http://www.twothousand.com.au/issues/263/What:
MacheteWhen:
In cinemas from November 11
Watch Trailer:
Here
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I'm a massive fan of following through on throwaway ideas, so I applaud Robert Rodriguez for turning his spoof trailer from Grindhouse: Planet Terror into this brilliant Mexsploitation revenge flick. Machete is as cheesy as a quesadilla, but surprisingly satisfying considering its flimsy origins.
Comparisons have inevitably arisen with Black Dynamite, but I found that blaxsploitation spoof cartoonish and self-conscious. Conversely, Machete displays a wonderful conviction. I got the feeling Rodriguez wanted to celebrate a genre he found genuinely cool, rather than mocking something corny.
Danny Trejo's supremely authoritative presence helps. His craggy face, burly frame and deadpan line delivery defy absurdity, even as the plot continually courts it. He's the Federale left for dead by Mexican drug lord Steven Seagal, then hired by crazy-eyed politico Jeff Fahey to gun down racist senator Robert De Niro. Jessica Alba is an earnest immigration officer, Michelle Rodriguez a sparky taco-stand owner, Don Johnson a good-ole-boy vigilante, Cheech Marin a gun-totin' priest and Lindsay Lohan a total slut.
Otherwise, the stunts are epic, the political satire blunt, the violence cheerily gory, the cinematography bold and colour-saturated. Basically, it's perfect popcorn viewing. See it at the crappiest cinema you can find
