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.