Machete is an old school, grind house action flick with guns, knives, and a strong political undertone. The last description doesn’t really fit but that didn’t stop Robert Rodriguez from using this trailer turned film to vocalize his disdain for U.S. immigration policies. The filmmaker has a huge bone to pick but instead of addressing Congress, he’s taking his argument to the theater!

Check out the review…

The Players:

• Director: Ethan Maniquis, Robert Rodriguez,
• Screenwriters: Robert Rodriguez,
• Cast: Danny Trejo, Jessica Alba, Jeff Fahey, Michelle Rodriguez, Robert De Niro, Don Johnson, Shea Whigham, Daryl Sabara, Lindsay Lohan, Cheech Marin, Steven Seagal
• Cinematographer: Jimmy Lindsey
• Original Music By: John Debney

The Plot:

Machete follows an ex-federale who is betrayed by his superiors in his native Mexico. After years on the run, he ends up in Texas taking odd jobs to make ends meet. After taking down a tough street fighter he’s commissioned to assassinate a controversial politician who’s trying to crack down on illegal immigration. From that point on he finds himself embroiled in an “us vs them battle” between the Latin natives who are part of an underground community called “The Network” and a group of extremists who work for border patrol.

The Good:

• The Characters: Every person in this film is an exaggeration of someone who really exists. The characters are all based on stereotypes. There’s the overzealous southern politician, the Mexican drug lord, the hard pressed cop, and of course the vigilante hero, whose blades are faster than bullets. That’s obviously the exaggerated part.
• The Action: Gun play? Check! Explosions? Check! Knife fights? Hell yes! Machete has a lot of obscene and almost obnoxious action sequences that are filled with gore. There’s a reason the protagonist’s weapon of choice is a giant blade. He’s not trying to just get the job done. He’s trying to make a point.
• The Story: Like I said earlier, the plot heavily leans on the current state of immigration in the U.S., specifically the cities near the Mexican border. This is an underdog story, not just for Machete but for his people. At times the political tone does get a bit heavy handed but it’s an entertaining way to shed light on the topic.

The Bad:

• Jessica Alba: Why was she cast as the female lead? Her acting is unbelievable — literally she was UNBELIEVABLE. You don’t buy her as a immigration officer who’s torn between her allegiance to the law and to her people. Her performance didn’t feel genuine. Michelle Rodriguez (one of the highlights of the film) could have done a lot better with the role than Alba.
• Steven Seagal: So this is why Seagal wasn’t in The Expendables? He plays a Mexican drug lord who’s also Machete’s arch enemy. Seagal is a shadow of his former self. His squinted gaze, bloated figure, and obvious hair piece was nothing more than a distraction when he appeared on screen. This is not the same guy from Hard to Kill. It just can’t be!
• The Length: This movie was entirely too long. It was overextended by one too many villains. There’s always a guy, behind a guy, behind another guy, and then you get the real guy who’s pulling the strings. It takes forever for them to get to that point and when they do, we’re exhausted.

Overall:

If you liked Grindhouse, you’ll love Machete. It’s got sex, drugs, action, and low riders as far as the eye can see. If that’s your thing, this will be the perfect flick for you to spend your money on this Labor Day weekend.

Rating: 7.5/10

Machete opens in theaters everywhere September 3rd.

Photo Gallery:

Trailer:

Are you interested in seeing Machete this weekend?

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Robert Rodriguez is a marketing genius! In honor of Cinco de Mayo, the director decided to release an “illegal” teaser for his upcoming film Machete. Do you remember that grainy trailer that appeared during Grindhouse that was sandwiched between Death Proof and Planet Terror? Yeah, he made a feature length movie out of that. Take a look…

The folks over at AICN got first dibs on the new trailer that features a special introduction by its star Danny Trejo. The actor will be joined by a supporting cast that includes Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Steven Seagal, Lindsay Lohan, Cheech Marin, Don Johnson and Jeff Fahey just to name a few.

Besides Trejo, Marin is another actor who consistently appears in Rodriguez’s films and to see him as a gun toting priest is classic. Also, is it just us or does De Niro look like he’s showing some range in his role as the Senator? It’s been such a long time since we’ve seen him step outside the box and he looks damn good here.

There are so many things to like about this trailer but our favorite is the small credit given to Don Johnson. It says “Introducing” in front of his name as if he hasn’t been in the film industry for 40 years already. The irony!

What do you think of the first trailer for Machete?

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Well, you’ve got a lot going on in this poster. Aliens, psychedelic roads, witches, and The Rock. Although the trailer looks pretty cool, the films as a whole is directed at the pre-teen/early teen market, which makes it hard for me to get too excited. It looks like they’ve made a really expensive episode of “Heroes,” which means it will probably make bank, but won’t be breaking any new ground.

Synopsis: For years, stories have circulated about a secret place in the middle of the Nevada desert, known for unexplained phenomena and strange sightings. It is called Witch Mountain, and when a Las Vegas cab driver (DWAYNE JOHNSON) finds two teens with supernatural powers in his cab, he suddenly finds himself in the middle of an adventure he can’t explain.  When they discover that the only chance to save the world lies in unraveling the secrets of Witch Mountain, the race begins, as the government, mobsters and even extraterrestrials try to stop them.  RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN is a fun and thrilling adventure featuring incredible special effects.

Release Date: March 13, 2009
Cast:  Dwayne Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb, Carla Gugino, Ciaran Hinds, Alexander Ludwig, Tom Everett Scott, Christopher Marquette, Cheech Marin and Garry Marshall
Director: Andy Fickman
Writers: Matt Lopez and Mark Bomback and Andy Fickman
Based on characters created by: Alexander Key

What do you think? Are you excited for the film?

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