Over reaching

It's been said that a man can't serve two masters, and I think the same could be said of a film that tries too hard to live in two worlds. "Machete," the latest from director Robert Rodriguez, falls into that category.

Rodriguez is a master at a certain a certain type of over-the-top, "B" action film. "Machete" began as a trailer in the feature "Grindhouse." It was kind of a joke and send up of the genre. But that trailer became so popular, it spurred him to make a feature-length film.

Now "Machete" should have followed the "Grindhouse" model — being a modern day throwback to the 1970s exploitation films. And this film, which stars Danny Trejo as the titular character, does attempt to capture some of those elements. But Rodriguez doesn't stop there, he crams the plot with a heavy-handed message about illegal immigration that can't help but feel out of place.

Illegal immigration has become an increasingly tense issue in the United States. Recently, when Arizona passed its new law, the debate took on a fevered pitch. The topic continues to be a hot-button issue for candidates in both local races in the south west and west and in national races. In other words, it is a serious issue deserving of some serious consideration. But that's not what you get with "Machete."

The film attempts to tackle a volatile and important topic in the middle of an ultra violent, ultra campy action film. It just doesn't work. The efficacy of the message on immigration is dampened because of the tone and content of the rest of the film. Plus, a heavy-handed political message seems out of place in an action movie of that type. In other words, it just doesn't work.

This is an example of a unique idea that just doesn't work and ends up doing a disservice to both an important topic and the film itself.