Blu-ray Review

Machete

Directed by: Robert Rodriguez, Ethan Maniquis Cast: Danny Trejo, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Robert De Niro Running Time: 1 hr 45m Rating: R Due Out: January 4, 2011

PLOT: After being betrayed by the outfit that hired him, an ex-Federale (Trejo) kicks off a merciless rampage of revenge against his former boss.

WHO'S IT FOR? Fans of Director Robert Rodriguez' more overzealously realized films, a la Planet Terror, Sin City, Once Upon a Time in Mexico and films of their ilk.

MOVIE:

Machete is ultra-violent and hammed-up to the maximum. It's hilarious, and sexy, and filled to the brim with energy. It's a lot of goofy fun, and succeeds entirely at being that which it so badly wanted to be.

I feel as though exercises like Machete live and die by how seriously they take themselves -- this film manages to be self-aware, exploitative, politically slanted through mad hyperbole, and graphically violent, but I never felt that it fell prey to taking itself too seriously. The carefree attitude that Robert Rodriguez injected into every vein of this film is what made it work for me.

When I first heard that Rodriguez was planning to direct a feature based on the Mexploitation faux-trailer of the same name, I thought it sounded like a waste of time, talent and money. I didn't think Danny Trejo could fill the shoes of a feature-length protagonist role. I was pleasantly surprised to be proven wrong --Trejo was fantastic. I thought the entire cast was perfect really -- again, pleasantly surprised. Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, and even Lindsay Lohan were effectively employed. Robert De Niro, Jeff Fahey, Steven Seagal and Don Johnson played a nice villainous ensemble. I loved the opening credits, "And Introducing Don Johnson." Hilarious.

I've never really been into Robert Rodriguez, apart from Sin City, but this was a pretty fun ride. I would have given it a higher score, if I were more interested in this particular genre. It's definitely a 10/10 for what it was trying to be. If you're into this kind of film, and you haven't seen Machete yet, check it out for sure!

MOVIE SCORE: 6/10

EXTRAS

Deleted Scenes (1080p) Theatrical Trailer (1080p) Red Band Theatrical Trailer (1080p) BD-Live Exclusive Deleted Scene (720p)