Capsule Film Review: Machete (2010)

In 2007 Robert Rodriguez film Planet Terror featured fake trailer for Machete, exploitation film about Mexican hitman played by Danny Trejo. Three years later that film became reality, and in it Trejo played Mexican top federal policeman, forced to flee to US as illegal imigrant. There he is contacted by businessman (played by Jeff Fahey) and offered to assassinate racist anti-immigrant politican (played by Robert De Niro); the assassination is, of course, a set up, so Machete must use all of his deadly skills to survive and expose real villains. Machete, made with relatively small amounts of money and featuring truly impressive cast – including Steven Seagal in his first role of a villain – displays lot of ingenious action scenes that mix explicite violence and dark humour. Script is, however, hardly anything to write home about, mostly due to one-dimensional characters that can’t light candle to Trejo’s efficient killing machine. The only interesting thing about it is political context and unusually explicit suggestion that oppressed minorities in USA should take guns in order to win their rights, which is a radical view not seen since 1970s blaxploitation films. While fans of Trejo and Rodgriuez will be pleased with Machete, the rest of audience will, at best, receive just a minor guilty pleasure.

RATING: 6/10