Review of A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014) by Forrestgump1 — 30 Jul 2014

What is there in this world that Seth MacFarlane doesn’t do? writer, actor, singer, voice of beloved animated characters. Most folks will know MacFarlane from his work on the beloved “Family Guy” television show. However, more folks (like myself), know him for creating the word of mouth sensation, and comedy blockbuster “Ted”. The little film that could, that film easily went on to become the highest grossing original R rated comedy of all time. So there is only one way to go...down.

MacFarlane is back in the directing chair (and starring front in center) in his new Western Comedy, “A MIllion Ways To Die In The West” a lampoon on the whole western frontier, that severely overstayed it’s welcome. For roughly the first thirty to forty minutes, the film was consistent. Chopped full of witty one-liners and decent charismatic charm from MacFarlane. So much so, the script is ideally the result of its own downfall. Once the premise and characters get introduced, it’s kind of like the crew did not know where to take their film after the first hour. The plot is very thin, and with a cast such as; Liam Neeson, Charlize Theron and Amanda Seyfried, I had never seen more underutilized characters in a film. I wanna suggest the film for it’s fun spin on the old west, and believe me when I say the first forty minutes is pure comedic gold, consistent and funny. After that, nothing special to write home about.

Albert Stark (MacFarlane) is a weak sheep farmer, forced to live in the backdrop of a harsh 1862 Arizona “wild wild west”, where in fact there are a million ways to die. From huge ice blocks crushing your skull...to your local pastor taking justice into his own hands. Even wolves devouring your local mayor..nobody is safe. After his gold digging girlfriend (Amanda Seyfried) dumps Albert for a local “mustache” salesmen (Neil Patrick Harris). Albert is determined to prove his worth and win his girlfriend back. That is until, a new girl breezes into town, (Charlize Theron) or “the big guns” and teaches Albert a thing or two. Little does he know. She is the wife of the most vicious gun fighter in the territory Clinch (Liam Neeson). Just another way to die in the lonely west.

Typically, westerns are an unusual sell at the box office. So I uphold MacFarlane for taking a more risky approach to the genre and making it more widespread, and appealing. The film is shot decently and has a great musical score that only MacFarlane can present. The main problem the film suffers from (as many of them are) is the Run-time. The film staggers out at about two hours and ten minutes … I mean what?!. Comedies (such as this one) only need about an hour and thirty to get the message across. MacFarlane tries to jam pack too much “West” down your throat. Like a dying car, the start is so full of gas..and then runs out ..and coasts on goodwill ..from “Ted” and “Family Guy” ..which can only go so far.

When discussing cast’s, this is one of the better ensembles in recent memory. Giovanni Ribisi, Charlize Theron, Liam Neeson, Sarah Silverman, NPH and Amanda Seyfried. Seth MacFarlane also showcases his one (of many) talents. However, when getting down to the basics, there is just too many of them to keep track off. Not to mention a boring running gag with Neil Patrick Harris character and his overzealousness with having a mustache. There is a few memorable cameos in the film, and some nice jabs at the west as well.

“A Million Ways To Die In The West” started off with so much potential, the idea, premise and characters. When your watching (or reviewing) a comedy .. the main thing I can stress is, consistency. If the film outpaces itself, it will just eventually fall downhill. This is a hard feature to acquire, most comedies tend to find pacing hard. There are rare exceptions (The World’s End, Hangover and even “Ted”). MacFarlane has a unique vision and entices enough goodwill that should fill seats. The broad and raunchy humor will appeal to younger crowds, but adults may find it repulsive and idiotic. There needs to be a definitive line, and sadly “A Million Ways To Die In The West” never finds one.

D+.

By: Nate Adams.

Directed By: Seth MacFarlane.

Rated: R.

Run-Time: 130 mins.

Studio: Universal Pictures.

Release Date: May 30th 2014.

Thanks For Stopping By.