Parents' Guide to

Machete Kills

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Over-the-top grindhouse sequel is full of bloody violence.

Movie R 2013 107 minutes
Machete Kills Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 17+

Based on 3 parent reviews

T M.
T M. Parent of 13 and 16-year-old
January 14, 2021
age 18+

Garbage

Cheap, hyper-sexual, brain dead, immorally corrupt movie that any parent should be embarrassed to watch. No adult, teen, child, should ever watch this garbage.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
fonzieg
fonzieg Adult
April 3, 2015
age 17+

Fun, but not as fun as the original!

Machete Kills, the sequel to the action-comedy masterpiece Machete! It still has the gore, the action, the quirkiness, and the humor of the first, but not as much! It's a very good sequel, but just not as great as the original!
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

After their earlier adventures, Machete (Danny Trejo) and Sartana (Jessica Alba) have teamed up to take on drug cartels -- but then tragedy strikes. Thirsting for vengeance, Machete gets a call from the president of the United States (Charlie Sheen, credited under his birth name, Carlos Estevez). He's given a new mission: Find a madman (Demian Bichir) hiding in Mexico, and stop him from using a rogue missile to start a war. After a meeting with a secret agent (Amber Heard), Machete is on his way. Unfortunately, after much fighting and chasing, Machete learns that there's an even more sinister presence higher on up the ladder, and he wants Machete for a terrible experiment.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3):
Kids say (5):

As happened with the El Mariachi and the Spy Kids franchises, this Robert Rodriguez sequel once again falls short of its predecessor. Machete was arguably Rodriguez's best movie, but MACHETE KILLS -- while still passable -- comes nowhere close. It doesn't really push the envelope; instead of taking gleeful joy in breaking the rules, it only bends the rules -- and doesn't seem too excited about it. Perhaps the trouble is that Rodriguez seems more invested in making the audience care about its stoic hero. Or perhaps he's relying more on silly gimmicks, such as Sofia Vergara's machine gun bra or casting four well-known actors as the disguises of a mysterious bounty hunter known as "El Chameleon." The movie is overall less funny and less sexy than the original, although, in the lead role, Trejo is just as cool as ever, and there's at least one great grindhouse moment involving a man's intestines and the blades of a helicopter.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Machete Kills' 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?

  • Is Machete a heroic character? Is he meant to be seen as a role model? Do his actions have positive or negative effects?

  • Are the women in this movie strong female characters, or are they stereotypes?

  • 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?

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