In 2007, fanboy favorite film makers Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez attempted to revive the exploitation films of their youth with the throwback double feature ""Grindhouse."" But despite some quality schlock from Rodriguez's ""Planet Terror"" and tense thrills from Tarantino's girl power infused ""Death Proof,"" the movie bombed. Kids lemonade stands made more money. After such a dud, it looked like trashy '70s style B movies were going to stay in the '70s. Thankfully, that wasn't the case, as Rodriguez was able to continue the trend by directing the filthy fun gem that is ""Machete.""
""Machete"" started off as one of ""Grindhouse's"" faux trailers, but it was just too alluring to leave incomplete. Rodriguez extends the trailer's main premise, featuring his longtime collaborator Danny Trejo as Machete, a former Mexican federal agent turned day laborer who is set up to kill an anti-immigrant senator (Robert DeNiro) only to be betrayed. Machete then teams up with the leader of an underground immigrant movement (Michelle Rodrriguez) and a by-the-books ICE officer (Jessica Alba) to expose the senator's corruption.
The story is obviously political and at no point does Rodriguez make any attempt to be subtle. Even the film's early promotional materials directly called out Arizona lawmakers in the wake of SB 1070's passage, so ""Machete's"" ham-fisted criticism of immigration hawks comes as no surprise. The film's anti-immigration representatives are the most cartoony of mustache twirling villains—much more Cruella de Vil than Lou Dobbs. But Rodriguez's overtness is almost endearing, and he gets an assist from the fact that Mexploitation and other B movie genres have a history of not-so-subtle activist messages. Ultimately, ""Machete's"" pro-immigrant themes do more than anything else to make it feel like an authentic grindhouse feature.
But if there is anything that could overshadow the film's message it would be its over-the-top violence and gore, and Rodriguez never fails to hold back there, either. Machetes as weapons do not lend themselves to clean kills, and dozens of characters and extras find themselves on the wrong side of those crude blades throughout the movie, as well as the wrong sides of shotguns, assault rifles and weed whackers. And aside from a poorly-edited full-scale brawl in ""Machete's"" concluding reel, most all of the violence is executed with the proper dose of kid in the candy store glee—or more appropriately, kid in a gun shop bloodlust.
Even better, Rodriguez filled his cast with a great set of teeth-mashing villains to sell his spree of violence. Jeff Fahey, as the senator's treacherous assistant, chews up mountains of scenery, at one point literally crucifying somebody. Don Johnson, of television's ""Miami Vice"" fame, goes against type playing the leader of a Minute Men-esque organization, his every word of dialogue dripping with slime and xenophobia. Even the Hollywood joke that is Steven Seagal gets some nice moments as a Mexican drug lord. With such a large cast, it almost seems as if Machete is a supporting character in his own movie—which might be a good thing, as Trejo has proven to be a blast to watch in small doses, but really doesn't have the personality to carry an entire film.
""Machete"" could be the perfect late summer popcorn flick, if not for some flow and continuity issues. Many characters switch motivations far too quickly, particularly Alba's. Meanwhile, other characters like Tom Savini's hired gun assassin show up for a few scenes only to disappear without notice. But as a tailor made guilty pleasure, it is hard to find better than ""Machete."" Ideally it will usher in a new wave of schlocktastic Mexploitation films—let's just hope the border patrol doesn't check their papers.
