Machete
R18, 106mins, 4/5
This is one of those films where you are likely know from the trailer whether it's your thing or not.
If you are still unsure after that, the first five minutes of the film will quickly settle any uncertainty.
But to make it clear - Machete is ultra-violent, packed
with cartoonesque characters, gratuitous nudity, corny dialogue - and consequently, for this reviewer at least, is one of the most stupidly enjoyable cinematic romps of the year.
Based on a fake trailer, director Robert Rodriguez came up with as part of the 2007 Grindhouse package released with Quentin Tarantino, the film tells the story of Machete Cortez, a former federal agent hired to assassinate a corrupt senator, but who is framed by his former employers and subsequently launches a brutal campaign of revenge.
Given the film's title, most of the revenge involves various characters coming to an untimely end through their sudden connection with blades of some form.
And of course Machete still finds time to get the girl, or in this case several girls.
Subtle this film is not.
Machete's titular hero is played by regular Rodriguez collaborator Danny Trejo, most recently seen in Predators.
Trejo does a superb job as the grizzled and battle-scarred Machete, pulling off the film's almost constant stream of action scenes with aplomb and adding just enough dryball wit into his role without ever losing the required sense of presence needed for a performance as a towering, muscled, tattooed hitman.
Trejo heads a stellar cast which includes Michelle Rodriguez, Jessica Alba, Don Johnson, Robert De Niro, Lindsay Lohan, Cheech Marin and Steven Seagal, all in key roles.
Machete is presented superbly as a B-grade, exploitation-style film, and taken as such, by those not turned off by the violence and nudity, there's plenty of fun and a surprising amount of laughs to be had here.
It's not for everyone, but Machete is likely to be one of the unlikely film successes of the year.
