Movie Review - A Million Ways To Die In The West

A Million Ways To Die In The West (2014)

Blue Grass Films / Fuzzy Door Productions / Media Rights Capital / RGB Media / Reel Chefs Catering : Universal Pictures / KVH Media Group

4.5 / 10

This is one of the many movies where the trailer is better than the film because it eradicates all the superfluous parts, which in this instance is a lot.

The concept of the story should have allowed for a variety of humour but once again the writer decided to stick to puerile adult toilet humour.  Don't get me wrong, I like this kind of humour and some of it does make me guffaw, though I find many "Comedy" films are relying on it too much and this commonplaceness turns it stale.

Seth MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin, and Wellesley Wild, also seem to run out of these type of jokes and try to extend them until they become cringeworthy and dullened.  The point in case being Giovanni Ribisi's character Edward and his relationship with his fiance Ruth, played by Sarah Silverman.  Edward and Ruth are truly in love and are waiting to get married, in the eyes of God, before they celebrate their love conjugally.  The problem being that Ruth is a whore in the saloon, who does the best business in town.  This conflict is funny when first used, though by the third time it's starting to wear thin, then it just isn't funny anymore.  These writers know how to kill jokes (another way to Die In The West).

However, credit where credit is due, the planting of the flower is pretty funny.

Though some of Seth MacFarlane's jokes fall short his directing skills are pretty solid as he does more than a decent job throughout.

There's some serious acting talent in the film, though I do feel as though the characters could have been a little stronger.  The main bad guy, the gunslinger Clinch, played by Liam Neeson, doesn't come off mean enough.  He should be somebody to be scared of but he isn't.  Charlize Theron, who plays Anna, should've been a lot tougher than portrayed.  The west was a savage and dangerous place and she was Clinch's woman.  The only characters which come out of this film correctly are Seth MacFarlane, who does a decent act as the cowardly farmer, who doesn't farm, Giovanni Ribisi and Sarah Silverman who do well adding a depth to their characters.  Even though Neil Patrick Harris does a decent job with the character of Foy, it does seem to be very similar to other characters he's portrayed - and the moustache song... really(?) 

Though, the decent acting ability and direction cannot make up of the dullness of the script, missed opportunities to be funny, and overused and tiresome jokes.

Unless there's nothing else worth watching I would stay away from this dud of a movie.

Movie Review - Wild Target

Wild Target (2010)

Isle of Man Film / Matador Pictures / Cinema Four : Entertainment One / Paramount Home Entertainment / Vue Entertainment

6/10

This film should have been great... but it isn't.

The beginning is brilliant, well written, directed, and acted.  The laughs come at a steady pace - slapstick, visual, and spoken - every type of comedy is catered for in the first half of the film.  I was so happy I'd decided to watch this film...

...then the middle section came and everything fell apart.

Actors can only carry the weight of the project so much, they are reliant on good writing and direction.  I don't know what exactly happened while shooting the film but as soon as our merry band of miscreants take shelter at the assassin's home the change is so visible.  All the comedic elements dry up, the writing gets weaker, and the direction becomes sloppy.  It's as if they'd changed crew.

That said Bill Nighy, playing Victor Maynard does a great portrayal of a man alone and detached from the rest of the world.  He is single minded and guided in his ambition to remain as the greatest assassin in the world, just like his father before him.  Emily Blunt is splendid as the con-woman and thief, Rose.  The scene where Victor follows her is truly brilliant and worth watching.  She is very savvy and street-wise and could talk herself out of any situation and possibly sell ice to an Inuit.  Rupert Grint is the bumbling "Ordinary Joe" who gets caught up in the couples twists and turns; and love the idea of becoming the "assassins apprentice".

The only other reason I can give for the debarkle is that the original French script, "Cible EmouVante" didn't translate as well as it should and each country has its own kind of humour; what works in France doesn't always work here in England.

If it's on telly and the weather outside is dreadful then you could do worse than watching this.  Who knows you may even enjoy it in its entirety.

Movie Review - Sex Tape

Sex Tape (2014)

Escape Artists / Sony Pictures Entertainment : Columbia Pictures / Warner Brothers / Walt Disney Studios.

6 / 10

Married with children, booking slots so you can have personal time with your significant other, only for something to happen to ruin the mood.  If this sounds like you then you will probably enjoy this bawdy comedy.

Our ordinary couple Annie and Jay finally get some time to themselves, as Mrs C would say, "...to get Frisky!"  Only trouble is they just can't perform as neither of their hearts are in it and they're not in the mood.  Then they have the wonderful idea of making a "Sex Tape" using their iPad.  With the thought of this little bit of kinkiness, the clothes come off and the evenings fun begins.  For four hours straight they act out all the Joy of Sex positions.

The next day, feeling less stressed and considerably happy Jay learns that the tape has been sent to all his business clientele, for whom he'd given iPads that were synced to his own.  He'd even given the postman one for Christmas and it was his e-mail saying how much he'd enjoyed the video that drops the penny in Jay's skull.

From here on in it's a race to delete all the movies before people can see them, especially Annie's new boss Hank, played by Rob Lowe.

American comedy has a potential to be immature and puerile when it comes to sex, staying in the realms of "toilet" humour.  However, this film is a couple of notches above that and, at times, is quite funny with an adult resolve.  The cast do an excellent job, especially Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel in the lead roles.  

It's the story and direction which let the story down, though.  There's not enough laughs in the main body of the film to really carry it and it could have done with some more twists and turns.  Strange thing is, the funniest part of the film, which had me laughing my arse off, was at the end of the movie.  It's the sex scene's from the "Sex Tape" Annie and Jay make.  Why the director decided to put them at the end of the movie is a quandary as, had they been in the scene where they make the video, it would've added some much-needed laughter at the correct point in the film.  This is a major fail in a comedy film.  However, they didn't make the cutting room floor, and they really did make me howl, so I upped the score of the film.

This is a fun film to watch with your loved one, especially if you're middle-aged and can relate to the situation.