A Lively, Light, and Hilariously Violent Ride: An Expanded Review of “Machete”
“Machete,” a film that gloriously sprung from a mock trailer within the “Grindhouse” double feature, defied expectations. What started as a fleeting joke morphed into a full-blown, almost two-hour cinematic adventure. Initial apprehension was understandable; some critics braced themselves for another “Planet Terror,” fearing director Robert Rodriguez would again drown in postmodern self-indulgence. However, “Machete” proved them wrong. Shedding the heavy postmodern skin, it delivers a surprisingly delightful cinematic experience. Rodriguez, with apparent relish, has concocted one of the most purely enjoyable films of its year.
An Over-the-Top Bloodbath with a Comedic Heart
Violence permeates “Machete.” We’re talking eyes gouged out with corkscrews, hands impaled with crude instruments, and a cavalcade of severed heads. A particularly memorable moment involves the protagonist ingeniously using an enemy’s disemboweled intestines as a rope to escape through a window – helpfully accompanied by the trivia that the human intestine is 18 meters long. But here’s the thing: Rodriguez handles this mayhem with unparalleled levity. The cartoonish gore doesn’t disgust; it’s designed to elicit gleeful smiles. Words like “airy” and “fresh” surprisingly fit the bill here. Unlike some earlier works where Rodriguez seemed to revel in shocking viewers such as the eye-gouging scene in “Once Upon a Time in Mexico” or the leg amputation in “Sin City,” “Machete” wholeheartedly embraces its cartoonish absurdities.
From Gruesome Drama to Animated Slapstick
Looking at Rodriguez’s filmography, there is a clear trajectory towards lighter and lighter tones. “Desperado,” “From Dusk Till Dawn,” and even the stylish “Sin City” appear like weighty dramas compared to the featherweight silliness of “Machete.” Rodriguez’s evolution has him becoming something of an animator trapped in a live-action director’s body. By injecting extreme cartoonish violence and manic energy into live-action cinema, he’s morphed into a kind of Mexican hybrid of Leonid Gaidai and Chuck Jones. His characters dispatch each other with the boundless (and consequence-free) enthusiasm of Tom and Jerry – nobody is truly scared, nobody is ever truly hurt.
Absurdist Humor and Cartoonish Delights Galore
“Machete” shines brightest in its most cartoonish and ridiculously humorous moments. Where else will you see a naked woman retrieving a cell phone from, well, down there to make a crucial phone call? Or witness Danny Trejo menacingly wielding a lawnmower against a beleaguered (and terrified) security guard? Let’s not forget the scene where Michelle Rodriguez nonchalantly shows Jessica Alba important documents held to the side of a van with merely a rubber band, only to release said band, sending the documents scattering in the wind while the women carry on with their conversation as if nothing happened.
Dissecting Rodriguez’s Unique, Exuberant Style
The movie overflows with such delightful, quirky details. One might see Rodriguez as Quentin Tarantino’s slightly younger (and perhaps wilder) brother. He may forever remain, to some extent, in Tarantino’s shadow. He is not likely to ever win an Oscar, or the prestigious Palme d’Or. Perhaps he lacks Tarantino’s masterful balance of comedy and pathos; perhaps his dialogue doesn’t always ignite the same almost visceral reaction in audiences. Maybe he even consciously riffs on Tarantino’s tropes (the cell phone scene is undoubtedly a spicy twist on the watch-retrieval scene in “Pulp Fiction”). Nonetheless, Robert Rodriguez undeniably has a knack for creating live-action cartoons quite unlike anyone else. It’s what sets him apart