Machete Blu-ray Review

The Blu Ray of "Machete" delivers a high-definition 1080p AVC-encoded transfer adhering to an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, aligned perfectly with Robert Rodriguez's trademark 'grindhouse' style. The faux-aged, distressed look—complete with speckles, scratches, and grain—is artfully implemented primarily during the opening sequence. Despite this deliberate digital wear and tear, the overall image throughout the film is remarkably clean and vivid. Fine details such as pores, scars, and textural nuances on Danny Trejo's iconic visage are rendered with exceptional clarity. The film’s visual style successfully captures the gritty essence intended while maintaining a crisp, near-reference quality high definition transfer, devoid of digital noise reduction or edge enhancement artifacts.

The color palette is notably vivid, with sun-drenched locales and dynamically shaded elements contributing to a visually compelling experience. Bold primary colors, especially blood red, contrast sharply within scenes. However, skin tones sometimes venture into an exaggerated, oversaturated range, giving characters a slightly orange hue—a stylistic choice that some viewers may find jarring. Black levels remain solid, except in a few dimly lit interiors where they elevate to deep gray to preserve shadow detail. The transfer also excels in sustaining a strong contrast without washing out finer details, enhancing the film's three-dimensional depth. Overall, the Blu-ray video presentation of "Machete" is meticulously faithful to its grindhouse roots while offering significant visual opulence that surpasses that of Rodriguez's “Planet Terror.”

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track for "Machete" delivers a generally powerful and immersive audio experience, well-suited to the film's high-octane nature. From the outset, the memorable Machete theme by Rodriguez's band, Chingon, sets the tone with dynamic impact. The track excels during action sequences where obliterated thugs, slashing metal, and growling engines invigorate the listening area with chest-thumping low-frequency energy. Bullets tear through the soundfield, even puncturing virtual windows behind the listener's head in moments of intense action. However, while the front channels are seamlessly integrated with tightly infused surrounds creating a stable soundstage, the use of rear channels for ambience and atmospherics is somewhat sparse.

Despite the robust presentation, the audio track does have its drawbacks. The dialogue can sometimes be challenging to discern, particularly with certain characters known for their muffled speech, such as Steven Seagal's and Jeff Fahey’s roles. This necessitates turning up the volume to catch all the details, which can risk waking neighbors due to the overall loudness of the track. Additionally, some sequences seem cheaply designed, like McLoughlan's speech scene where crowd noises are disappointingly confined to the front channels only. Overall, while the DTS-HD Master Audio track packs a punch and enriches the viewing experience, it falls short of being demo material due to its inconsistency in dialogue clarity and surround usage. However, it remains an enjoyable and rowdy complement to the film's chaotic energy.

Robert Rodriguez's Blu-Ray release of "Machete" surprisingly offers minimal extras, a departure from his typically feature-rich discs. The most significant addition is 10 minutes of compelling deleted scenes that introduce new characters and story elements, offering insights into character motivations and backstories. Unfortunately, the highly anticipated commentary and Rodriguez’s famous ‘cooking school’ documentary are notably absent. An 'Audience Reaction Track' is included but feels redundant, aiming to replicate the theater experience but failing to provide substantial value. The disc also features several trailers, including the theatrical and the red band versions, and promises a BD-Live exclusive deleted scene, though accessibility issues were reported. Overall, this release hints at a future double-dip collector’s edition given the current lack of substantive extras.

Extras included in this disc:

• Audience Reaction Track: Features audience reactions in Dolby Digital 5.1.
• Deleted Scenes: Includes 10 new scenes that delve into additional character arcs.
• Theatrical Trailer: Original promotional trailer.
• Red Band Theatrical Trailer: Uncensored version of the promotional trailer.
• BD-Live: Promises an exclusive deleted scene but may have accessibility issues.
• Pocket BLU: Wi-Fi download option for Apple products.
• Digital Copy: Provides a digital version of the film.

Robert Rodriguez's Machete is a wildly entertaining homage to exploitation cinema that revels in its over-the-top action and gratuitous content. Featuring an eclectic all-star ensemble including Danny Trejo, Robert De Niro, and Jessica Alba, the film pays tribute to 1970s schlock with a modern twist. From brutal decapitations to unexpected moments of nudity, Machete captures the essence of its faux-trailer origins from Rodriguez's Grindhouse. The unabashedly silly narrative—centered on ex-Federale Machete's (Trejo) bloody quest for revenge after being double-crossed—richly delivers on its promise, blurring lines between satire and outright absurdity.

The technical execution of Machete is noteworthy, striking a balance between stylized violence and self-aware humor. The film opens explosively, showcasing visceral action sequences such as triple decapitations, a sultry Latina wielding a hidden cell phone in a ludicrous yet hilarious set-up, and Steven Seagal's over-the-top performance as a sword-wielding drug lord. Rodriguez's directed chaos provides riveting visuals and a relentless pace that minimizes idle moments despite its slightly overlong runtime. The vivid absurdity persists, from Machete swinging from a man's intestines to Cheech Marin’s shotgun-toting priest.

While the acting spectrum extends from Danny Trejo’s perfectly stoic demeanor to De Niro’s engaging yet affected Texan drawl, the cast elevates the schlocky dialogue and thinly veiled satire into memorable performances. Michelle Rodriguez carries a balance of toughness and heart as revolutionary Shé, although Jessica Alba's role remains more ornamental. Despite these performances often teetering on parody, their earnestness lends credibility to an otherwise tongue-in-cheek production. Highlights include witty social commentary on immigration juxtaposed against ludicrous action sequences, culminating in a film that dares viewers to suspend disbelief for pure entertainment's sake.

Machete is a summer action movie done right�it's pulpy and visceral, but it also has an ironic, tongue-in-cheek tone that lies somewhere between spoof, satire, and homage. The Blu-ray disc is a winner as well�with a striking high definition transfer and a strong audio track�although it does come up short in the supplements department. Regardless, if you're looking for something fun, funny, and as violent as all hell, Machete definitely fits the bill. Recommended. 'Machete' is a fun film, even if it panders and is drawn out about twenty (or thirty) minutes too long. It's an absolutely great experience for Trejo fans, who are used to seeing their main man in minor roles, getting offed often. The rest of the cast is a slight disappointment, but Trejo, man does he rock in this film. With faithful, though sometimes ugly video, and strong audio, this Blu-ray is hardly a disappointment. It comes with an easy recommendation, though I do fear an inevitable double dip in the near future.

"Machete" on Blu-ray delivers a captivating summer action experience suffused with irony and a playful nod to genre conventions. The film strikes an excellent balance between spoof, satire, and homage, all while maintaining a pulpy, visceral appeal that will resonate with fans of intense, violent action fare. Whereas the high-definition transfer stands out vividly, highlighting the gritty visual texture that complements the film's rough charm, the audio track provides a robust accompaniment that immerses the viewer fully into Machete's universe. The Blu-ray does lack in the extras department, which might disappoint those looking for behind-the-scenes insights or additional content.

Danny Trejo's performance as Machete is undoubtedly the highlight, making up for some of the shortcomings associated with the supporting cast. Trejo's portrayal breathes life into a character traditionally seen only in minor roles. While some might find the film's length excessive by twenty to thirty minutes, it remains a thoroughly enjoyable experience worth revisiting. The video quality, although faithful to the source material's gritty aesthetic, may occasionally appear unattractive under scrutiny. Nevertheless, the compatibility of the strong audio performance with this video output ensures that these minor flaws do not detract significantly from the overall experience.

In conclusion, "Machete" offers a high-octane, tongue-in-cheek action film that's both entertaining and technically commendable on Blu-ray. Despite minor deficiencies in supplementary content and some imperfections in video quality, this remains a rewarding purchase for fans looking for humor-infused ultraviolence anchored by Danny Trejo's stellar performance. Highly recommended.