From the director of Spy Kids, Robert Rodriguez’s latest flick Machete is the story of one “Mexi-can” verses the United States of America. In this satirical take on the very real issue of Immigration we meet Machete. A one man death machine. He’s a disgraced Mexican police officer forced to watch his wife be murdered by Mexican drug lord Torrez (Steven Segal, The Onion Movie and Under Seige).
Three years later, Machete is a day laborer in rural Texas who is picked for a local boxing match. After displaying his unmatched fighting skills he is contacted by a man named Booth (Jeff Fahey, Lost and Planet Terror). Booth makes Machete an offer he can’t refuse, kill Senator McLaughlin (Robert DeNiro, Hide and Seek and Showtime) for his extreme views on stricter immigration laws and walk with $125,000. Sound good? Wrong. After Machete is betrayed by the very men who hired him, he and his band of merry men and women (Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, and Cheech Marin) are out for blood. They have to take on Senator McLaughlin and his private army led by Lt. Stillman (Introducing Don Johnson).
After making its debut as a fake trailer at the beginning of the Grindhouse Double Feature (directed by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino), Machete gained as much fame as the Grindhouse films themselves. For this reason, it was only inevitable that Machete would become an actual film. Now with the expected success of Machete, I think you’ll be seeing more of those fake trailers get the same treatment.
With that in mind, I’m wondering how well received this movie is going to be. Even though I loved it, I knew walking into this movie that I’d get people’s intestines used as a rope to swing down to a lower level in a hospital, cheesy acting, and ridiculous foreshadowing. I know Robert Rodriguez’s style of film making. He subtly references his other movies and is able to play to the actors strengths. Plus it just looks like they all had a great time making it. All of these things factored into my love for the movie. However, I think it might also be the film’s down fall to most of the American public. I’m not sure if America is smart or cool enough to get the joke. Which is too bad because this really was a great movie-going experience.
So America, what can you do to prepare for Machete? Start by looking up the fake trailer that started it all and go in with an open mind. Also, be prepared for tons of gore, violence, and nudity.
End Communication.
