Machete Kills is in many ways inferior to its 2010 predecessor, Machete, which was itself based on a fake trailer from the Rodriguez/Tarantino double feature Grindhouse. It lacks that film’s madcap energy, its strong ties into Mexican culture, and its emphatic political message. The sequel heads things much more in the direction of a James Bond parody, which robs it of some of the unique spirit that made the first film feel so fresh. It even tones back the gore, if you care about such things, though that was never what brought my interest to the series. But despite all that, Machete Kills does some very creative and interesting things that allow it to stand out in an era of bland action movies full of computer generated destruction. Continue reading
Review: Machete Kills
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Gravity, despite pulling aspects from a variety of familiar film styles, is a movie that feels unique, which is something with great appeal to me these days. It has much in common with Open Water, the 2003 film about a couple who are left behind while scuba diving, but it also borrows heavily from a variety of disaster movies where people are trapped or stranded and have to improvise a way to survive. And of course, it has a lot in common with Apollo 13, including the use of Ed Harris as the voice of mission control. (It even blatantly steals and idea from WALL-E and contains obvious references to Star Wars and Alien.) But its tone is drastically different from all of those films. Where those movies have a frantic aspect to them, with every moment devoted to the heroes solving the next problem or overcoming the next obstacle, Gravity has a peacefulness to it that sets it apart. And while there are moments of terror and suspense, the calm peaceful moments are what will stick with you after you’ve left the theater. 
The Love Pirate 