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Parents' Guide to

Machete

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Extremely violent "grindhouse" actioner isn't for kids.

Movie R 2010 105 minutes
Machete Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 6 parent reviews

fonzieg
fonzieg Adult
April 3, 2015
age 17+

Tons of bloody mayhem and action to make this movie tons of fun!

As a spin off to the Spy Kids movies, i say this is one of the best spin off movies i have ever seen! Machete is actually much better than Spy Kids, also for grown ups, not kids! This is also one of the goriest action comedies in recent memory! It's hilarious, it's quirky, it's very unrealistic, but it's a great popcorn flick, and prepare yourself for a fast paced roller coaster ride of violence!
Fighter2425
Fighter2425 Adult
January 6, 2012
age 15+

Nudity, F-bombs, and Guts galore!

Despite what many people have said about this movie, it really isn't that sexual. There is much nudity, but none of which is has much to do with sex. The sexual content is pretty much at a PG-13 level. That being said.... This movie is violent. VERY. Intestines are ripped out of an attacker and are used to repel out of a window. A man shoots a pregnant woman, then shoots her stomach (to kill the baby). Limbs are sliced off, bodies are stabbed through, and people are brutally slaughtered. All of which are done with, yeah, you guessed it, a Machete. Not to mention much gun violence, which of course can end in bloody results. Language is average for a movie of this genre, with the "f--k" used casually, as well as other expletives. My rating- Rated R for: Strong, Bloody and Disturbing Violence Throughout, Pervasive Language and Some Graphic Nudity.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
See all 6 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Three years ago, a federale (Mexican federal police officer), called Machete (Danny Trejo) watched helplessly as a ruthless gangster (Steven Seagal) murdered his wife. Now, he works as a day laborer on the U.S. side of the border. Machete is hired to assassinate a U.S. senator (Robert De Niro) -- a stern advocate against Mexican immigrants -- but the job turns out to be a setup. Now Machete is on the run, but he has help from a pretty immigration agent (Jessica Alba) and an underground revolutionary leader (Michelle Rodriguez). Enter several nasty killers, a gun-toting priest, and a drug-addled daughter, and it all adds up to a bullet-ridden showdown, with Machete in the middle.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (6 ):
Kids say (20 ):

Springing dubiously from one of the fake trailers in Grindhouse (2007), MACHETE brings director Robert Rodriguez's career full circle and emerges as one of his very best films. He began in 1992 with the low-budget Spanish-language action movie El Mariachi; Machete continues in that vein, but with more resources, more enthusiasm, and more guts.

Rodriguez can sometimes get a bit too carried away with his films and can sometimes forget to invite the audience into his fun -- but Machete captures exactly the right tone; it's fun, shocking, and even has some righteous ideals. Under any conditions, Rodriguez is one of the finest action directors in Hollywood, and his set pieces here are explosive. The amazing, oddball actors are perfectly placed, especially the tough, pockmarked Trejo, who usually plays character parts. All of that said, like the other "Grindhouse" films, Machete is way too violent and sexed up for anyone under 17 -- willfully so.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the movie's intentionally shocking material. Why would the extreme violence of this film be considered entertaining? Is it meant to be taken seriously? How can you tell?

  • Do you think films like this only appeal to a certain audience? Who is that audience, and why are they drawn to material like this? Are the vintage '60s and '70s exploitation movies that this one was inspired by still relevant today?

  • What's the significance of Machete being a Mexican-American action hero? Can you think of other non-white action heroes?

  • Machete has sex with several different women. What are the real-life consequences of that type of behavior?

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