Machete is a revenge thriller dressed as a grindhouse exploitation film, and it mostly delivers on that promise. Robert Rodriguez directs from his own script, shared with Álvaro Rodríguez, and the film runs 105 minutes. It expands a fake trailer from Rodriguez’s 2007 Grindhouse double feature, turning the joke into a full-length action comedy. The result is uneven but entertaining, a film that knows exactly what it is and leans into that identity.
Trailer, via 20th Century Studios.
The Revenge Quest That Drives Machete
The plot is simple. Machete Cortez, a legendary ex-Federale, is hired to assassinate corrupt Texas Senator John McLaughlin. His former boss, the drug lord Rogelio Torrez, betrays him instead. Three years later, Machete is scraping by on yard work in Texas when he is offered $150,000 to kill McLaughlin. Booth, the local businessman behind the offer, orchestrates a false assassination attempt that sets Machete up as the gunman. The plan: make McLaughlin look like he was attacked by an outlaw Mexican immigrant, which plays into the senator’s anti-immigrant campaign.
Machete, wounded in the shoulder, escapes and is chased by Agent Sartana Rivera, a persistent ICE agent. The film follows his bloody path through Texas as he hunts the men who set him up.
Cast and Character Roles
Danny Trejo leads the film as Machete, reprising the role from the fake trailer. He is the titular character’s first lead actor. Steven Seagal plays Rogelio Torrez, Machete’s former partner and the drug lord who betrayed him. Michelle Rodriguez plays Luz / Shé, described as “a taco-truck lady with a revolutionary heart.” Cheech Marin plays Padre Cortez, Machete’s brother, a priest who is good with blessings but better with guns. Don Johnson plays Von Jackson, a twisted border vigilante leading a small army. Robert De Niro plays Senator John McLaughlin, the politician who campaigns against illegal immigrants.
Lindsay Lohan appears as April Booth, a socialite with a penchant for guns. Jessica Alba plays Sartana Rivera, a beautiful immigration officer torn between enforcing the law and pleasing her family. Jeff Fahey plays Michael Booth, the ruthless businessman who orchestrates the conspiracy.
The casting is the film’s strongest asset. Rodriguez’s history with Trejo is personal. As he recalled, “Nobody really knew about Desperado, yet the local townspeople would flock to see Danny, thinking he was the star of the movie, even though his part was very small. He has incredible presence, and I knew I had found Machete. So, I handed him a knife, and told him to start practicing.”
A Fake Trailer Turned Into A Film
Machete began life as a fake trailer for Rodriguez’s Grindhouse double feature. The film expands that joke into a full-length feature, keeping the B-movie aesthetic and the exploitation tone. The result is a film that feels like a grindhouse relic reborn, complete with over-the-top violence, a broken narrative, and a cast assembled for shock value rather than realism.
The film’s production design and visual style lean heavily on Rodriguez’s earlier work. The tone is consistent throughout, which is a credit to Rodriguez’s direction.
What Works And What Doesn’t
The film’s strengths are its cast and its tone. Trejo, Rodriguez, Marin, and Fahey bring a grounded energy to their roles. The action sequences are brutal and staged with a grindhouse flair. The film is not subtle, and it does not pretend to be. That honesty is part of its appeal.
The weaknesses are structural. The plot is thin, and the pacing suffers from repetition. Some scenes feel like filler, padding out a revenge quest that could have been tighter. The humor is inconsistent, and the film’s attempts at satire land with mixed results.
The film also leans on its cast to carry stretches that the writing cannot sustain. Seagal’s return to theatrical release after Half Past Dead in 2002 is a notable moment in the film’s credits, though the source does not describe how it is presented on screen.
Release Dates And Sequels
Machete was released in the United States by 20th Century Fox on September 3, 2010. A sequel, Machete Kills, followed three years later, released on October 11, 2013, directed solely by Rodriguez.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| September 3, 2010 | Machete released in the United States |
| October 11, 2013 | Machete Kills released |
The sequel expands the story further, continuing the grindhouse style that made the first film distinctive. For now, Machete stands as a curiosity — a film that began as a joke and became a full-length feature.
Machete is a flawed but entertaining film. It is not a masterpiece, but it is a confident one, and it knows exactly what kind of movie it wants to be. The revenge quest is satisfying, the cast is excellent, and the grindhouse aesthetic holds up. It is a film best enjoyed without expectations.
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