Film File - Machete

Director Robert Rodriguez has always had a talent for getting the maximum bang for his low budget buck. Ever since he burst on the scene with 1992's 'El Mariachi' - a full-on shoot-'em-up down Mexico way made supposedly for the price of a Ford Tarus at the time, $8,000 - he's managed a growing career, moving between the tasks of writer, director and producer with films like 'Desperado', 'From Dusk Till Dawn' and the 'Spy Kids' franchise. The inspiration for 'Machete' dates back to early 1995, during the making of 'Desperado', when he felt the time might be right for a Latin movie hero, which he codenamed Machete. Seeing a gap in the market for action films with a Latin flavour that could play to a broad audience, he looked to director John Woo's Asian thrillers and actor Chow Yun-Fat's outings in movies like 'Hard Boiled' and 'The Killer' as the best likely themes for his emerging creation. While other projects have taken over his life during the past 15 years, Rordiguez and co-director Ethan Maniquis have finally delivered on the promise. In the story, Machete (Danny Trejo) looks like just another Mexican day labourer from the streets, the perfect fall guy for a crooked political assassination. Nobody knows, however, that he's an ex-Federale with superior killing skills. Left for dead after clashing with notorious Mexican drug kingpin Torrez (Steven Segal), Machete escapes to Texas, disappearing into the desert to forget his tragic past. Trouble follows him, however, and he lands a web of corruption and deceit, eventually forcing him on the run. Machete sets out to clear his name and expose the conspiracy - but standing in his way are Booth (Jeff Fahey), a ruthless businessman with an endless payroll of killers; Von (Don Johnson), a twisted border vigilante leading a small army; and Sartana (Jessica Alba), a beautiful immigration officer torn between enforcing the law and doing what is right. Helping Machete even the odds are Luz (Michelle Rodriguez), a taco-truck lady with a revolutionary spirit, and Padre (Cheech Marin), a priest who's not bad with blessings, but better with guns. Robert De Niro even takes a cameo as a rabble-rousing state senator. Carving a path of bullets and blood, Machete's quest ultimately leads him back to Torrez for an epic final confrontation of revenge and redemption. Having gotten his early acting break on Rodriguez's 'Desperado', Trejo became the director's ideal embodiment of the Mexican avenger due to his skill with knives and “one of the best faces in movie historyâ€. Machete is driven by vengeance, making him “one bad mother†as Trejo puts it, “a man of very few words but when he does say something, someone's gonna dieâ€. Another character in the film describes him: “CIA, FBI and DEA all rolled into one mean burrito†- a moniker underlined by the 44 blades he carries in his custom-made leather vest. In one particularly gruesome scene that will likely play to hoots of joy from the younger audience, Machete slices open an attacker's belly and rappels down a wall using the expired gangster's intestine in place of a rope. With Quentin Tarantino serving as executive producer, the film has a big slice of gore at its centre - frequent bloodletting, goons incinerated with a meat thermometer stuck on 'extra crispy', and slo-mo action sequences showing bullets puncturing human flesh. Looking to the '60s B-films as inspiration, 'Machete' should cut deep in popularity amongst the teen cinema audience. For older folk in search of good entertainment, perhaps best look for a seat at the next film reviewed this week.