A Million Ways to Die in the West - 2.5 out of 5 29 May 14 / MA15+ / 116 mins This western spoof from Seth McFarlane (creator of Family Guy and box-office smash Ted) has two major flaws. To begin with, it asks the audience to believe that a mug like McFarlane could snag both Amanda Seyfried and then a smoking hot Charlize Theron. If you can suspend your disbelief enough to get past that, there’s still the broader, more crucial problem to contend with: this flick is just not that funny. With belly laughs you can count on one hand (including an admittedly hilarious moment of juvenile toilet humour featuring Neil Patrick Harris), a large portion of the film’s runtime is made up of gags falling just shy of the mark or sequences that are surprisingly joke-free. Like Ted, there’s an underlying message to be found – here it’s one of not selling your self short – and McFarlane admirably attempts to create a few serious moments based around this idea, yet it’s only mildly successful and unfortunately a tad dull. Where A Million Ways really gains back points though is with the top-notch cast: McFarlane proves he can do more than just funny voices in his first physical acting role as cowardly sheep-farmer Albert, Theron is seductive and tough as cowgirl Anna, Liam Neeson sneers up a storm as the snarling gunslinger Clinch, Patrick Harris is suitably pompous as the moustache-loving businessman Foy, Giovanni Ribisi is sweetly naïve as Albert’s bestie Edward and Sarah Silverman is game for anything as a hooker with a heart of gold. It’s almost saved by its impressive acting ensemble and a few choice cameos, but even for fans of McFarlane (me included) this movie is disappointingly below par.
Posted on: Mon, 02 Jun 2014 12:15:20 +0000
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