Machete | B

Director Robert Rodriguez (Desperado, Sin City) has once again brought to the screen a wild and naughty adventure that will have you laughing, wincing and cheering. But most of all, it will leave you gripping at the handles of your seat in anticipation of the next outlandish moment of the B-movie tribute that is Machete.

Macheteimmediately goes for the jugular when Mexican Federale Machete (Danny Trejo, Anchorman) attempts to bring down powerful Mexican drug kingpin Torrez (Steven Seagal, The Onion Movie). After dispatching many of Torrez's henchmen in a gruesome and humorous manner, Machete is apprehended by Torrez and his men and is left for dead. Formerly a super-cop in his country, Machete finds himself a renegade in Texas, scavenging for odd jobs like the many other illegal immigrants in the state. He is eventually hired by corrupt businessman Michael Booth, (Jeff Fahey, Psycho III) to assassinate immigrant-hating Senator John McLaughlin (Robert De Niro). But the assassination is halted when Machete is double crossed by Booth and his men. After the stab in the back, the pissed-off Machete goes on a blood hungry revenge spree, annihilating all in his path. He enlists the aid of the beautiful Sartana Rivera, (Jessica Alba) the dangerously sexy Luz (Michelle Rodriguez, Avatar) and the Holy Padre (Cheech Marin, Cars). Heads roll and guns blaze as everything leads up to an explosive climax.

Even though Machete was originally shown as a faux trailer in the collaborative Rodriguez/Tarantino film Grindhouse, it was already obvious that itwould be a parody of the high octane action B-movies of the past. Notwithstanding its overabundance of gore and violence, the film satirizes America's stand on illegal immigration with clever humor. Rodriguez has a knack for introducing unique characters with distinct personalities, which makes Machete similar in some fashions to Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill. The only difference between the two flicks is that while Kill Bill uses the backstories of all the personas to spice up the plot, Machete doesn't dive in deep enough for certain characters, which makes the story dry in some aspects and might leave the viewer wanting more. Additionally, sometimes the film is a bit too absurd, and the poor acting provided by some supporting actors, such as Lindsay Lohan, feels as out of place as hillbillies at an opera. However, despite this, Danny Trejo is perfect as the rough and tough Machete, and most of the other players are an absolute delight.

It's important to note that Machete should in no way be taken as a serious film. If you wish to see moral dilemmas resolved and Oscar-quality acting, then this is the wrong film for you. On the other hand, if you're willing to watch it with an open mind, Machete will grab you by the nether regions and yank you into its outrageous world of blood, gore, explosions, humor and lots of "bow chicka wow-wow" that will leave you smiling and satisfied.