F?  Damn, that's harsh.  Hope it's better than you say.

Machete was more entertaining than The Expendables. So, it deserves at least a C .

I havent seen it yet, but Rob's review really reminds me of how I felt about El Mariachi and Desperado...I really wanted to like both of those films, but just couldnt....every time they would start to build back up, Rodriguez would drag me back down again by dragging me into a political snorefest.  I can see that being the case in Machete too...He needs to focus more on the fun he brings to his films and less on the statements they make.

That being said, i do like a lot of Rodriguez's work....Planet Terror is one of my favorite sci-fi/horror homage films of recent years.

So you didn't like it then?  I'm expecting crazy over the top violence with a tongue in cheeck flavor and copius amounts of nudity for no good reason! And if I don't get it I'm asking for my money back!

The other night on MSNBC they showed Arizona's Governor claiming that there have been a number of beheadings in Arizona by Mexicans because of the controversial law on immigration that was passed earlier this year.  She claimed there have been a number of beheadings even though there has been no evidence to support it.  When questioned about it in a debate, she rather awkwardly dodged the question.  How ironic that this film be coming out at this time.  I also agree with Robert Rodriguez's point of view on immigration but is it really a good idea to have this film come out now to back up the paranoia of people along border states like Arizona?  Wouldn't it be counterproductive?

I also agree Robert Rodriguez has fustrated me as a filmmaker.  On one hand, he does have some talent and can make impressive looking movies at half the cost that other movies are made.  He also hire minorities in his movies, usually Hispanics.  I mean it is 2010 and a quarter of our nation's population is now Hispanic.  On the other hand, the quality of his movies can run hot and cold.  Anybody remember The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lava Girl?  Me neither.  I also wasn't impressed with his screenplay of Predators with and obvious set up to another sequel that I plan to skip if it ever gets made.  Plus Quentin Tarantino in front of the screen is not a good idea.  I don't care if he is your friend, some people don't belong in front of the camera.   I may give Machete a chance on DVD but not in the theater.

As always, take Rob's reviews with a grain of something. This was not a bad movie for what it is, which is a good camp B movie. I enjoyed it, the local paper gave it 3.5 out of 4 stars, and RT has it at 73%.

If you are looking to learn something from a movie, or hear some socio-political comment, you probably don't want to be watching a hack-n-slash blood flying movie anyways. Might I suggest Shawshank Redemption Rob?
 

 R.R. is translucent as a deep sea fish. He only wants money. Thats why he spends most of his time and puts most of his effort into the stupid spy kids because its the only thing he does that is "ballin." 

Aren't you missing the whole point of an "expolitation" movie.  You show me an exploitation movie that doesn't showcase the stereotypes of the ethnicites and races in the movie. It has nothing to do with some  "free pass". If Rodriguez wanted to show positive stereotypes he would have done so like in Desparado or Once Upon a Time , but its a exploitation movie. In Supafly or Shaft, the black guys were mostly all pimps and thugs and white guys were mostly all racist , dirty cops. We know its not reality, since it is the type of genre that it is, , its let go. QT did Inglorious and no ones comaplined about all the stereotypes he threw up on the screen.

RR was doing this movie way before the Arizona ruckus came about so its not he had this revoltionary agenda, which I'm sure some will believe. The fact is if he was white or even black, no one would be making a big deal about this movie. He just happens to be an Mexican American.

  I saw a sneak screening the other night.  This movie is entertaining and fun.  You're taking the plot a little too seriously.  Cheech steals the show with his role as a Padre.  If you want to laugh and cheer throughout a movie then go see Machete.  Don't listen to this reviewer who has no idea what he's talking about. 

How is illegal immigration a "right" issue?  Hence the phrase ILLEGAL immigration.  So what you are saying is that lefties just want an open boarder and the hell with laws?  Oh yeah, they do....and to smoke pot all day on the sofa and let the Government take care of them or am I just getting San Francisco mixed up with all the lefties?  I'm not on the right but think it should actually be illegal like the law says and that Obama wants to ignore. 

jppintar, yup that was mightly stupid of the AZ gov to make claims of beheadings and not back it up.  She should have stuck with the murders and people being kidnapped and taken back over to the Mexico boarder for ransom.

A grade of F is horrible no matter how good or bad the reviewer is.  I was planning to wait for this rental regardless.