I’m going to be brutally honest and say I’ve literally thought up what feels like a million ways to start my review for A Million Ways to Die in the West, a brand spanking new comedy starring and directed by Seth MacFarlane. My problem? I’m having a difficult time putting a finger on how I felt about this film overall, but what I can tell you is I certainly laughed more than I frowned throughout the 1 hour and 56 min running time.. And for my money, that’s about enough for me to have felt somewhat fulfilled leaving the theater today.
That being said, let’s take a look at the official plot synopsis to give you a general idea of what this film’s core story is about: As a cowardly farmer begins to fall for the mysterious new woman in town, he must put his new-found courage to the test when her husband, a notorious gun-slinger, announces his arrival. That new woman is played by none other than the always strikingly gorgeous Charlize Theron (Anna) Theron is clearly having a heck of a good time playing opposite MacFarlane, and with the material at hand. Oh, and before I forget, for the critics who have been bashing MacFarlane’s first feature length film debut as the lead, rubbish I say, as he does a very serviceable job in the role of Albert. I also felt the chemistry he has with Theron seemed unforced and very natural throughout their scenes together.
In addition to Theron, and MacFarlane, you have the great Liam Neeson (Clinch) playing the lead heavy in the picture, and rounding out the main cast there’s Giovanni Ribisi (Edward), Sarah Silverman (Ruth, the town prostitute), Amanda Seyfried (Louise) and Neil Patrick Harris (Foy). There are also some interesting cameo appearances peppered in, along with the one that was already spoiled in the bulk of the previews leading up to the release. Make no mistake about it, the cast did a good job, and the laughs WERE there early on in the film. However, as the story began to center a little more on Albert and Anna’s blossoming relationship, I felt that took away from more of the slapstick, and funnier scenes from earlier in the movie. The laughs came back a little bit more towards the end, but by in large I was laughing more during the first act. Don’t most comedies suffer from this problem?
Laughs aside, it is worth mentioning what a standout the cinematography was from beginning to end. Dare I say it maybe even overshadowed some of the jokes in this film? Either way, below is an image I took during the opening credits because I was already a major fan of Michael Barret’s beautiful use of the mise-en-scene here:
Even the soundtrack was a home-run in my opinion. It took me back to the old John Ford, and Howard Hawke westerns from decades past. There was indeed something about the overall look and sound of A Million Ways to Die in the West that I felt I haven’t seen in many films the past few years. Amidst the raucous jokes, and action comedy, there was a real effort made by MacFarlane to showcase the old west from the good, the bad, and the ugly using his brand of humor, and on that facet alone, he, along with the creative team involved, did a fantastic job. And if there was one very serious takeaway from this comedy, it was that to look back on the old days as being easier than what we as a society put up with today, is quite foolish at best. MacFarlane wasn’t shy about painting the old west as being an extremely unforgiving time period to live in, and rightfully so.
In the end, there’s bound to be some sequence in this movie you’ll find yourself busting a gut while you laugh out loud (assuming you have a very loose-ended sense of humor). It’s certainly not a classic, but perhaps someday a cult classic in some circles? Bottom line, I don’t think this film deserves all the hate it has been getting leading up to its release. Maybe if more folks just went into certain films understanding what they were getting into, in this case a goofball comedy written by the same guy who wrote TED, they’d feel a little more satisfied when the end credits roll. I know I did. As always, thanks for reading, and feel free to post comments below as to how you felt about the film!
Final grade: B-
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