Machete – Film Reel Reviews

A great movie that would have been perfect if it had been 15 minutes shorter. – Will

After his family is killed, an ex-Fedarale named Machete becomes an illegal immigrant in America. Hired to kill a senator Machete is betrayed and seeks revenge against those who have wronged him.

 Directed by – Ethan Maniquis, Robert Rodriguez

 Written by – Robert Rodriguez, Alvaro Rodriguez

 Starring – Danny Trejo, Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba, Steven Seagal, Michelle Rodriguez, Jeff Fahey, Cheech Marin, Don Johnson, Shea Whigham, Lindsay Lohan, Cheryl Chin, Tom Savini

 This movie was great fun, plain and simple. Never taking itself seriously, Machete managed to entertain the entire crowd I saw it with as we all cheered and laughed through the entire film. I’ve seen a few reviews calling this a spoof but I think that’s a little off the mark. Maybe an homage would be better but not a spoof. I did get the distinct feeling that I was watching Mexican Dynamite but with less intentional laughs. Even though I did enjoy the film, I can see how it would have been a little tighter with 10 or 15 minutes missing from the middle segments. The audience already knows who is behind what so when the characters figure it out it all seems like pointless repetition and takes away from what makes the beginning and end so good, over the top carnage.

 I was surprised to find that I enjoyed Don Johnson the most in the film, although someone should have told him they were going for that over the top feel. His character may have been an extreme but he plays it straight and was the meanest SOB in the flick. Everyone else gnaws on their dialogue like cowboys with chewing tobacco hitting the spittoon for emphasis. It’s just so freaking silly that I couldn’t help but get sucked in. Everyone delivers great roles, even Lindsay Lohan whose character doesn’t really seem that far of a stretch for her lately. What I don’t get is the reviews that are diving into this like it’s supposed to be a cinematic masterpiece. It’s supposed to be a giant piece of trash! Everyone involved knows it and it plays out perfectly.

Machete leads the revolution.

 I’m pretty sure the first 5 minutes sums the movie up quite well as Machete drives straight into the bad guys house, chops three guys heads off in one swipe, realizes he’s been betrayed and then watches his wife get killed. It’s the story of the movie really as Machete gets backstabbed and set-up time and time again. Guy just can’t catch a break! I’m not sure what people were expecting but I got precisely what I was looking for, pure insanity. I’m not up on my grindhouse history and I’m not sure I’ve ever watched one film considered grindhouse so I couldn’t possibly compare the two but I’d like to hear from others if it’s a good representation of the genre.

I'm not sure why Seagal's sword makes the Six Million Dollar Man sound effect every time he whips it out but I'm okay with that.

I certainly enjoyed this one much more than either of the Grindhouse features and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was watching a bad 70′s flick, which I hope was the point. It’s not perfect and started to drag a little in the middle but I find that a lot of films do that anyway. Even while it starts to slow down a little there are still moments in there that made me laugh and it was just a fun film to watch. I also find it odd that it seemed to draw a very different kind of crowd than I usually see in the theater. They were loud, yelling at the screen and laughing their asses off. I felt like I was back at Toronto After Dark for a minute. Maybe the feeling of the theater created a better environment for the film but I can only give you my opinion on what I saw. I had a blast and my girlfriend probably enjoyed it even more than I did. Lately I’ve managed to watch some great movies in the theater and this is just another addition to that list.

Under the marquee – Will