Review of Django Unchained (2012) by Paul J — 16 Jul 2015

I've now seen all of Tarantino's films to date and sadly the last one, Django Unchained was by far the worst. This is the first time Tarantino has completely disappointed me since his short section in Four Rooms. For good reason, it took me awhile to get around to watching this one. First, I sensed it would be a let down from the trailer and plot synopsis, which pretty much showed it was going to be Inglorious Basterds, substitute Nazis for Slave Owners. Second, I don't like Jamie Foxx since his "Lord and Savior Barack Obama" statement, and third I could see it was only going to glorify more racial division, which it did.

Django Unchained follows slave turned freeman, gunslinger Django and the man who bought his freedom, Dr. King Schultz around the south. Schultz is a bounty hunter and he soon teaches Django the ways of the trade. Their journey leads them on a search for Django's long lost wife, and that search leads them to Candyland and Calvin Candie the ruthless, sadistic proprietor.

This has to be one the most overrated films of the last decade. Nothing happens, nothing. A German meets a slave, turns him into a bounty hunter and from there.... long conversations(entertaining at times, but for 2 hrs 45 mins you'd expect more) and blood, blood, blood, blood, and more blood.

The movie has a good look and I'd love to see Tarantino go full out Spaghetti Western, but overall it's not worth a damn. The acting is good, but the whole cast, as in most recent Tarantino movies, don't play real human beings, but caricatures. Christoph Waltz and Jamie Foxx(even though I don't like him, he truly is a good actor) give good performances as always, but stealing the show was Leonardo DiCaprio as the ruthless Candie. If only Tarantino didn't have to overblow every piece of this movie, the performances would have made it worth the look, but in the end, it was a waste of time.