Machete is one of those films that you know what to expect before you go in. It is understood that this is an exploitation flick, which will have excessive violence, sex and nudity. What pleased me most about this film, that as well as that (which should be minimal expectation before going in), it has a well told cohesive story and some real power house acting. I am a big fan of Rodriguez's earlier film, 'Desperado,' and Machete is similar to that; except where Desperado took itself seriously, this film has its tongue firmly in cheek and from this you get a lot of the humour - and it works. From start, all the way through to the finish, there is something happening that keeps you glued to the screen. Perfect to watch in a group, especially if some of them have a low attention span. Limits have been pushed and I love it. It is not excessive violence for random excessive violence sake; it's been thought about and works extremely well in regard to the story and tone of the film. I would describe 'Planet Terror' as a practice for what Rodriguez wanted that didn't quite deliver and Machete as the masterpiece - that delivers on all cylinders. I cannot recommend this film enough as a riotous laugh out loud, violent and engaging experience.
Review of Machete
