Machete (2010)
★★½ — Machete (2010)
Machete began life as a fake trailer slotted into Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino's 2007 double feature Grindhouse, a loving pastiche of 1970s exploitation cinema that underperformed at the box office but developed a cult following on home video. That two-minute gag, essentially a joke about Danny Trejo's weathered face and obvious tough-guy credibility, generated enough enthusiasm that Rodriguez (working here with his editor Ethan Maniquis, making his directorial debut) expanded it into a full feature. Trejo, a character actor who had been a fixture of Rodriguez's films since Desperado, finally got a leading role at 66, making him one of the oldest actors to headline an action franchise. The film arrived at a pointed cultural moment, with the Arizona immigration debate at full volume in American politics, and Rodriguez leaned into that context without apology.
Machete is exactly what it promises to be: a blood-soaked, over-the-top, grindhouse-style action flick with zero interest in subtlety or realism. Danny Trejo is perfectly cast as the stone-faced, axe-wielding ex-Federale out for revenge, and the cast is stacked. Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Steven Seagal, Lindsay Lohan, Cheech Marin, even Robert De Niro showing up like he’s having the time of his life. It’s chaotic, loud, and packed with ridiculous kills, exploding cars, and lines so dumb they loop back to being cool (“Machete don’t text!”). The whole thing’s a satire of exploitation films, but played so straight that it’s hard to tell if it’s mocking the genre or just loving it too much to change. And honestly? That’s part of the fun. If you’re in the mood to switch off and enjoy some gloriously stupid action, this delivers in spades. The practical effects are great, the energy never dips, and Robert Rodriguez leans hard into the B-movie vibe with grindhouse cuts, and grainy filters. But for all its style and star power, it’s just… average. Nothing about it feels special or fresh, even for a film that isn’t trying to be. It’s entertaining while it lasts, but the plot’s paper-thin, the jokes wear thin fast, and it doesn’t have the heart or edge of his earlier work like El Mariachi. Fine for a lazy Sunday, but forgettable the second the credits roll. Turn your brain off. Just don’t expect it to leave a mark.
Rating: ★★½ | Year: 2010 | Watched: 2025-09-08
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Related on Movies With Macca
More from Robert Rodriguez: Planet Terror (2007) · From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) · Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) · El Mariachi (1992)
More from Germany: Lessons of Darkness (1992) · Cemetery Man (1994) · The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) · Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)
More from the 2010s: Wonder (2017) · Beautiful Boy (2018) · The Witch (2015) · What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
More action: A Better Tomorrow (1986) · The General (1926) · Hand of Death (1976) · Daredevil (2003)
More comedy: The Eagle (1925) · The General (1926) · Americana (2023) · The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
