A Million Ways to Die in the West review

A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST:

FAMILY GUY GOES TO THE OLD WEST!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

Seth Macfarlane (middle), Charlize Theron (right), and Liam Neeson (left) gun-slinging some crude jokes in A Million Ways to Die in the West

            Family Guy creator and director of Ted, Seth Macfarlane returns with his second film as a director, this time he takes all his crude jokes and pop cultural references to the old West in A Million Ways to Die in the West. Honestly, while I don’t think it’s as funny as Ted, I still it’s got some laugh out loud jokes and gags, despite some of it being very juvenile, but it’s sort of an expectation whenever Seth Macfarlane is involved.

            Set in Arizona, 1882, Seth plays a cowardly sheep farmer named Albert Stark, who after losing his beloved girlfriend, Louise (Amanda Seyfried-Les Miserables) to a mustached barber named Foy (Neil Patrick Harris-How I Met Your Mother, Harold & Kumar trilogy), challenges him to a duel. But there’s just one tiny problem, Albert has never fired a gun before.

            In comes sexy gun-slinging cowgirl, Anna (Charlize Theron-The Cider House Rules, Hancock, Prometheus) who teaches Albert how to shoot and soon enough he gains the courage and strength to win his girl back and save his town from a ruthless outlaw, Clinch Leatherwood (Liam Neeson-Taken, Non-Stop, Unknown).

            The film also stars Giovanni Ribisi (Avatar, Ted) as Albert’s best friend, Edward who has never seen a woman’s uterus before, the outrageous Sarah Silverman (The Sarah Silverman Program, Wreck-It Ralph) as prostitute and girlfriend of Edward, Ruth, and outrageous cameos by Christopher Lloyd reprising his iconic role as Doc Brown from the Back to the Future trilogy and comedian, Gilbert Godfried as Abraham Lincoln.

            Overall, for a second film by Macfarlane, A Million Ways to Die in the West delivered what I expected, crude and vulgar jokes that I probably shouldn’t laugh at, but couldn’t help it. Like I said, I didn’t think the jokes were as funny as the ones from Ted, but most of them get a good laugh, or an offensive reaction, either one is expected.

            However there is one particular cameo at the very end of the movie that will most likely cause you to fall on the floor laughing, I won’t dare give it away, but it’s a really funny cameo and probably the best one in the entire film.

            I can’t say, I recommend the film to everyone, trust me it’s extremely crude and often offensive humor, much like the humor in Family Guy, American Dad, The Cleveland Show, and especially Ted. If you can handle material like this and enjoyed Seth’s previous work, you may like it okay.

            But if you’re easily offended by vulgar content, I’d recommend you stay the F*ck away from this movie and go see The Other Woman instead.

            I personally thought it was funny for the most part, it does get really stupid and gross at times, but it makes up for it with some witty gags and quotes. Not as quotable as Ted, nor is it as hilarious of a Western-Comedy as Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles, but for a film with Seth’s humor thrown into the West, it’s done fine, take it for what it's worth and remember…People die at the fair.