All things:sequels

Machete Kills (2013) Review - Dread Central

Thankfully, when Machete Kills does embark into new territory, the old flourishes and inventiveness of Robert Rodriguez are on full display during some sequences, with the creativity of Spy Kids dovetailing with the gory anarchy and fun spirit of Planet Terror.

Strangely, the conclusion feels like a cross between Team America and Elysium where a group of determined minorities and a crazy white guy who wants to destroy the Earth by waging world war all try to escape into space in order to start again on an elite space station. While the beginning of Machete Kills feels like more of the same derivative paint-by-numbers scenes and limp pacing to a degree, the last half achieves liftoff and feels, dare I say, almost inspired in some moments. Surprisingly, Machete Kills Again … In Space might actually be worth getting excited about because it seems like Rodriguez and Trejo might finally be excited, too.
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‘Machete Kills’ Review: The Cast Is a Scream as Robert Rodriguez Spins His Wheels | /Film

But give Rodriguez credit: who else was ready to photograph Danny Trejo like a larger-than-life sex god? That, and the director’s dedication to making movies for a Latino audience, make his work unusual in an ever-more homogenous blockbuster landscape.

If only that made for a better movie. Like its forbear, Machete Kills wants to be exploitation and message movie. A constant stream of self-aware jokes and irony make messages of immigration and Mexican/American policy reform impossible to take any more seriously than the rest of the film. What could be a whiff of satire turns into a big comic fart as Charlie Sheen bellows “I’m the President of the United ****in’ States!” just before signing Machete’s citizenship papers with a giant rubber stamp that says “US Citizen.”

The tone grates after a while, as the only thing Rodriguez truly seems to believe in is that aforementioned love triangle: guns, babes, dudes. The action is no solace; rarely well-staged, it all looks cheap and shoddy, with Birdemic-level digital effects. The line between “parodying crap” and actual crap can be thin, and Machete Kills regularly trips over it.

For all the lousy staging, dingy effects, and stale jokes, there’s still that cast. The actors seem to be having an effin’ blast. I had a great time watching Cuba Gooding Jr., Amber Heard, Antonio Banderas, Walton Goggins, Sofia Vergara (who really goes for it), and William Sadler. Many are only around for a few minutes, but their scenes have great energy and genuine laughs. Most of Gibson’s scenes hit, too. He’s basically a Bond villain, with a lot of Machete Kills feeling like bargain-basement Moonraker. Gibson’s character eventually falls victim to the film’s all-or-nothing ethos, too, and the overkill left me thinking I’d had enough well before the movie ended.

/Film score: 5 out of 10
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I dunno...when the guy gets harpooned towards the helicopter shouting 'maaaaaaaChetAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!' I laugh every time. Hoping to sneak to an early show of this this weekend.
 
'The Raid 2' Will Get A Theatrical Release! -

So did the first one...how is this news?

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Yeah...also not really news. No chance this happens without him. Nor should it. I don't think he has that energy anymore. If you rewatch this, or Night Shift it's almost impossible to think he wasn't a raging coke head...shoud be interesting. Burton and him NEED a hit. I think all of us really want to see this recapture some of that magic.
 
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