Machete Kills

Machete Kills
Company type	Film
Industry	Motion picture
Founded	2013; 13 years ago
Founder	Robert Rodriguez
Products	Action exploitation film
Website	web.archive.org/web/20131011000000*/machetekills.com

Machete Kills—also referred to as Robert Rodriguez's Machete Kills'—is a 2013 American action exploitation film helmed by director Robert Rodriguez. The screenplay, penned by Kyle Ward, is based on a story developed by Robert and Marcel Rodriguez. The movie features Danny Trejo reprising his role as the titular character and serves as a sequel to Machete (2010). It marks the third installment originating from a fictional trailer in Grindhouse (2007). Returning actors include Michelle Rodriguez, Tom Savini, Electra and Elise Avellan, Felix Sabates, and Jessica Alba. New cast members introduced are Sofía Vergara, Amber Heard, Charlie Sheen (credited under the name "Carlos Estévez"), Antonio Banderas, Cuba Gooding Jr., Walt Goggins, William Sadler, Demián Bichir, and Mel Gibson. The storyline follows Machete as he is enlisted by the U.S. President (Sheen) to prevent an arms dealer (Gibson) and a revolutionary (Bichir) from executing their plans.

With a production budget of $20 million, Machete Kills was distributed in the United States by Open Road Films on October 11, 2013, ultimately earning around $17.5 million at the box office.

Plot

Machete Cortez teams up with agent Sartana Rivera to apprehend corrupt military officials engaged in an arms transaction with a Mexican drug cartel. The cartel eliminates the military unit, but masked assailants led by a luchador-masked figure kill Sartana shortly afterward. Machete is captured and nearly hanged by the corrupt Sheriff Doakes and Deputy Clebourne but manages to survive. Subsequently, U.S. President Rathcock offers to erase Machete’s criminal record and grant him citizenship if he can confirm and neutralize the threat posed by Marcos Mendez, who intends to launch a nuclear missile at Washington, D.C. unless demands against cartels and Mexico’s corrupt government are met.

Machete journeys to San Antonio, where he meets his handler, Blanca Vasquez, a beauty pageant contestant. In Acapulco, he seeks out Cereza, who can guide him to Mendez; however, he is ambushed by Desdemona, Cereza's mother and brothel owner. Cereza warns Machete about Mendez’s dissociative identity disorder. While en route to Mendez’s base, Zaror—Mendez’s enforcer—receives a call and fatally shoots Cereza.

Machete discovers that Mendez has rigged the missile’s launch mechanism to his own heart—if he dies, the missile will automatically launch. After Mendez kills the device’s creator and activates a 24-hour countdown, Machete eliminates Zaror and resolves to escort Mendez to the United States in order to deactivate the missile. Mendez reveals that he considers himself a secret agent betrayed by corrupt superiors, which has contributed to his fractured personality.

Approaching the border, they are attacked by multiple enemies including Desdemona’s assassins, the shapeshifting hitman El/La Camaleón, Doakes and Clebourne, as well as local adversaries. Although they evade these assaults initially, Zaror and masked mercenaries who previously killed Sartana capture them. Zaror beheads Mendez while Machete is left riddled with gunshot wounds.

Machete awakens inside a healing tank where he encounters Luther Voz, a businessman and weapons inventor who has preserved Mendez's heart in a jar. Voz intends to provoke global extremists into launching nuclear attacks against each other while escaping to an orbiting space station to rebuild civilization using an army of cloned enforcers modeled after Machete as the prototype. Escaping captivity, Machete meets Luz who directs him to Osiris—a former foe who may be capable of disarming the device.

Attempting contact with Vasquez results in an ambush; she has allied herself with Voz. Chasing her into the desert, Machete is thrown off her vehicle. El Camaleón offers assistance but attempts to kill him; Machete escapes while El Camaleón falls victim to a racist border patrol group. Luz’s network infiltrates a fundraiser at Voz’s compound; Voz kills Osiris by shooting the jar containing Mendez’s heart. Recognizing Voz as Sartana’s murderer, Machete confronts him, inflicting severe burns that force Voz to wear a metallic silver mask. Vasquez blinds Luz by shooting her eye; Luz retaliates by killing Vasquez but is subsequently captured and frozen in carbonite by Voz.

As Voz departs for space, Machete leaps onto Mendez’s missile during its launch sequence, disarming it mid-flight and diverting it into the Rio Grande. President Rathcock’s forces recover Machete who confirms that other missiles have been successfully deactivated. Upon learning Voz has fled into space, Rathcock requests that Machete pursue him aboard a SpaceX rocket.

The narrative is framed by trailers advertising Machete Kills Again...In Space.

Production

Principal photography for Machete Kills commenced on June 10, 2012, as announced by Robert Rodriguez, and filming concluded swiftly within 29 days on July 28, 2012. The production was overseen by Rodriguez in collaboration with Aaron Kaufman and Iliana Nikolic under QuickDraw Productions, alongside contributions from Sergei Bespalov of Aldamisa Films, Alexander Rodnyansky representing AR Films, and Rick Schwartz from Overnight Productions.

Lindsay Lohan, who portrayed April Booth in the original film, did not reprise her role in this sequel; Rodriguez explained that her character was excluded as it did not align with the storyline.

Promotion

To support the film's marketing campaign, Lady Gaga’s Vevo channel released a lyric video for "Aura," a song featured on her third studio album Artpop, on October 9, 2013.

Theatrical

Machete Kills premiered in U.S. theaters on October 11, 2013, distributed by Open Road Pictures. The initial release date was planned for September 13 but was postponed to avoid clashing with the debut of Insidious: Chapter 2.

Home media

The movie became available on DVD and Blu-ray in the United States on January 21, 2014, through Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie holds a 29% approval rating based on 125 critiques, with an average score of 4.6 out of 10. The site's summary indicated that although it retains the campy tone of its predecessor, it lacks the original’s vitality.

According to Metacritic, the film earned a score of 41 out of 100 from 33 reviewers, reflecting "mixed or average reviews."

Lady Gaga was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award in the category of Worst Supporting Actress for her performance but ultimately lost to Kim Kardashian for her role in Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor.

Possible sequel

The theatrical cut of the first installment referenced two follow-ups: Machete Kills and Machete Kills Again. Additionally, a trailer hinted at a third chapter titled Machete Kills Again... In Space, presented as an upcoming feature.

In 2015, Danny Trejo confirmed that development was underway for the third film. By 2022, Trejo encouraged Robert Rodriguez to advance the project. In 2023, Rodriguez acknowledged the importance of moving forward with Machete in Space, indicating ongoing enthusiasm for expanding the series.

External links