A Million Ways to Die in the West
3/4
Starring: Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried, Neil Patrick Harris, Liam Neeson, Giovanni Ribisi, Sarah Silverman
Rated R for Strong Crude and Sexual Content, Language Throughout, Some Violence and Drug Material
After "Ted" became the highest-grossing R-rated comedy of all time and he has three successful TV shows, Seth MacFarlane probably can do whatever he wants (as long as he makes a sequel to "Ted," which he did...it comes out next year). His newest film, "A Million Ways to Die in the West," is a first for him in a number of respects. First, it's a Western, a genre that he has occasionally lampooned but never contributed a real entry (even a warped one). Second, he appears on-screen in the flesh. While it's not nearly as funny as "Ted," which made my Top 10 list two years ago after it nearly brought me to tears from laughing so hard, it's still funny enough to justify a trip to the theater.
Albert (MacFarlane) is as big of a wimp as they come. He'd rather try and talk his way out of a duel than actually do some gunfighting. He's such a wuss that his girlfriend Louise (Seyfried) dumps him for the rich mustache-grooming tycoon Foy (Harris). After saving her from a bar brawl, Albert meets Anna (Theron), a newcomer in town. She likes him and agrees to help him win back Louise. In the heat of the moment, however, he challenges Foy to a duel, only to remember that he doesn't know how to shoot a gun. As Anna teaches him, they fall for each other. What Albert doesn't know is that Anna is married to Clinch (Neeson), the most feared gunfighter in the west, and when he finds out about Albert's relationship to Anna, the unassuming sheep herder is in someone else's crosshairs.
MacFarlane brings his usual twisted humor and general wackiness to the proceedings, skewering just about everything he can think of (and that's a lot). Most of it is successful, including a number of scenes that are guaranteed to bring down the house (my favorite scenes featured a severed foot and a musical number featuring mustached sheep...I'm dead serious). The biggest problem MacFarlane runs into is the period piece setting. There are times when the characters talk like modern day people, which creates a disconnect. For example, Albert makes a joke about the stereotype of black men liking women with big rear ends. Admittedly, it's a pretty funny joke, but it feels out of place in a movie like this. That being said, it usually works since that's usually what MacFarlane satirizes (the opening credits and the score are a case in point...they're dead ringers for a serious Western).
When I first saw the trailer, it was a little weird seeing MacFarlane on screen. It was like seeing Brian the dog matched with a different body. But that faded away quickly and I saw only Albert. MacFarlane has a gift for comedy, but he also creates a character worth caring about. As good as he is, the film is stolen from him by Charlize Theron, who has never been more likable. She never feels out of place in this kind of a movie, and she has good chemistry with MacFarlane (they're good friends offscreen, which probably accounts for this). Liam Neeson appears to be enjoying himself tremendously as the bad to the bone Clinch, finding the right note between evil and humor. Amanda Seyfried is always welcome on screen, although she really doesn't have much to do except play the object of Albert's affection; an unknown character actress would have done just fine, although I'll never say no to seeing Seyfried on screen. Neil Patrick Harris is very good at playing a truly annoying character (that's meant as a compliment, by the way). Giovanni Ribisi and Sarah Silverman play Albert's best friends, and while they're funny enough to earn their scenes (Silverman plays a hooker who sleeps with 10 guys on a slow day but won't have sex with Ribisi because she's a Christian, and Ribisi plays her wimpy boyfriend), but they feel extraneous.
The film is a little long and not as edgy as "Ted," but it's still a lot of fun.
Starring: Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried, Neil Patrick Harris, Liam Neeson, Giovanni Ribisi, Sarah Silverman
Rated R for Strong Crude and Sexual Content, Language Throughout, Some Violence and Drug Material
After "Ted" became the highest-grossing R-rated comedy of all time and he has three successful TV shows, Seth MacFarlane probably can do whatever he wants (as long as he makes a sequel to "Ted," which he did...it comes out next year). His newest film, "A Million Ways to Die in the West," is a first for him in a number of respects. First, it's a Western, a genre that he has occasionally lampooned but never contributed a real entry (even a warped one). Second, he appears on-screen in the flesh. While it's not nearly as funny as "Ted," which made my Top 10 list two years ago after it nearly brought me to tears from laughing so hard, it's still funny enough to justify a trip to the theater.
Albert (MacFarlane) is as big of a wimp as they come. He'd rather try and talk his way out of a duel than actually do some gunfighting. He's such a wuss that his girlfriend Louise (Seyfried) dumps him for the rich mustache-grooming tycoon Foy (Harris). After saving her from a bar brawl, Albert meets Anna (Theron), a newcomer in town. She likes him and agrees to help him win back Louise. In the heat of the moment, however, he challenges Foy to a duel, only to remember that he doesn't know how to shoot a gun. As Anna teaches him, they fall for each other. What Albert doesn't know is that Anna is married to Clinch (Neeson), the most feared gunfighter in the west, and when he finds out about Albert's relationship to Anna, the unassuming sheep herder is in someone else's crosshairs.
MacFarlane brings his usual twisted humor and general wackiness to the proceedings, skewering just about everything he can think of (and that's a lot). Most of it is successful, including a number of scenes that are guaranteed to bring down the house (my favorite scenes featured a severed foot and a musical number featuring mustached sheep...I'm dead serious). The biggest problem MacFarlane runs into is the period piece setting. There are times when the characters talk like modern day people, which creates a disconnect. For example, Albert makes a joke about the stereotype of black men liking women with big rear ends. Admittedly, it's a pretty funny joke, but it feels out of place in a movie like this. That being said, it usually works since that's usually what MacFarlane satirizes (the opening credits and the score are a case in point...they're dead ringers for a serious Western).
When I first saw the trailer, it was a little weird seeing MacFarlane on screen. It was like seeing Brian the dog matched with a different body. But that faded away quickly and I saw only Albert. MacFarlane has a gift for comedy, but he also creates a character worth caring about. As good as he is, the film is stolen from him by Charlize Theron, who has never been more likable. She never feels out of place in this kind of a movie, and she has good chemistry with MacFarlane (they're good friends offscreen, which probably accounts for this). Liam Neeson appears to be enjoying himself tremendously as the bad to the bone Clinch, finding the right note between evil and humor. Amanda Seyfried is always welcome on screen, although she really doesn't have much to do except play the object of Albert's affection; an unknown character actress would have done just fine, although I'll never say no to seeing Seyfried on screen. Neil Patrick Harris is very good at playing a truly annoying character (that's meant as a compliment, by the way). Giovanni Ribisi and Sarah Silverman play Albert's best friends, and while they're funny enough to earn their scenes (Silverman plays a hooker who sleeps with 10 guys on a slow day but won't have sex with Ribisi because she's a Christian, and Ribisi plays her wimpy boyfriend), but they feel extraneous.
The film is a little long and not as edgy as "Ted," but it's still a lot of fun.
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