Disc Reviews

Machete Kills Review

14th Feb 2014

Machete Kills sees Danny Trejo back as the titular character for 100 minutes of blistering madness and downright hilarity. The tongue-in-cheek events which occupied the first film are seen here, themes remaining much the same. Character and plot development may not appear, but this film is still everything you expect it to be.

Machete (Trejo) is back and is working for the president, on a hunt for a revolutionary figure with a missile aimed at The White House. Machete must go back to Mexico, and stop this figure before it’s too late. But, with a few twists and turns along the way, we realize that all is not what it seems.

The first half of the film is filled with over-the-top bloody carnage, enough to quell any appetite, and choc full of hilarity in all the wrong places. Charlie Sheen, or Carlos Estévez as he’s credited, as The President is a perfect casting, and director Robert Rodriguez takes full advantage of his actor here. This, combined with Mel Gibson as Luther Voz, have a big impact on the screen.

And, while the final portion of the film is basically a set up for the third in the series (which may or may not be made), it is still a thoroughly enjoyable romp. We are lucky enough to see the trailer for the third film before this feature kicks off, and Machete Kills Again… In Space! seems perfect already.

Trejo is masterful in his role as Machete, delivering lines with deadpan humour where he is meant to be taken seriously. His movements during fight scenes and his all-round reluctance to die make Machete a loveable character, which is dynamic for a character such as this. He and Rodriguez have worked well in the past, and Machete Kills is no exception to this mold.

Indeed, Rodriguez himself had a lot to live up to with this film, a sequel to a film which was never going to be made, but fans and critics cried out for Machete to be born. Now, two films into the franchise, Rodriguez has delivered a memorable character to us, one of his most adored.

Boasting cameos from the likes of Lady Gaga, Cuba Gooding, Jr., and Antonio Banderas (all as the same character – El Chameleón), as well as series regulars Michelle Rodriguez and Jessica Alba back in the fray, this is something to be admired in it’s glory, a film where you can simply switch off your mind as you switch it on.

While the extras, or lack of them, might be a bit annoying for some, most are going to be buying this film for the main feature anyways. And with that in mind, go for it. Should this film do well enough on DVD/Blu-Ray sales, we might be lucky enough to see Machete again. In Space.