Critical Capsule: A Million Ways to Die in the West

Well, I saw A Million Ways to Die in the West. I am pretty sure I did not laugh at all. I suspect I will be in the minority, but the movie just did not work for me. It felt like a Family Guy cutaway that keeps going and going for nearly two hours. It is like observational stand-up, only difference is the guy is actually in the setting and pointing things out. The humor is similar to that one guy who thinks he is hilarious for pointing things out and if you don't laugh, he repeats it until you do.



This is no Blazing Saddles, which is the movie you should watch instead of this. I am certain the cast had a blast making the movie, and looks like Liam Neeson and Neil Patrick Harris are legitimately enjoying themselves, but as a movie (which should be the most important thing) it just fails. For one thing it is much too long and it felt it. Also, it suffers from a fate similar to Neighbors, the trailer is rather funny, but when you take the trailer contents and spread them out and give them context, they just fall flat.

I think part of it is Seth MacFarlane and his odd, featureless, marshmallow-like face. It looks like he did a little too much Botox, or is wearing a mask of himself. There is just something weird about him. Plus, he is not much of an actor, take away the animated characters and CG bears and you are left with him on the screen, explaining everything to us. At one point he tells a joke, walks off camera, then walks back and explains the joke. Ugh.

A Million Ways to Die in the West is just not fun by any stretch of the imagination. Perhaps play a game of spot the cameo and you can turn it into a drinking game. I have no desire to revisit this one again. At least Charlize Theron looks great.

Not Recommended.