Review From a True Cinemaphile & a Danny Trejo Fan
I have been looking forward to this movie since I watched the trailer for it on a DVD, can't remember what movie it was, but this story premise definitely reminded me of stories such as "Kill Bill," (your gang standing around you watching you die), "The Crow," (coming back from the dead to seek revenge), and Faust (making a deal with the devil) all done in a western style. The cast list intrigued me as well: Machete, Mickey Roarke, and the kid from The Breakfast Club? Now that's a strange ensemble. But Westerns can often make a man out of boys, and Danny Trejo is no stranger to looking dirty or gritty or bloody, like a real man. Only in a western, I suppose, would the chemical ingredients work. As a horror movie, which I suppose this falls into the category since it involves the supernatural, it does have its suspenseful moments, a little too much overuse of lightning and thunder, but it's a movie, like an alternate universe or a dream, so it's whatever or forgivable. This movie possibly couldn't have happened without "Deadbirds" preceding it. Some western/horror combination is fascinating and is definitely an interesting sub-genre worth exploring.
Danny Trejo does an awesome job playing the Brandon Lee-esque hero, for a little guy in real life, he can really shine as a dark and stormy antihero.
The concept overall may appear to be moronic by the tight-assed, snobby, intellectual types, but it's some good old fun western/horror filmmaking starring our favorite Mexican hero. What's not to love? It's definitely worth a second watch. The six empty coffins plot device was very unique and cleverly done, making a metaphorical homage to the six-shooter, which the Wild West was known for. It even has a one-liner moment: "No, this is how you kill someone," and Danny Trejo uses his six-shooter to blow someone's brains out. It's just classic entertainment and a great addition to the revenge story sub-genre. You got to love that line: "I already made a deal. I'm here to collect!"
The cinematography was good, editing was good, the SFX were good. I don't know how it got a 4/10. To me, this is a 8/10 or a 9/10. 8.5 to be exact. Good storyline, not enough character depth, but there is some. I can see how it would be a direct-to-DVD kind of movie, and not shown in theaters, but that's a shame. It does make an excellent Netflix viewing, and there is hardly a dull moment in the plot. The dialogue might be typical or even predictable at times, but is still a decent watch. It certainly has its moments that are worth watching.