In "A Million Ways to Die in the West," director, co-writer, and star Seth MacFarlane tries and fails to be the Bob Hope and/or Mel Brooks of his generation with a flabbily made western spoof. Filming & Production Still, there's always Ted 2 to look forward to. Play the A Million Ways to Die in the West 8-bit Video Game. A Million Ways to Die in the West Photos View all photos Movie Info Mild-mannered sheep farmer Albert Stark (Seth MacFarlane) feels certain that the Western frontier is trying to kill him, then. A Million Ways To Die In The West certainly has merits, and in some ways, it is a step forward for MacFarlane, but it is also deeply undisciplined, and it undercuts its own best instincts in ways I find almost unbearably frustrating. I'm a little surprised that so many reviews of A Million Ways follow the theme of: "pretty disappointed funny but not hilarious not as good as I was hoping" etc. Production designer: Stephen J. Lineweaver There is no better example of this than the all-too lengthy scene involving Neil Patrick Harris getting the runs during the gunfight. A sheep farmer whose fickle girlfriend, Louise, leaves him when he backs out of a gunfight, Albert feels like a chump. The shooting gallery at the fair has only 10 targets (2 rows of five), but Anna shoots 12 for a perfect score. Wherever you stand on Macfarlane's televisual endeavours, translating from one medium to another is notoriously difficult. This is supposed to be a comedy. Anna then spends the week teaching Albert how to shoot. Wellesley Wild, Release Date (Theaters): All Rights Reserved. The thing that made me chuckle the most was the "runaway slave" shooting gallery because it WAS funny and audacious to put in a movie. Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations. Seth MacFarlane, Tap "Sign me up" below to receive our weekly newsletter [15] The joke evolved into "riffing on the idea of how dull, depressing, and dangerous it must have been to live in the Wild West. Even though I knew that he could not be killed, being the corner stone of the movie, I was secretly wishing for his character to die a horrible death some of the supporting characters were suffering. Starring Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried, Neil Patrick Harris, and Liam Neeson, the film features an all-star cast. Bluegrass Films. I'm appalled. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on October 7, 2014, and earned more than $15 million in home media sales. It's a tale of the good, the bad and the funny in Liam Neeson's new comedy, "A Million Ways to Die in the West." The Oscar-nominated actor known for playing good guys is the big baddie,. A Million Ways to Die in the West is a 2014 novelization by Seth MacFarlane based on the film of the same name, written by MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin, and Wellesley Wild . Coming Soon, Regal Django Freeman steps up and shoots the man dead. [47], A Million Ways to Die in the West received mixed to negative reviews from critics. Many modern westerns go for a gritty and earthy approach, eschewing the nostalgia of John Ford and John Wayne, but very few dramatic westerns dwell on the fine points of sudden, horrible death by anything other than a gun. [61], Rene Rodriguez of the Miami Herald gave the film one star, commenting, "There are enough laughs scattered throughout A Million Ways to Die in the West that while you're watching it, the movie seems like a passable comedy. it seemed like they took a little "Family Guy" humor, their take on "Blazing Saddles", and threw in parts of Sarah Silverman's act and mix them all up with modern references and some off color humor and you have the film I saw tonight. And trust me, that one star was given grudgingly.If nothing else, this picture clearly shows how far down the ladder of creativity movie making has fallen. A Million Ways to Die in the West $3.99 $14.99 Available at a lower price from other sellers that may not offer free Prime shipping. Instead of including this scene, MacFarlane instead opted to go with one last cameo, shooting a quick scene featuring Jamie Foxx as his character from Quentin Tarantinos Django Unchained. Streaming on Roku. maybe slip a note under his door? [11], Principal photography began on May 6, 2013. As expected, i ran to watch this movie - who is not dying to see a movie by Seth MacFarlane? If you havent seen the film, read on at your own risk! A good way of illustrating the central problem with this film is to be found in Dwarfing USA, a DVD documentary about the ill-fated American version of Red Dwarf. In hindsight, it was a very bad idea to allow Macfarlane to direct, produce, write and star in this film. All A Million Ways to Die in the West Videos. have made him as successful as the creators of The Simpsons, earning him millions of fans and an equal number of critics, both professional and public. Most of the biggest gags in A Million Ways - in other words, the ones that made the trailer - are lowest common denominator fare designed to get a quick shock and a shameful laugh. The central idea of A Million Ways isn't exactly a bad one. Mel Brooks understood that comedy is often borne out of human misery, and used even its silliest moments to poke fun at Western stereotypes. Most dreadful EVER- dire just doesn't do it justice! advised him about his acting? Just as was with Ted, so it is with Macfarlane's second film, A Million Ways to Die in the West (hereafter A Million Ways). But when she leaves him for the more successful and handsome owner of a moustachery store, Albert returns to his lonely daily life of trying to avoid death. "[62] John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter criticized the film's running time: "Though the film is hardly laugh-free, its uneven jokes appear to have breezed through a very forgiving editing process. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, And on the topic of the long-running bawdy animated show created by MacFarlane, Neeson said that about 10 years ago, there was an episode that poked fun at the actor and his brogue. Talking about the movies ending at a recent press conference after being asked why the film didnt include an ode to the stereotypical Mexican character in Westerns, the director detailed the deleted scene: "There was a bit at the end where Neil and Amanda, because of the shitting in the hat, he has to leave town because hes so embarrassed. What is the Japanese language plot outline for A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014)? A decade-plus CinemaBlend veteran who is endlessly enthusiastic about the career hes dreamt of since seventh grade. 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During the brawl, Albert saves Anna from being crushed to death, and the two become close friends. CorralAnd How It Changed the American West as an "invaluable resource," and basis for many of the ways of dying in the film. I don't know how long this took to film but everyone in it could have made better use of their time had they stood around and chucked rocks down a sink hole. Tom Baker got away with this in some of the weaker episodes of Doctor Who because he was charismatic and appealing enough to make us believe that the Doctor was really that clever. it was a waste of time and left me stunned in disappointment! Not so romantic? After Albert backs out of a gunfight, his fickle girlfriend leaves him for another man. "A million ways to die in the west" is a movie that suffers from four major problems, all of them closely connected. I hope I will forget it fast. When a mysterious and beautiful woman rides into town, she helps him find his courage and they begin to fall in love. Starring: Seth MacFarlane,Charlize Theron,Liam Neeson. Jason Clark, Writer: Read critic reviews. They got my dollar this time but they will never get another one. A Million Ways to Die in the West works best in its early scenes, when MacFarlane is devoting his energy to mocking Western cliches. Scott Stuber, By the time you get home, though, you can barely remember the jokes. The marketplace doesnt seem to be crying out for Westerns, after all be they earnest revivals, satires, or genre hybrids involving extra-terrestrials and the undeniably of-his-moment MacFarlane is, as the script indirectly admits, a strange fit for the genre. "[50] Another review aggregation website, Metacritic, gave a score of 44 out of 100, based on reviews from 43 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". What were they thinking? Gratuitous vulgarity, nothing really funny about it unless your a depraved pre-teen boy. NY 10036. In an interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Neeson remarked that he made this demand because an episode of MacFarlane's Family Guy had previously made a joke out of the juxtaposition of Neeson playing a cowboy with an Irish accent. [3], The film grossed $16.8 million in its opening weekend, finishing in third place at the box office behind fellow newcomer Maleficent and the previous weekend's opener X-Men: Days of Future Past. And I blushed quite a few times too," Neeson admitted. We live in a terrible place and time, Albert tells friends Edward (Giovanni Ribisi) and Ruth (Sarah Silverman), assessing his surroundings as if seeing medical and social realities through our eyes. I can not understand what made me sit through all of it. And they must have because here is plainly the result. He retires to the saloon, but Clinch arrives and reveals that Anna is his wife, threatening to kill more people unless his wife's lover duels him the next day. ", "IFMCA: the International Film Music Critics Association IFMCA Winners 2014", "RAZZIES Celebrate 35 Years of Worst Achievements in Film with Inclusive Nominee List and New "Redeemer" Award", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A_Million_Ways_to_Die_in_the_West&oldid=1151982839, "If Youve Only Got a Moustache" (composed by, Christopher Hagen as George Stark, Albert's abusive father, Dylan Kenin as Pastor's Son, who is killed by Lewis in the bar, This page was last edited on 27 April 2023, at 12:48. "[53] "While the whole thing feels weirdly miscalculated to me, A Million Ways to Die in the West tweaks the formula just enough, delivers a few laughs and keeps the guest stars coming," wrote Salon columnist Andrew O'Hehir. I am a fan of Seth Macfarlane's TV shows, movies and stand up work but this has to be the worst comedy since The Love Guru. It's 'Family Guy' humor.". Okay, first of all, I don't really belong to this film's intended audience. However, a beautiful, pistol-packing woman named Anna (Charlize Theron) rides into town and helps Albert find his inner courage. Production companies: Bluegrass Films, Fuzzy Door Productions One assumes Anna knows how much money Ted will make in 130 or so years and wants to get in on the ground floor. Development [ edit] On January 27, 2014, MacFarlane announced that he wrote a companion novel based on the film's script, which was released on March 4, 2014. It's a tale of the good, the bad and the funny in Liam Neeson's new comedy, "A Million Ways to Die in the West." During a barn dance the night before the duel, Anna gives Foy a Mickey. Said MacFarlane, "The gag is so quick, I dont think a lot of people know its him, but thats good.". Its arguable that this wasnt a great move from a storytelling perspective, especially since the scene that didnt make the cut does sound kind of funny, but the Foxx cameo was a fun one. [22] [48][49] Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 33% rating based on 211 reviews, with an average score of 4.90/10. This guy has an ego the size of Montana and this dung heap of a film shows beyond doubt it's not justified. [23] On May 10, it was announced that the film would be co-financed by Media Rights Capital and Fuzzy Door Productions, along with Bluegrass Films and distributed by Universal Studios. While both filmmakers brought modern dialogue to an historic setting, Macfarlane doesn't do anything constructive with this conceit. It's made worse by the fact the person claims they're not a Seth McFarlane fan and then immediately gushing about his hilarious history. A Million Ways to Die in the West is an awkwardly paced, overly long, and wildly uneven film. It's as if a bunch of dirty-minded, foul-mouth juveniles got together and decided to make a movie and put in it every goofy, dirty, idiotic, dumb idea and utterance they could think of. The Apaches spare him when he reveals that he can speak their language. What Does Bruce Campbell Think About A Crossover? [17] Tippett Studio was hired to work on the film's visual effects. Heres how it works. The sad thing is not only was it not funny the first time they chose to do it again and again in different ways. There's nothing inherently wrong with jokes about poo, vomiting, farting or sexual intercourse, but you have to package them in a certain way to stop the comedy becoming about shock value for shock value's sake. Even if Macfarlane's ambitions didn't extend to a full-on reworking of Thomas Hobbes, he could have taken this central idea further. A Million Ways to Die in the West: Official Clip - Great Scott! [51], Claudia Puig's review in USA Today was largely positive, writing, "A Western with a contemporary sensibility and dialogue that sounds markedly modern, A Million Ways to Die in the West is quintessential MacFarlane, at once silly and witty, juvenile and clever. Comedy Western As a cowardly farmer begins to fall for the mysterious new woman in town, he must put his newly found courage to the test when her husband, a notorious gun-slinger, announces his arrival. The performers are a talented group for whom I had the highest respect until now. A talent like Charlize Theron in a movie like this i would have to say the worst movie i have seen in a very long time no acting whatsoever nothing to take away except what sounded like a genuine laugh from Charlize when they were watching the sunset after eating pot biscuits. If a majority of the people dislike something but you like it, guess what, that's ok! A Million Ways to Die in the West is a disappointingly scattershot affair which will entertain Macfarlane fans but leave the rest of us with half-remembered frustration. At a recent press conference held in Los Angeles for A Million Ways To Die In The West, Charlize Theron revealed that she was the one responsible for the random appearance of Ewan McGregor in the comedy. Take one long, boring, crude, tasteless bathroom and bodily function joke after another, add the tiresome "F Word" in every other sentence, cast a homely round faced sweaty slob as the lead, use a poorly written, clich-ridden script, and what do you have? have no one of the filming crew told him anything? Western, Fuzzy Door Productions, So he agreed.". Of course, Ewan McGregor wasnt the only cameo in the film, and one of the other great ones was the quick appearance by Ryan Reynolds. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). "So when Seth called me to ask if I'd do (the movie), I said, 'I'll do it on condition that I do it in a very broad Irish accent.' All music is composed by Joel McNeely, except as noted. Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Charlize Theron, Liam Neeson, Neil Patrick Harris, Sarah Silverman, Seth MacFarlane Summary: After a cowardly sheep farmer backs out of a gunfight, his fickle girlfriend leaves him for another man. MacFarlane's take on the Western is considerably tamer than that of earlier smart-aleck postmodernists. As the story goes, the Scottish star was in the neighborhood during the production of MacFarlane's movie, starring in Gavin O'Connor's Jane Got A Gun. [14], A Million Ways to Die in the West grossed $43.1 million in North America and $43.3 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $86.4 million, against its $40 million budget. It's so hopelessly bad. Cinematographer: Michael Barrett | I am not a prude and have done my share of telling and enjoying off color jokes but someone ought to explain that a joke like a story deserves thought and intelligence. I felt so embarrassed for all who took part in this movie. Explained the director, "We needed Liams character to kill a guy in the saloon to scare everybody and we thought, well this Ryan Reynolds thing in Ted went over so well. Dumped by his longtime sweetheart Louise (Amanda Seyfried), Albert is about ready to leave town when he meets Anna (Charlize Theron), a newcomer who appreciates his gentle personality in a way locals dont. Filming began on May 6, 2013, in various locations in New Mexico including Albuquerque and Santa Fe, and it concluded on August 9 that year. The storyline was unoriginal, boring, and predictable. Copyright Fandango. The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Somebody should build a wall.". [21] Neeson, who nearly always suppresses his Irish accent when acting, agreed to play the part of Clinch only on the condition that he could use his Irish accent. Not so romantic? The film follows a cowardly frontiersman who gains courage with the help of a female gunfighter and must use his newfound skills in a confrontation with her villainous outlaw husband. Among People's Choice Nominees, Plus Find Out Who's Hosting! "It's quite romantic," Neeson said of his character's name during a visit to TODAY Monday. Bluegrass Films, Sound Mix: I can't tell you if C.Theron and L.Neeson are in there. Albert's (played by Seth MacFarlane) rants in the first 30 minutes of the movie were not funny, as he so desperately tried to make them. This wasnt always the case with the film, however, as its been revealed that the Western comedy has an ending that wasnt shown in theaters. And by producing it, alongside good friends Scott Stuber and Jason Clark, there is no-one to rein him in when he starts being narratively flatulent as well as comedically so. If we disregard the jokes for the moment - difficult as that may be - we find ourselves coming back to the issue with the characters. If this movie didn't have an R rating, all the farts and toilet humor would be hilarious to a 12 year old but they wore really thin after the first 2 or 3 attempts. Vulgar -- yes, but just not funny. But they did. But no matter how many jokes he can produce, or how long he chooses to play these jokes out for, they cannot solve the underlying problems: the story and the characters. A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014) Full Cast & Crew See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Directed by Seth MacFarlane Writing Credits Cast (in credits order) complete, awaiting verification Produced by Music by Joel McNeely Cinematography by Michael Barrett . (1955), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), and El Dorado (1966). Adding to Albert's distress and feelings of inadequacy, Louise takes up with the town's most . wide, Release Date (Streaming): Western, Original Language: As we previously wrote about, this scene was partially included as a means of "buying back" one of the more offensive jokes in the movie: the runaway slave shooting gallery. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "A Million Ways to Die in the West" is a moronic 2. MacFarlane plays a character who spends the entire movie showing how enlightened he is by complaining about how terrible life in the West is - but he could only know this if he had experienced life AFTER that period, and therefore had something to compare it with. I want to start by saying that I am easily entertained and usually am a Seth Macfarland fan but he can not act! The American West is a horrible place in time, where anything can kill you as you try to protect your sheep from wolves and other . When Albert gets high on peyote with the Indians, that's when the movie totally goes off the rails.
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