Cult-favorite director Robert Rodriguez takes a literal stab at 1970’s exploitation film in the form of MACHETE, a violent romp filled with blood, guns, tits and a social undercurrent that tends to spill over the side and drown things.
Danny Trejo stars as Machete, a former federal agent who is double-crossed by his own government courtesy of villain Torrez (Steven Seagal). Years later, he is hired by Booth (Jeff Fahey), to assassinate Senator McLaughlin (Robert DeNiro), a political heavyweight at the front and center of the illegal immigration debate. Machete is double-crossed again, and has to reluctantly employ the help of federal agent Sartana (Jessica Alba), and an underground-immigrant runner Luz (Michelle Rodriguez).
MACHETE begins as a standard revenge flick, as Machete is wronged early on while watching his family murdered. Things are somewhat flawed early on, as the Machete character is played gruff and hard right away. There is little reason to care for our (anti) hero right from the beginning of the film. With Machete played out as a hard man right from the beginning, there is really nowhere else for the character to go.
What also takes away from MACHETE is the backdrop. Taking place in the middle of a border-war in the illegal immigration issue, Machete’s storyline is often pushed to the rear in favor of on-screen debates which creates several dead-spots in the film.
Where MACHETE is thin and unfocused in the plot and writing, it is thick on the gore and boobs. Machete uses nearly every sharp object known to man to fight with, from surgical tools to garden tools to corkscrews. The gore and fight scenes are kinda ridiculous, and by the halfway point gets old. Rodriguez wastes no time in showing off the skin (including a nude Lindsay Lohan), and finally answers the question of exactly where a naked woman keeps her cell phone.
The performances are blatant and somewhat cartoonish, which just might have the point in the first place. The film is intended to be 70’s camp, but it doesn’t always work.
MACHETE is a confused film with a plot that doesn’t know where to go, and a lead character that is done developing after the first 5 minutes. The action, blood and skin keep it afloat, but just barely.
BOTTOM LINE: Rent it.
Yeah, the whole border bit was ridiculous and attempt to be "current" and "preachy"....doesn't work in the context of a re-make of a 70's exploitation . Lame, more boobs and blood would have been true to inspiration and could have been done more creatively.
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