Mexican visionary Robert Rodriguez (Sin City, Desperado) has a knack for making a night at the movies a lot more entertaining than usual.
There’s nothing like sitting back with a bag of butter-drenched popcorn and a large caffeine induced beverage while enjoying some good old exploitation cinema, which unfortunately only comes around once in a while these days.
Rodriguez, being a fan of the movies, has proved in the past that he can keep exploitation films alive and badder than ever. From Planet Terror (2007) to Machete (2010), Rodriguez’s voyage into the pulpy retro world of cool and exaggeration continues with Machete Kills, a sequel with an electrical jolt of exploits in every sector.
The film opens with our hero Machete (Danny Trejo) who is called upon by the President of the United States (Charlie Sheen (yes…Charlie Sheen)) to investigate a sadistic Mexican arms dealer . The dealer has plans to launch a nuclear missile at Washington D.C. if America doesn’t comply with his commands. As Machete reluctantly agrees, he becomes the target of a ruthless gang of beautiful women with state of the art weapons, as well as an assassin with unusually special capabilities. As the films chaos elevates to the level of absurd, our hero uncovers an “out of this world” scheme leading back to the United States, ultimately placing him face to face with the criminally deranged Voz played by the scandalous Mel Gibson.
Machete Kills doesn’t go over the top, it goes above and beyond, giving us the juicy everything we would expect. Rodriguez makes sure to incorporate nearly every element from his previous work, upgrading it and throwing it at us like a snapped grenade. The film solidifies that Machete is indeed Mexico’s superhero, and he’s a bloody fun one.
With a cast ranging from Cuba Gooding Jr. to Lady Gaga, Machete Kills is surely a product of its time. References from influential movies like Star Wars and Mad Max are executed in style and spontaneous humor, and it’s clear that everyone on the screen is, well…just having a really great time. But isn’t that what making a movie is all about?
Thank you Robert for giving us this years most ridiculously fun time at the movies. Can’t wait to experience the next level of your retro inspired blood-splattering trilogy.
Throughout the picture we’re told that Machete doesn’t tweet, smoke, joke or fail. Machete Kills.
Call a babysitter for the young ones and live like its 1982.