Review of Machete (2010) by Dougal S — 12 Jan 2012

Born out of a fake trailer created for Tarrantino's overblown 'Grindhouse' double bill this manages to easily outdo it's source material and then some and should really have taken precedence over the woeful 'Planet Terror' in that production. Finally Robert Rodriguez stops trying that bit too hard to make a grindhouse homage and realises that he was making grindhouse films all along.

Returning to his Mexican cinematic roots Rodriguez dusts off the path he was treading back in the days of 'Desperado' and 'El Mariachi' and turns in a rip-roaring blood and thunder comic book style action film. Regular Rodriguez actor Danny Trejo plays the eponymous character (named after his favourite weapon), a Mexican federale on the run from drug cartels and corrupt officials who winds up in Texas posing as a labourer amongst the other illegal immigrants. He gets caught up in a plot by US drug cartels to stir up anti-Mexican feeling in the forthcoming election and is framed for an attempted assassination on the Republican candidate who is running on an anti-immigration platform. Now he's on the run from the cops, the US drug gangs, a bunch of right wing vigilantes and his 'old pals' from Mexico have turned up to join in the fun as well.

Subtle this film is not - it travels at 100 miles an hour through all manner of explosive set pieces as Machete takes on all comers in one gun / fist / [insert weapon here] fight after another as he attempts to hunt down the people who framed him. And there's no hiding from the blood and guts either - this has to be one of the most out and out violent films I've seen in a very long time as Trejo hacks his way through the assembled cast. And still he finds time to bed a few ladies along the way. His acting is of the brooding anti-hero type, all moody stares and monosyllabic responses in an ultra-gravel rinsed voice and lets not forget that this guy is 65 years old and is still being cast as the action hero - beer gut and all. He's supported by the usual array of big names and former stars in cameos that Tarrantino/ Rodriguez rope in for this sort of affair with Robert De Niro, Steven Segal, Jessica Alba and Don Johnson all turning up to stir the pot.

And just to ensure the uber-coolness of it all if you go back and rewatch the original 'trailer' (made several years before this film) each element is lovingly recreated / reused in the film so it actually all works (with only a couple of supporting characters differing and re-shot.) Hopefully some of the other directors involved will take this lead and actually lense their fake films as well - with Rob Zombie's 'Werewolf Women of the SS' being top of that list!

The only thing left to say is: 'Machete don't text!'.