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“Machete,” a 2010 American action film, was co-written, produced, and directed by Robert Rodriguez and Ethan Maniquis. The film expands upon a fake trailer that was part of the 2007 collaboration between Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, Grindhouse. Continuing the B movie and exploitation style of Grindhouse, Machete incorporates some of the same footage. The title character is played by Danny Trejo, marking his first lead role, although he previously portrayed a character named Machete in the Spy Kids series, which was also directed by Rodriguez.
In addition, a series of comics is slated for release following the film’s debut.
The cast includes Robert De Niro, Lindsay Lohan, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, and Steven Seagal, who filmed his scenes in the fall of 2009. Moreover, Cheech Marin and Jeff Fahey returned to reprise their roles from the original trailer.
The film’s first screening occurred on September 1, 2010, at the 67th Venice International Film Festival, where it was presented out of competition. Following this, Machete was released in the United States on September 3, 2010, by 20th Century Fox and Troublemaker Studios, Rodriguez’s company.
The plot centers around Machete (Danny Trejo), an illegal immigrant and former Mexican Federale turned renegade. After a confrontation with a drug lord (Steve Seagal), Machete seeks work in Texas doing yard work for money. Michael Booth (Jeff Fahey), a local businessman and spin doctor, informs Machete that the corrupt Senator McLaughlin (Robert De Niro) is working to expel hundreds of illegals from the country. To counter this, Booth offers Machete $150,000 to kill McLaughlin, which Machete accepts. However, during an assassination attempt at a rally, Machete is betrayed and shot by one of Booth’s henchmen. It is revealed that Booth masterminded the entire plot as a false flag operation to win public support for McLaughlin’s strict anti-illegal-immigration stance, framing Machete as the scapegoat for the senator’s attempted assassination.
In the trailer for the film, Danny Trejo, Cheech Marin, and Jeff Fahey were confirmed to reprise their roles. Tito Larriva did not return for reasons unknown and was replaced by Shea Whigham. Michelle Rodriguez was the first actor cast in the film who was not part of the original trailer. Chris Cooper was considered for the role of Senator McLaughlin but remarked that the script was “the most absurd thing I’ve ever read,” leading to Robert De Niro taking on the role. De Niro stated, “What I liked about the character was that it was a fun thing to do in a sense of irony and it’s not taken seriously. He’s not taken seriously on one level so that frees you to have fun without being weighted down by some requirements.”
Originally, Jonah Hill was cast as Julio, but he was replaced by Daryl Sabara, who had collaborated with Rodriguez, Marin, and Trejo during the production of the Spy Kids series. Regarding the casting of Benz’s daughter, April, Rodriguez shared, “Lindsay’s cool…There’s actually a cool part in the movie if she takes it.” For her role in the film, Lohan dyed her auburn hair platinum blonde.
“My character is an Immigration Officer who hunts him (Machete) down and discovers he was double-crossed. She grapples with her own right-wing… ”
“`”She’s all about enforcing the law and doing what the system instructs,” says Jessica Alba regarding her portrayal of Agent Sartana.
“This film features an incredibly ‘out-there’ cast. Many were curious, ‘Why this combination of actors? What kind of project brings together Robert De Niro, Steven Seagal, Don Johnson, Lindsay Lohan, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Jeff Fahey, Cheech, and Danny Trejo in a leading role?’ It sounds unusual, but when you watch the film, it’s clear that everyone has a specific role, and they all blend together harmoniously. Each actor portrays their character exceptionally well,” says Robert Rodriguez.
When it comes to the film’s nudity, Rodriguez indicated that he 
intentionally began with a scene featuring a nude woman (actress Mayra Leal) to create the illusion that later scenes are more revealing than they are. Jessica Alba commented that during her shower scene, “I wore undies and had other items on, which they just sort of erased in post-production. That’s not really me. I prefer to be better covered.”
An injured Machete ends up in the hospital for treatment and manages to escape from henchmen sent by Booth to finish him off. Agent Santana Rivera (Jessica Alba), a determined U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, is dispatched by her superior to locate and capture the injured Machete. With support from Shé (Michelle Rodriguez), Machete enlists the help of Padre (Cheech Marin), his “holy” brother. Seeking revenge on Booth, Machete abducts Booth’s wife and his daughter, April (Lindsay Lohan), who has a fondness for firearms. After meeting Machete, Santana begins to take an interest in him. Machete organizes a group of illegal immigrants and starts pursuing those who betrayed him.
The film has mostly garnered favorable reviews. According to review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 71% of critics have rated the film positively based on 99 reviews, with an average rating of 6.4 out of 10. The general consensus on the site states that, “Machete is messy, violent, shallow, and tasteless — and that’s exactly the intent of one of the summer’s most cartoonishly enjoyable films.”
by Wallace McTavish
