Awake (2007)(Minor Spoilers Review)

**This review contains MINOR spoilers, no plot twists, big reveals, or major surprises**

Wealthy businessman Clay Beresford (Hayden Christensen) is stuck in a troubling dilemma. As the top man in his deceased father’s company, Clay tries to close a lucrative deal, but Clay’s health causes some major concerns. Suffering from a potentially fatal heart condition, Clay needs a heart transplant to save his life.

Clay’s overprotective and controlling mother, Lilith (Lena Olin) urges Clay to choose Dr. Jonathan Neyer (Arliss Howard), a world renowned surgeon, who’s in line to become the next Surgeon General, for the operation, but Clay refuses. Instead, Clay picks Dr. Jack Harper (Terrence Howard) for the surgery. Dr. Harper saved Clay’s life after an attack. Afterwards, Clay and Dr. Harper developed a bond as friends, so out of loyalty and respect, Clay rejects Dr. Neyer.

To add to his growing list of problems, Clay is in a secret relationship with his mother’s assistant, Sam (Jessica Alba). Minutes before the surgery, Clay is reassured by Jack, and members of his team, including Dr. Puttnam (Fisher Stevens) and Penny (Georgina Chapman), but Clay’s eased spirit is disturbed once the anesthesia kicks in. Clay is unable to speak, move, or open his eyes, and as a result of anesthesia awareness, Clay is able to hear everything going on around him.

Clay is struggling to comprehend his bizarre situation, and things only get worse, when Clay accidentally overhears every little detail in a plot to murder him on the operating table……….

Yeah, suspension of disbelief is CRUCIAL for enjoying Awake. Awake feels like a sci-fi thriller, that’s trying way too hard to be crafty and complex most of the time, but I have to admit, it’s hard to look away. I had to know what would happen to Clay every step of the way. Is Clay going to survive? Will someone actually hear Clay in the hospital? I was hooked into the story with each passing minute, and Awake deserves credit for some well placed and genuinely surprising swerves.

Overall, the cast is capable at best. Hayden Christensen is decent in the leading role, and it’s nice to Jessica Alba break out of her usual mold of being the innocent ray of sunshine to take on a more devious and cold-hearted character, but it’s almost impossible to pick out a top notch performance from this cast. Terrence Howard comes close as the conflicted best friend, but his character is overshadowed by an overwhelming amount of screen time for Clay. Lena Olin is another top contender. She’s spot on as the controlling, delusional, and emotionally abusive mother, but Lilith encounters the same problem Jack encountered: Clay’s screen time and focus dominates everything. And for what it’s worth, McDonald is good for a few laughs, as the seemingly dimwitted drunk.

Still, I really enjoyed Awake. As I said before, strapping yourself into suspension of disbelief mode is essential to buying into or tolerating the supernatural side of this film, and some will complain about a contrived story and preposterous plot twists. But if you’re willing to sit back and enjoy some fun, Awake is an effective and satisfying mystery/thriller, with an intriguing and deceptive story. Awake leads you down one street, and out of nowhere, the story takes a sharp turn into a series of tricky, bumpy roads with thick clouds of unsettling fog.

Rating: 6/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

And remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

Follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1

And don't forget to like both of my Facebook pages, because the Mitch MacReady 2 Facebook page includes quotes from both ebooks that can't fit into Tweets- https://www.facebook.com/mitch.macready

Awake (2007)(Spoiler Review)

**This review contains spoilers**

Wealthy businessman Clay Beresford (Hayden Christensen) is stuck in a troubling dilemma. As the top man in his deceased father’s company, Clay tries to close a lucrative deal, but Clay’s health causes some major concerns. Suffering from a potentially fatal heart condition, Clay needs a heart transplant to save his life.

Clay’s overprotective and controlling mother, Lilith (Lena Olin) urges Clay to choose Dr. Jonathan Neyer (Arliss Howard), a world renowned surgeon, who’s in line to become the next Surgeon General, for the operation, but Clay refuses. Instead, Clay picks Dr. Jack Harper (Terrence Howard) for the surgery. Dr. Harper saved Clay’s life after an attack. Afterwards, Clay and Dr. Harper developed a bond as friends, so out of loyalty and respect, Clay rejects Dr. Neyer.

To add to his growing list of problems, Clay is in a secret relationship with his mother’s assistant, Sam (Jessica Alba). Terrified of Lilith’s reaction to losing her only baby boy, Clay secretly proposes to and marries Sam, but after some intense pressure from Sam, Clay finally breaks the news to a dissatisfied and angry Lilith.

Minutes before the surgery, Clay is reassured by Jack, and members of his team, including Dr. Puttnam (Fisher Stevens) and Penny (Georgina Chapman), but Clay’s eased spirit is disturbed once the anesthesia kicks in. Clay is unable to speak, move, or open his eyes, and as a result of anesthesia awareness, Clay is able to hear everything going on around him.

Clay is struggling to comprehend his bizarre situation, and things only get worse, when Clay accidentally overhears every little detail in Dr. Harper’s plot to murder him on the operating table……….

Why is Dr. Jack Harper trying to murder Clay? Well, Dr. Harper is stuck behind a wall of debt after a series of malpractice lawsuits. Dr. Harper used his trusted friendship with Clay against him, and during the transplant, Dr. Harper plans to inject the donated heart with an untraceable poison, so after the surgery is complete, Dr. Harper can cling to the excuse of Clay’s body rejecting the heart.

But that’s only half of the plan. Remember, Dr. Harper needs to be in a position to collect the insurance money from Clay’s death AND his inheritance. Penny and Putnam are in on the scheme…and Sam is playing Clay for a fool. With some goading from Dr. Harper and A LOT of pressure from Sam, Clay marries Sam the night before his surgery. Why is Sam apart of this? Sam used to work under Dr. Harper, and she wants a piece of the pie, so Sam agreed to deceive Clay into accepting her as the love of his life. Clay was an easy target as the neutered momma’s boy, and Sam was able to use Clay’s desires of a leap into manhood as motivation to turn Clay against his obsessive mother.

Of course, a small monkey wrench is thrown into Jack’s plans. The little angel on Jack’s shoulder creates a moral conundrum for the conflicted doctor, and on top of that, a member of Jack’s team backs out at the last second. A surgeon named Fitzpatrick abandons the team, so Dr. Larry (Christopher McDonald), a bumbling alcoholic, replaces him.

Awake throws a plethora of sneaky twists at you, but they save the big shocker for the grand  finale. So Clay’s bodiless form is trying to warn anyone, who’ll listen, but Clay is the only one, who can hear his voice, so his cries for help fall on deaf ears. Luckily, Lilith had a keen sense of suspicion about Sam and Jack, and after some sleuthing into Sam‘s background, Lilith knew she had to do something, quickly. With one last desperate attempt to save her son’s life, Lilith commits suicide by overdosing on a bottle of pills. Before her death, Lilith called Dr. Neyer so he could warn the police, and perform the surgery on Clay using her heart to match Clay’s rare blood type. Dr. Neyer successfully saves Clay’s life with the surgery, Larry helps the police catch Putnam and Penny, and everyone else involved in the scheme is arrested.

For varying reasons, Jack and his cohorts receiving their deserved punishment may or may not provide those rewarding feelings of closure you’re looking for. There’s a moment towards the end, where Sam tries to back out of the deal, as the police arrive, using the “grieving widow” as her cover. But Jack kept the syringe containing the poison used to inject Clay’s heart in a sealed plastic bag for evidence…..and Sam’s fingerprints are all over the syringe. In the operating room, Jack was having second thoughts about killing Clay, so Sam PUSHED Jack to inject the heart, and Sam is the one, who filled the syringe with poison. Sam is outside of Jack’s office, as he flashes the plastic bag in front of the door with a smile on his face. Sam pleads with Jack to handover the bag, but Jack locks the door, leaving Sam stuck outside with police.

Although, there’s a chance you’ll roll your eyes at this finale. Why? Because it’s kind of hard to ignore the preposterous series of circumstances before Clay’s revival. For starters, Clay isn’t dreaming. His bodiless form is actually roaming the hospital, trying to warn anyone, who’ll listen about Jack’s plan, AND somehow, Clay’s bodiless form is capable of going back in time to relive events in his past for some “How did I miss this?” hindsight moments? Eh, okay. On top of that. Clay’s bodiless form is capable of having a conversation with Lilith’s bodiless form towards the very end. After Neyer completes the surgery, Clay’s heart rate drops. This is happening, because Clay, realizing his mother is the only person he can trust 100% with no doubts, decides to stay in the afterlife with her. But Lilith urges Clay to return to the living world, so he can enjoy the rest of his life. Reluctantly, Clay obliges, and Clay opening his eyes is the last image you’ll see in Awake.

Yeah, suspension of disbelief is CRUCIAL for enjoying Awake. Awake feels like a sci-fi thriller, that’s trying way too hard to be crafty and complex most of the time, but I have to admit, it’s hard to look away. I had to know what would happen to Clay every step of the way. Is Clay going to survive? Will someone actually hear Clay in the hospital? Will Jack randomly pull the plug on the scheme to save Clay’s life? I was hooked into the story with each passing minute, and Awake deserves credit for some well placed and genuinely surprising swerves.

Overall, the cast is capable at best. Hayden Christensen is decent in the leading role, and it’s nice to Jessica Alba break out of her usual mold of being the innocent ray of sunshine to take on a more devious and cold-hearted character, but it’s almost impossible to pick out a top notch performance from this cast. Terrence Howard comes close as the conflicted best friend, but his character is overshadowed by an overwhelming amount of screen time for Clay. Lena Olin is another top contender. She’s spot on as the controlling, delusional, and emotionally abusive mother, but Lilith encounters the same problem Jack encountered: Clay’s screen time and focus dominates everything. And for what it’s worth, McDonald is good for a few laughs, as the seemingly dimwitted drunk.

Still, I really enjoyed Awake. As I said before, strapping yourself into suspension of disbelief mode is essential to buying into or tolerating the supernatural side of this film, and some will complain about a contrived story and preposterous plot twists. But if you’re willing to sit back and enjoy some fun, Awake is an effective and satisfying mystery/thriller, with an intriguing and deceptive story. Awake leads you down one street, and out of nowhere, the story takes a sharp turn into a series of tricky, bumpy roads with thick clouds of unsettling fog.

Rating: 6/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

And remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

Follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1

And don't forget to like both of my Facebook pages, because the Mitch MacReady 2 Facebook page includes quotes from both ebooks that can't fit into Tweets- https://www.facebook.com/mitch.macready

Machete Kills (2013)(Minor Spoilers Review)

**This review contains MINOR spoilers, no big reveals, character deaths, or plot twists**

Following the events of Machete, Machete Cortez (Danny Trejo) works with Sartana Rivera (Jessica Alba) to stop Mexican drug cartels. Machete and Sartana are caught in the middle of a cross fire during an illegal arms deal between a group of rogue US militarily soldiers and a dangerous Mexican cartel. While Machete dives head first into the chaos, slicing the enemy into pieces with his trusted machete one by one, Sartana accidentally catches a forbidden view of a doomsday weapon……

With his back against the wall, Machete accepts a mission from US President Rathcock (Carlos Estevez), and with help from his trusted friend, Luz (Michelle Rodriguez) and her underground network, Machete prepares himself for the worst. And Machete will have to put aside bitter feelings for Luz’s new recruit, Osiris Amanapur (Tom Savini), the same man, who assisted Michael Booth in murdering his brother, Padre.

Machete’s mission?  With an escort from his personal bodyguard, Zaror (Marko Zaror) Machete must infiltrate Marco Mendez’s (Demian Bichir) island to thwart Mendez’s planned missile launch against the US. But fighting one delusional visionary takes a backseat to a bigger problem, when Machete stumbles into the lair of a wealthy mad man, who’s also an obsessive Star Wars fan. Luther Voz (Mel Gibson) tempts Machete with a once in a lifetime offer, forcing Machete to showcase his “skills” for Voz during a demonstration with clones.

During his missions, Machete evades relentless attacks from a precise and crafty assassin named El Camaleon (Walton Goggins, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Lady Gaga, and Antonio Banderas), Sheriff Doakes (William Sadler), a vindictive madam named Madame Desdemona (Sofia Vergara), and a select group of Desdemona’s finest, including, KillJoy (Alexa Vega). Machete works with Blanca (Amber Heard), an undercover agent working in San Antiono, using the cover of a beauty pageant queen, to stop Voz and Mendez’s plans for destruction, and Machete receives an important tip from Cereza (Vanessa Hudgens). But the situation becomes more complex, when Voz reveals his big master plan…….

Danny Trejo delivers another entertaining performance in the leading role, as the grizzled tough guy, who dances to the beat of his own drum (“Machete don’t tweet!”). Carlos Estevez (or Charlie Sheen) is decent enough, but his character is limited to sporadic appearances here. Sofia Vergara’s is good for some laughs, as this sadistic and psychotic madam, who hates men. Heard fits the sultry vixen character like a glove, and Rodriguez is consistent as always, portraying the tough and unflinching hellcat. Vanessa Hudgens and Jessica Alba? I hate to be the one to burst your bubble, but don’t get your hopes up too high for seeing a significant amount of screen time from both of them.

Gibson has his moments as this nutty and maniacal tyrant, who’s an obsessive Star Wars fan, and Bichir’s schizophrenic performance isn’t bad. Mendez suffers from a split personality disorder, bouncing back and forth between a man, who wants to do the right thing, and an evil mad man, who’s hell bent on destroying the US. The El Camaleon character changes his face and persona after each murder (or set of murders). First, you’ll see Walton Goggins, Cuba Gooding, Jr. is next, then Lady Gaga, and Antonio Banderas is the last face of El Camaleon. El Camaleon shedding his last persona for a new one, while constantly changing faces was a cool trick, but I have a message for Gaga fans, don’t expect too much out of her here. Gaga’s screen time as a face of El Camaleon is short, and  if you blink, there’s a chance you’ll miss her. Although, Gaga has a short one-liner that brought a little chuckle out of me during a chase scene with Machete: “Hola mother f*****!”

Machete Kills is a more polished film than Machete with a more refined story, and a few unexpected twists and turns. Bottom line, if you enjoyed Machete, you should enjoy Machete Kills, because there’s enough blood and violent carnage to fulfill expectations of chaotic and brutal mayhem for grindhouse fans. Machete Kills is another enjoyable comedy exploitation action film in the Machete series, and with all the cliffhangers and teasing at the end, Machete has more than enough fuel to fight another day, and more importantly, the story has more room to grow.

Rating: 7/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

And remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

Follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1

And don't forget to like both of my Facebook pages, because the Mitch MacReady 2 Facebook page includes quotes from both ebooks that can't fit into Tweets- https://www.facebook.com/mitch.macready

Machete Kills (2013)(Spoiler Review)

**This review contains spoilers**

Following the events of Machete, Machete Cortez (Danny Trejo) works with Sartana Rivera (Jessica Alba) to stop Mexican drug cartels. Machete and Sartana are caught in the middle of a cross fire during an illegal arms deal between a group of rogue US militarily soldiers and a dangerous Mexican cartel. While Machete dives head first into the chaos, slicing the enemy into pieces with his trusted machete one by one, Sartana accidentally catches a forbidden view of a doomsday weapon. Suddenly, a masked man appears to shoot Sartana in the forehead with a high tech weapon, leaving a helpless Machete alone with Sartana’s corpse.

With a limited number of options in front of him, Machete is forced to accept a mission from President Rathcock (Carlos Estevez): Machete must hunt and kill Marcos Mendez (Demian Bichir), a delusional visionary, who threatens to attack the United States with a nuclear missile. Machete reaches out to a one-eyed Luz/She (Michelle Rodriguez) and her underground network for help, and Machete will have to put aside bitter feelings for Luz’s new recruit, Osiris Amanpour (Tom Savini), the same man, who assisted Michael Booth in murdering his brother, Padre. Machete is able to gather more intel from Cereza (Vanessa Hudgens), a young woman confined to a brothel, and Cereza is one of Mendez’s favorites. And Machete works with Blanca (Amber Heard), an undercover agent, who uses the persona of a beauty pageant queen in San Antonio as her cover, but Blanca is hiding a dangerous secret underneath her good looks.

On Mendez’s personal island in Mexico, Machete fights through hordes of security, including Mendez’s seemingly invincible bodyguard, Zaror (Marko Zaror). Here, Machete learns another devastating secret about the missile: the timer for the missile is linked to Mendez’s heart rate, and while Machete roughly escorts Mendez off the island, Mendez activates the timer.

With Mendez as his hostage, Machete becomes a marked man with a large bounty. A precise and crafty assassin named El Camaleon (Walton Goggins, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Lady Gaga, and Antonio Banderas) purses Machete for the bounty, Sheriff Doakes (William Sadler) sees an opportunity to cash in, and for revenge, Madame Desdemona (Sofia Vergara), the mother of Cereza and the leader of the brothel, vows to avenge Cereza’s death with the help of  KillJoy (Alexa Vega) and other women in her brothel.

But Machete’s mission takes an awkward turn, when he discovers the real mastermind behind Mendez: Luther Voz (Mel Gibson) is the wealthy tycoon, who supplied Mendez with his weapons, and using his vast fortune and resources, Voz created a set of boogeyman for the US to fear in various countries throughout the world. Machete has one chance to stop Voz before he completes a mission into space, and time is running out, as Mendez’s preserved heart thumps to the countdown of a deadly missile launch.

Danny Trejo delivers another entertaining performance in the leading role, as the grizzled tough guy, who dances to the beat of his own drum (“Machete don’t tweet!”). Carlos Estevez (or Charlie Sheen) is decent enough, but his character is limited to sporadic appearances here. Sofia Vergara’s is good for some laughs, as this sadistic and psychotic madam, who hates men. Heard fits the sultry vixen character like a glove, and Rodriguez is consistent as always, portraying the tough and unflinching hellcat. Vanessa Hudgens and Jessica Alba? Don’t get your hopes up too high for seeing a significant amount of screen time from both of them. Alba’s character is killed off in the first five minutes of the movie, and a handful of minutes after her first appearance, Hudgens is killed off before Machete’s trip to Mendez’s island, so it’s not fair to judge either performance (or lack there of).

Gibson has his moments as this nutty and maniacal tyrant, who’s an obsessive Star Wars fan, and Bichir’s schizophrenic performance isn’t bad. Mendez suffers from a split personality disorder, bouncing back and forth between a man, who wants to do the right thing, and an evil mad man, who’s hell bent on destroying the US. The El Camaleon character changes his face and persona after each murder (or set of murders). First, you’ll see Walton Goggins, Cuba Gooding, Jr. is next, then Lady Gaga, and Antonio Banderas is the last face of El Camaleon. El Camaleon shedding his last persona for a new one, while constantly changing faces was a cool trick, but I have a message for Gaga fans, don’t expect too much out of her here. Gaga’s screen time as a face of El Camaleon is short, and  if you blink, there’s a chance you’ll miss her. Although, Gaga has a short one-liner that brought a little chuckle out of me during a chase scene with Machete: “Hola mother f*****!”

Machete Kills starts off with a mock trailer for Machete Kills Again….In Space! Machete (in a space suit) is wielding this hybrid machete/lightsaber, and he’s fighting a Darth Vader-esque villain in an iron mask on a space station. Michelle Rodriguez looks like a Terminator, and the trailer jokingly mentions Leonardo DiCaprio as the man, who’s a possible candidate to portray the villain in the iron mask. Well, guess what, the ending for Machete Kills leads into the trailer at the beginning.

How did we get here you ask? Well, after a lengthy battle with Voz, Machete severely burns Voz’s face with a corrosive liquid, forcing Voz to wear a metallic mask. Blanca reveals herself as a spy for Voz, and during a fight with Luz/She, Blanca permanently blinds Luz. Voz takes a select group of volunteers for a ride on his space station to start a new life in space, and Luz is trapped on the space station. Motivated by revenge, Machete accepts President Rathcock’s mission to go into space, kill Voz, and rescue Luz.

I LOVED this cliffhanger, because it’s the type of cliffhanger that leaves you wanting more for the next film. Machete goes into space to avenge Sartana’s death, and I’m assuming, Machete’s going to rescue the new love (Luz) in his life. A good move for a number of reasons. For starters, they’re going to unleash Machete in a new playground. It’s a good move, because Machete bouncing back and forth between bad guys in Mexico and Texas for a third or fourth film would feel too stale, tiresome, and redundant. Second, the cliffhanger establishes Voz as a real threat, because Machete wasn’t able to finish him off so easily. And this ties in with my first point, but the story progresses into a new environment, so we’re not going in circles with the Mexico/Texas stuff over and over again.

Machete Kills is a more polished film than Machete with a more refined story, and a few unexpected twists and turns. Bottom line, if you enjoyed Machete, you should enjoy Machete Kills, because there’s enough blood and violent carnage to fulfill expectations of chaotic and brutal mayhem for grindhouse fans. Machete Kills is another enjoyable comedy exploitation action film in the Machete series, and with all the cliffhangers and teasing at the end, Machete has more than enough fuel to fight another day, and more importantly, the story has more room to grow.

Rating: 7/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

And remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

Follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1

And don't forget to like both of my Facebook pages, because the Mitch MacReady 2 Facebook page includes quotes from both ebooks that can't fit into Tweets- https://www.facebook.com/mitch.macready

Machete (2010)(Minor Spoilers Review)

**This review contains MINOR spoilers, no character deaths, plot twists, or big reveals**

Wandering the streets of Texas, an ex-Federale name Machete Cortez (Danny Trejo) is forced into accepting a $150,000 offer from Michael Booth (Jeff Fahey). Booth orders Machete to assassinate Senator John McLaughlin (Robert De Niro), a racist politician, but one shot from Sniper (Shea Whigham) wounds Machete before he can pull the trigger.

Machete is the prime suspect in Senator McLaughlin’s shooting. With no one else to turn to, Machete seeks help from his brother/priest Padre (Cheech Marin), and Luz (Michelle Rodriguez), the leader of a strong underground movement to help illegal immigrants with legit papers and jobs. Machete has some fun with Booth’s wife, June (Alicia Marek) and his daughter, April (Lindsay Lohan), but Machete runs into some unexpected trouble, when he crosses paths with Sartana Rivera (Jessica Alba), a no nonsense US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.

Machete’s quest for the truth leads him to a confrontation with an old nemesis named Rogelio Torrez (Steven Seagal), a ruthless drug kingpin, and a final showdown with every evildoer in Texas, including Von Jackson (Don Johnson), a sadistic leader of border patrol vigilantes, and a trusted friend of Senator McLaughlin.


Danny Trejo slices and hacks his way to an enjoyable performance as Machete, and Trejo is good for a few laughs with some hilarious one-liners including “Machete don’t text” or “This is the boss” (referring to his trusted machete). Trejo is a riot in the leading role, and he’s surrounded by a rock solid supporting cast.

De Niro is a detestable phony and racist politician, Fahey a nice fit for the ruthless killer with no mercy, and Don Johnson isn’t bad, but he’s overshadowed by De Niro and Fahey for the antagonist side of Machete. Seagal? I have no major gripes about the quality of his performance, and technically, Seagal is the primary antagonist, but Torrez’s screen time is cut short here. You won’t see She until the final battle, but Rodriguez stays within her niche, as a tough and combative fighter for another consistent performance. And Jessica Alba is harmless as Sartana.

After the mock trailer for Machete, I only had one thought on my mind: “Yeah, there’s no way this could work as a full length feature film.” The fake trailer was good for a few cheap laughs, but I still had my doubts. Well, I was wrong. Machete is a cartoonish and screwy romp of brutal over the top violence, and this action-comedy exploitation adventure is loaded with some good laughs, hilarious one-liners, and tons of gleeful bloody gore. Machete is packed with endless amounts of fun, and with more time, it wouldn’t surprise me if Machete developed a stronger following as a true cult classic.

Rating: 6/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

And remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

Follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1

And don't forget to like both of my Facebook pages, because the Mitch MacReady 2 Facebook page includes quotes from both ebooks that can't fit into Tweets- https://www.facebook.com/mitch.macready

Machete (2010)(Spoiler Review)

**This review contains spoilers**

Betrayed by the system he believed in, an ex-Federale named Machete Cortez (Danny Trejo) wanders the streets of Texas looking for construction work on a daily basis. Machete receives support from Luz (Michelle Rodriguez), the leader of a strong underground movement to help illegal immigrants with legit papers and jobs. Luz uses her taco stand for cover, but Luz and Machete are under the watchful eye of Sartana Rivera (Jessica Alba), a no nonsense US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.

One day, Machete is forced into accepting an assassination job from Michael Booth (Jeff Fahey) worth $150,000. Under Booth’s orders, Machete must kill Senator John McLaughlin (Robert De Niro), a racist politician, during one of his speeches. Before Machete has a chance to pull he trigger, Booth’s top henchman, Sniper (Shea Whigham) shoots Machete, and as a maimed Machete limps away, Sniper shoots Senator McLaughlin in one of his legs.

After taking some time to heal at Luz‘s house, Machete learns the truth: Booth is Senator McLaughlin’s right hand man. Booth double crossed Machete, because McLaughlin’s failing campaign needed a boost, so Machete was chosen as a fall guy to provide a living example for the threat of dangerous illegal immigrants. Machete works with Luz and Sartana to put a stop to Booth, McLaughlin, and Von Jackson (Don Johnson), a sadistic leader of border patrol vigilantes, and a trusted friend of Senator McLaughlin.

Machete reaches out to his brother/priest Padre (Cheech Marin), and for revenge, Machete invades Booth’s home to surprise his wife, June (Alicia Marek) and his daughter, April (Lindsay Lohan). But Booth recruit’s Osiris Amanpour (Tom Savini), a popular hitman, to teach Machete an unforgettable lesson.

 Machete’s investigation reveals a plot to control the border between Mexico and Texas for Rogelio Torrez (Steven Seagal), a ruthless drug kingpin, and Torrez is the same man, who beheaded Machete’s  wife. With help from Sartana, Luz’s alter ego, She, and others, Machete leads an all-out assault to eliminate Senator McLaughlin, Von, and Machete will stand face to face with Torrez for a fight to the death.

Danny Trejo slices and hacks his way to an enjoyable performance as Machete, and Trejo is good for a few laughs with some hilarious one-liners including “Machete don’t text” or “This is the boss” (referring to his trusted machete). Trejo is a riot in the leading role, and he’s surrounded by a rock solid supporting cast.

De Niro is a detestable phony and racist politician, Fahey a nice fit for the ruthless killer with no mercy, and Don Johnson isn’t bad, but he’s overshadowed by De Niro and Fahey for the antagonist side of Machete. Seagal? I have no major gripes about the quality of his performance, and technically, Seagal is the primary antagonist, but Torrez’s screen time is cut short here. After the intro, Seagal doesn’t make another physical appearance until the big battle at the end, because Torrez only appears in sporadic video chats with Booth throughout the movie. You won’t see She until the final battle, but Rodriguez stays within her niche, as a tough and combative fighter for another consistent performance. And Jessica Alba is harmless as Sartana.

After the mock trailer for Machete, I only had one thought on my mind: “Yeah, there’s no way this could work as a full length feature film.” The fake trailer was good for a few cheap laughs, but I still had my doubts. Well, I was wrong. Machete is a cartoonish and screwy romp of brutal over the top violence, and this action-comedy exploitation adventure is loaded with some good laughs, hilarious one-liners, and tons of gleeful bloody gore. Machete is packed with endless amounts of fun, and with more time, it wouldn’t surprise me if Machete developed a stronger following as a true cult classic.

Rating: 6/10

Michael Jordan had another run with the Wizards after winning six championships. Brett Favre was one step away from earning a second ring with the Vikings.

As the world's definitive multi-talented superstar athlete, Trisha Bunrastar is taking an unexpected and shocking leap into a new career path. Assuming the identity of Freechelle Fantabulous, Trisha vows to fight crime and battle evildoers as a superheroine. Will she conquer her new mission? Find out more here! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFLI6VK

Or take a trip into my special world of madness that includes comedy, horror, and the supernatural in this collection of short stories- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFMYZ0U

And remember Amazon offers free Kindle App downloads for various platforms. Follow this link to find out more- http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

Follow me on Twitter here- https://twitter.com/LQuigleyFan1

And don't forget to like both of my Facebook pages, because the Mitch MacReady 2 Facebook page includes quotes from both ebooks that can't fit into Tweets- https://www.facebook.com/mitch.macready