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| Amber Heard and Danny Trejo |
The sensationally sleazy, low-grade "Machete Kills" is the sequel to the guilty-pleasure hit "Machete" and continues the ridiculously over-the-top exploitation action from Robert Rodriguez, one hardly known for subtlety. If you don't take it seriously then "Machete Kills" works just fine. Danny Trejo returns as ex-Federale agent Machete, the Mexican who carries a big knife, who is recruited by the President of the United States (Charlie Sheen) for an impossible, near-suicide mission, to take down a madman revolutionary (Demian Bichir) and an eccentric billionaire arms dealer (Mel Gibson) who has hatched a plan to spread war and anarchy across the planet. Acclaimed, efficient filmmaker (and Texan) Rodriguez again brings us his character Machete, which originally started as a fake trailer in the 2007 film "Grindhouse" and then morphed into a real series of trashy B-grade films. Directed, produced, written, edited and shot by Rodriguez, the real star of the film may be Rodriguez himself, who incredibly filmed all of this in less than 30 days. Admittedly, he can certainly overdo it in a big cheese ball sort of way, but an entertaining, fast-paced cheese ball it is; it's wildly all over the place, but taken as B-grade exploitation, the mindless "Machete Kills" can be an entertaining blast (literally). An extensive cast including Gibson, Bichir, Michelle Rodriguez, Amber Heard not to mention pop star Lady Gaga and Sheen (billed under his real name, Carlos Estevez, but we know you, Charlie) all tearing up the screen, though the most memorable of the large cast is "Modern Family's" Sofia Vergara, who fires a machine gun from her private parts with great skill. However, if violence isn't your thing, then stay away from "Machete Kills" as from start to finish it's filled with buckets of blood, body parts, big weapons and anything else that Rodriguez can throw in. With so much to take in, you must be in the right frame of mind to truly enjoy this movie: if you're expecting high art or don't care for violence, then "Machete Kills" is not for you. If you want to have mindless, trashy fun and a few laughs with friends, then you will enjoy it immensely. Guilty-pleasure entertainment for sure, and Rodriguez has yet another "Machete" film planned (perhaps set in space?).
Wes's Grade: B
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