Film: A Million Ways to Die in the West, directed by Seth MacFarlane
Almost everything has gone funnyman Seth MacFarlane's way during the past few years. TV's Family Guy continues to roll on, his teddy bear flick Ted was a mega-box office smash and he's made his mark as a reliable chat show guest, and as a host of various entertainment industry back-slapping jamborees.
Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron
Director: Seth MacFarlane
Almost everything has gone funnyman Seth MacFarlane's way during the past few years. TV's continues to roll on, his teddy bear flick was a mega-box office smash and he's made his mark as a reliable chat show guest, and as a host of various entertainment industry back-slapping jamborees.
Along the way, this success has emboldened MacFarlane and he's cast aside any nuances his early work might have leaned towards, instead going for an all-out assault on his audience's senses and sensibilities.
The end result, as writ large throughout this attempt to turn the traditions of the western genre upside-down, is that it's become quite hard - almost impossible - for his audience now not to expect to be shocked. And that pretty much defeats the whole purpose of .
Here, MacFarlane finally puts himself front and centre before the cameras as a luckless schmuck who's lost his love and sets out - against the backdrop of the Wild West - to win her back again. He finds an unlikely friend in a fast-talking, fast-shootin' cowgirl (Charlize Theron) and, along the road to some sort of personal redemption, MacFarlane tries to strip back all the western conventions we have known and loved over the years.
So there's lots of violent death, dirt and crime and the wonderful Sarah Silverman being sorely underused as a hooker who tells it like it is. In fact, the line-up of cameos speaks volumes about the script's lack of depth - and even of originality given that stuck it to the genre back in 1974.
When things start to wear a little thin, the filmmakers trot out a friend (Silverman, Liam Neeson, and so on) and we're supposed to nod and wink at the absurdity of seeing them dressed up all old-timey.
That the MacFarlane-Theron pairing never really sparkles doesn't help matters much, the director/star overstepping the mark when it comes to his own talents as a leading man. Bring back the teddy bear.
: commentary with filmmakers; featurette; outtakes.
