with it.
Although not a huge surprise it’s a shame this film bombed at the box office as I really want to see the finale of the Machete trilogy. If they don’t get the budget for a live action feature then they could do an animated sequel which would feel right considering the cartoonish violence of the films so far.
The extras include a 40 minutes of cast and crew interview, “If Carlos Estevez were president Featurette, where he would legalize marijuana and ban Twitter, and a “Six degrees of Robert Rodriguez featurette. Alas, no trademark “10 minute film / cooking school which I enjoyed on Rodriguez’s other DVD releases.
Overall Verdict: It’s a mad and crazy film with OTT action and performances which is a lot of fun. I’d say it’s better than the first but it’s a shame the second half is mostly made redundant by the trailer shown at the beginning. If you like your action with a bit of flare this film is for you yet for me this film still doesn’t live up to the premise set in the Grindhouse (2007) trailer.
Reviewer: George Elcombe