The Movie
We're more than a dozen feature films into the career of hyphenate filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, and we pretty much know what to expect. Assuming he's not serving up Spy Kids or Shark Boys, then hang on for lots of stylish violence and probably more than a little titillating appreciation of the female form, blended with an over-the-top sense of humor.
That's exactly the sort of hard-R entertainment served up in Machete, this latest action opus distinguished by a shared director credit with Ethan Maniquis. Originated for one of the gag trailers in Grindhouse, Machete is a Mexican Federale (Danny Trejo, the gifted character actor in the role of his life), set up and left for dead, his loved ones executed by a ruthless drug kingpin. Three years later, surviving as a day laborer in Texas, Machete soon gets swept up into some dirty criminal intrigue, strong-armed into the assassination of a vehemently anti-immigration senator (Robert De Niro... really!)
Before he knows it, he is betrayed again, wounded and on the run, not knowing who to trust. And so he cuts a wide, bloody swath through a bunch of nasties with different agendas, inspiring a revolution among the hardworking if dubiously credentialed émigré community. It's surprisingly political subject matter from a writer-director-etc. who specializes in guilty pleasure flicks. But who else could cast Steven Seagal as a Mexican drug lord, making some of the best use of the "actor" in years?
Also take a stab at Joe Lozito's review of Machete.
The Picture
Following an opening sequence deliberately presented in that faux-low-budget Grindhouse-y style, which is therefore difficult to evaluate, the movie takes on a consistent, slightly exaggerated look with amped-up fleshtones and generally warm hues. There is definite video noise tainting much of this 1.85:1 movie, with an occasional haze across the frame, some digital video streaking in fast motion, and even a wee bit of edge enhancement. Which is not to say that there isn't ample detail on display here too, as the pores (and more) in Danny Trejo's well-worn face are startlingly clear, as are other, more subtle aspects of this interesting film.
The Sound
There are bullets everywhere in this DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, as a lot of people are shooting and/or shot. The aggressive original mix of the music puts individual instruments into isolated speakers at times, to wildly entertaining effect. Missiles flaunt clear directionality, while the rears overall are pleasingly active. Honestly though, a scene of an exploding house and another of a truck crashing through a cinderblock wall both could have shown more bass impact.
The Extras
The theater-recorded Audience Reaction Track (in Dolby Digital 5.1) adds a you-are-there feel to this crowd-pleaser. The ten deleted scenes run eleven minutes total, in HD, revealing roads not taken and abandoned characters, more interesting than the cutting-room-floor refugees on most discs. Disc One is also BD-Live-enabled with Fox's Live Extras, including an additional deleted scene available exclusively online, either here or via the free pocket BLU content/control application for select handheld devices.
Disc Two, a DVD-ROM, carries a Digital Copy for iTunes and Windows Media. No "Ten Minute" Cooking or Film School this time around, both of which have become a Rodriguez-on-disc trademark.
Final Thoughts
Drawing upon a long list of action hero clichés while giving all the mayhem a new spin, Machete is a bloody romp with a higher purpose. While a tad short on extras and long on video noise, ultimately this disc hits its mark.
Product Details
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