Albert (Seth MacFarlane) is unhappy living on the American frontier. His girlfriend (Amanda Seyfried) has left him for the handsome owner of the Moustachery (Neil Patrick Harris) and is also bumming him out, as he is prone to discuss with his friends, strangers, or anyone who will listen, there are A Million Ways to Die in the West.
Among the multitude of dangers to avoid is the notorious gunslinger Clinch (Liam Neeson). When Clinch’s unhappy young wife Anna (Charlize Theron) befriends meek Albert, the confidence she bestows on him might just lead him into a whole heap of trouble.
We say, “It’s as funny as the shovel from whence it was scraped.”
TAYLOR: The fact that Seth MacFarlane is successful makes me wonder if the Illuminati is real. Perhaps there is some evil conspiracy to make the purveyors of mindless drivel rich, further perpetuating the dumbing-down of the younger generation via the basest forms of entertainment.
Having said that, A Million Ways to Die in the West is rated R, meaning that what I would consider to be the target audience of the film are unable to attend, but perhaps this is just wishful thinking. Perhaps we are already too late, the Roman circus is in full swing and all we can do is weep for the future. Perhaps I’m taking this a little too far.
HOWE: I would say you are not taking this far enough. I thought The Three Stooges was a terrible film, but this takes the biscuit. It gave me one smile out of a film that is one-and-a-half hours long and at a cost of $9.95 that is quite an expensive grin.
If you enjoy different degrees of poop jokes this is full of them and the movie itself is just like it.
TAYLOR: It’s not that the film is bad, technically, in all aspects except writing, it deserves a passing grade. It’s only when one considers the entertainment factor of the film that it shows its weakness.
A Million Ways to Die in the West could have been an exciting and beautiful western, paying appropriate homage for those of us who like the genre, it doesn’t even try. The film could have been funny, inventive and/or clever, considering the talent involved, it isn’t. It isn’t funny, not even in the slightest.
HOWE: He should have watched Mel Brook’s Blazing Saddles to get some inspiration.
– Taylor gives A Million Ways to Die in the West 1.5 diaper hats out of 5.
– Howe gives it 0.5 and that’s way too high of a score to give it out of 5.
