A Million Ways To Die In The West – Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Chris Eberle

Synopsis

It’s 1882 in the Arizona town of Old Stump. Sheep farmer Albert (MacFarlane) is trying to live a quiet life with his girlfriend Louise. After he backs down from a gunfight, she dumps him in favor of the local moustache store proprietor. As he hits rock bottom, a mysterious woman rides into town and befriends him. As they grow closer, Albert gains confidence but then her villainous husband Clinch (Neeson) turns up looking for a fight. His bravery is put to the test in a final showdown.

Commentary

This film definitely falls into the category of raunchy comedy but it’s actually a decent western at the same time. You get outlaws, innocent townfolk, Indians, stage coach robberies, and lots of desolate landscape. There are also a few great side characters like Albert’s best friend Edward who is played by a hilarious Giovanni Ribisi. That brings me to an observation about actors who don’t typically do comedy. Charlize Theron is a tremendous actress but in this movie she was out of her element. It was obvious during her many scenes with Seth MacFarlane that she struggled with the nuances and timing that come naturally to a seasoned comic. Despite that I enjoyed her and all the cast members; most of whom are A-list talent.

All in all, it’s a fun movie for adults that leaves no comedic stone unturned. The jokes don’t hold anything back either. Pretty much every non-PC subject is satirized – sexism, racism, sex in general; you name it and this film jokes about it irreverently. It’s definitely not family entertainment but it is entertaining.

Technical

Video quality is solid in terms of contrast and detail but the color palette has obvious warmth that appears to have been added in post-production. Rather than shooting through lens filters, I believe the color was altered digitally. The end result is slightly pasty flesh-tones and less depth to the image. I did appreciate the bright lighting especially in outdoor scenes which are frequent. Darker material was also well-defined with good detail and deep blacks where appropriate.

The audio mix was about average for a modern film with a reasonably wide soundstage and great dynamics and detail. The surrounds and sub aren’t used much which makes it a little less immersive than it could be. I enjoyed the music very much. It’s a classic western-style score from Joel McNeely that captures the essence very well. Savvy listeners will hear the obvious references to songs of the era like Swing Low Sweet Chariot and the like.

Extras

Bonus features include an unrated version of the film that adds 18 minutes of footage. You also get an alternate opening and ending, deleted scenes, a gag reel, behind the scenes footage, and audio commentary with Charlize Theron, Seth MacFarlane, and two other screenwriters.