Andy Gapin

If ever there was something that I never thought needed proving, it’s that you can start with a trailer first and make the movie second. Apparently, this works for Robert Rodriguez…quite well. Machete successfully takes what was just supposed to be a fake movie trailer and turns it into a full length feature. While this is not the only fake trailer from Grindhouse to get turned into a full length film, it is the first and it’s a good sign for the others. However, supposedly, Rodriguez has had the screenplay laying around since 1993, which would make the original fake trailer less just a collection of ideas and more of a pitch for a fully developed idea. Either way, it’s great.

Machete is violent, messy, and unapologetic. The insanity and blood start off instantly and there is very little relenting on the bad-assery. Machete, as a character and a movie, really doesn’t mess around, but Machete as a movie doesn’t make itself easy to be taken seriously. That’s a good thing, though. Even with such a stacked cast, there isn’t a single moment where Machete tricks you into thinking this is a serious film. That works very well in its favor.

Machete brings a solid 105 minutes of entertainment though violence, blood, eye candy, and the ridiculous. Highly recommended.

Rating: A-

Okay, now that that’s out of the way, seriously, Hobo With a Shotgun. This trailer is mind-blowingly awesome, check it out.