A Million Ways to Die in the West
1882, Old Stump Arizona, sheep farmer Albert (Seth MacFarlane) has just lost the love of his life, Louise (Amanda Seyfried), to the local mustache merchant Foy (Neil Patrick Harris). In an attempt to pull Albert from his heartsick slump, friends Edward, Ruth, and Anna (Giovanni Ribisi, Sarah Silverman, Charlize Theron), make the attempt to show Louise just what a catch she’s given up. But, there’s a million ways to die in the west, and, if a snake bite or broken heart doesn’t get you first there’s always the outlaw/murderer, Clinch (Liam Neeson). Then again, maybe Albert’s had it all wrong, what will set him on the right path, and will it keep him alive to see next week?
Closer to a neurotic Woody Allen character, the bumbling Albert’s slapstick and juvenile humor falls short of what we’ve come to expect from the usually pointed, satirical, and witty MacFarlane. That isn’t to say the whole film is a wash, but all too often laugh out loud moments fall short for gross out humor instead. And, similar to bits that run on too long in MacFarlane’s other work, whole scenes run on unchecked. Still the overall flavor of the good ole western comes alive, if even for only a minute. Keep polishing, keep refining, and keep panning for gold Seth, you can produce better than this. Matinee or rental. A Million Ways to Die in the West is rated R.