Where’s the innuendo, pardner?
Swift shot: This generation’s Blazing Saddles, it had a lot of great laughs, but lacked a true sympathetic hero. With Seth MacFarlane appearing in the flesh as a lead for the first time, he needed to be less a dick. Still a damn funny film; especially if you are pubescent and every time you hear the word vagina, you giggle like a fucktard. You’ll find no subtlety in this raunchy flick!
Albert (Seth MacFarlane) is a giant pussy, he handles all his confrontations by giving up and paying off his bullies. He is a sheep farmer who hasn’t so much as invested in a fence! His sheep are notorious for just roaming all over the small town of Oak Stump in the western frontier. Albert hates life in the West, and he reminds you about all the horrors it holds throughout the film. Thankfully, that joke never gets old. I can’t say the same for other running gags . . . speaking of gagging, I hope you aren’t squeamish. Yeah, you’ll see what I mean.
Neil Patrick Harris shines as the mustachioed, musical menace, Foy, and in one scene he really commits to comedy, two bowlers full! Yeah, you’ll see what I mean.
The lovely Amanda Seyfried plays Albert’s ex-gal, Louise who serves as the overall plot point for A Million Ways to Die in the West. Albert is trying to win her back. He enlists the help of his awkwardly postured Christian friend, Edward (Giovanni Ribisi) who is engaged to the skankiest prostitute in the town, Ruth . . . naturally played by the skankiest whore in Hollywood, Sarah Silverman. Sorry, Sarah, but you earned that . . . a few people walked out at the lucky handkerchief scene. Yeah, you’ll see what I mean.
What would a western be without a group of bad guys entering town to generally rob, pillage and kill? Clinch Leatherwood (ahem) played by Liam Neeson, who is arguably the baddest ass in this decade, decides to send his wife, Anna (Charlize Theron) into town to essentially scout it out or something. But, in the most vicious bar-fight ever filmed (kudos on that, Seth) Albert manages to save Anna from getting killed. Immediately, a strong friendship is formed.
Clinch discovers someone in the town is making nice with his woman. And, man, do I mean HIS woman – he makes that painfully obvious . . . he’s no daisy. Yeah, you’ll see what I mean.
Albert has to confront his fears, and with the help of Anna, figure out a way to best the meanest sunavabitch alive and get back Louise. I actually really liked the story itself, I liked how the classic The Man Who Shot Liberty Vallance theme was tinkered with, and how a strong woman in the film kept things on track. Seth does like those strong ladies. What I really enjoyed was that Seth actually gave the film an end . . . unlike the classic Blazing Saddles which just has the stupidest non-ending ever. It almost ruins the whole film for me.
I would be lying if I didn’t say I was laughing heartily many times, but I just couldn’t find any sympathy for Albert. All the bitching he did, ALL THE TIME, made me want all the “million ways to die” finally take him out! See, with Ted (which was a brilliant film) MacFarlane is just as much a dick, but he’s a lovable teddy bear. In this flick, you just see Seth MacFarlane (who is really a voice-actor) trying to carry the film. Yeah, you’ll see what I mean.
Maybe it isn’t fair to compare MacFarlane to the master, Brooks, because as some people have speculated, you couldn’t make Blazing Saddles today. Still, in one quick shot, MacFarlane does push the racial stereotype a bit far. But he reconciles it in a way that will have everyone talking as they tell all their friends to just go see the film. Yeah, you’ll see what I mean – but only if you see it for yourself! You are guaranteed a few great laughs, or you are guaranteed to be so disgusted, you’ll end up walking out. But, you’ll never know unless you see it. See what I mean?
