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. "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.' Perhaps thats because shes secretly betrothed to the meanest cuss in these parts, a bandit called Clinch (Liam Neeson), who has sent her here to hide out while he dodges the law for a spell. Trust me, you'd have a better time sitting out in a puddle playing in the mud than you'd have in this dirt- poor excuse for a movie. It's 'Family Guy' humor.". It turns out that Clinch rides back into town to se. | Taken abstractly, there is no way in hell that Anna would end up with Albert, and shaping him as the lesser of two evils over Clinch is not only stupid, it's downright misogynistic. The Oscar-nominated actor known for playing good guys is the big baddie, a gun-slinging outlaw named Clinch Leatherwood. This version also has even more footage in deleted scenes, and an alternate beginning and ending. Your Ticket Confirmation # is located under the header in your email that reads "Your Ticket Reservation Details". Seth MacFarlane directs, produces, co-writes and plays the role of the cowardly sheep farmer Albert in A Million Ways to Die in the West. There are far more deserving movies you can spend time watching. Among People's Choice Nominees, Plus Find Out Who's Hosting! Coming Soon. And while a lot of the comedy is funny, the jokes are often taken too far or spoiled by some random bit of nonsense. Inside the 'Million Ways to Die in the West' Premiere': Bluegrass, Mallets and Seth MacFarlane The Western-themed afterparty in Westwood featured music from American Primitive and attracted. Underneath all the buffoonery and fart jokes, there was a believable relationship between Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder, who were part of a story with genuine tension, stakes and even pathos. He could have done any number of things - but as usual he settles for the cheap gag and the fast buck over anything involving either thought or genuine creativity. All I can say is--if this is considered a successful or even an entertaining movie, then what is this country coming to? A Million Ways to Die in the West: Official Clip - Ways to Die 2:24 Added . This is supposed to be a comedy. I always found them boring, stuck in simple clichd storytelling, full of ugly dirty characters with poor dental hygiene and appalling standards of personal grooming. Terrible film, so easy to make me laugh with good jokes, i am a very positive person who always see the full part of the glass, but this movie is just too bad, awful. Seth MacFarlane mightve picked a safer place to make his lead-acting debut than A Million Ways to Die in the West, his directorial follow-up to 2012s surprisingly successful Ted. The central dynamic is simply a lazy and boring regurgitation of the Judd Apatow formula - namely a romance in which a schlubby, incompetent, shallow and cretinous guy ends up with the beautiful, smart, resourceful woman for no good reason. The adult sexual humor was so sophomoric that I'm sure only those under 12 thought it was funny. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, All Rights Reserved. [58], Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune criticized MacFarlane's acting and direction as: "A failure of craft. A Million Ways to Die in the West is an awkwardly paced, overly long, and wildly uneven film. Director Seth MacFarlane Writers Seth MacFarlane Alec Sulkin Wellesley Wild Stars Seth MacFarlane Charlize Theron Liam Neeson This wasn't it. Add Redbox. 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. [45], A Million Ways to Die in the West was released via DVD and Blu-ray on October 7, 2014. They got my dollar this time but they will never get another one. [30] The film shoot was difficult, as the cast and crew navigated rough weather: "everything from hailstorms to blistering heat to arctic winds and torrential rainstorms. Stay up-to-date on all the latest Rotten Tomatoes news! I hope I will forget it fast. 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? Meanwhile, Clinch recaptures Anna in town, but Albert returns to Old Stump and confronts him. Cinemablend is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 'A Million Ways to Die in the West': Film Review Surface . However, I could barely sit through the entirety of AMWTDITW without nearly nodding off or wanting to leave the theater completely. A Million Ways to Die in the West: Trailer 1 - Rotten Tomatoes If you were to guess that it will be included on the Blu-ray, then you are absolutely right - as confirmed by MacFarlane following his description. 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. 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. [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. I struggled to find it funny. A Million Ways To Die In The West is in theaters now. By creating an account, you agree to the It's so hopelessly bad. 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.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.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. John Waters knew this, Mel Brooks knew this, even the Farrelly Brothers knew this - but clearly it's something that Macfarlane still has to learn. The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. 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. Albert loses, but Anna steps in and defeats Foy. The Man Of Steel Improv Choice That Led To Martian Manhunter In The SnyderVerse, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisels Michael Zegen Reveals The Unexpected Way He Learned About Joels Fate, How Wolf Entertainment's New Cop Drama Will Be Fundamentally Different From Chicago P.D. Hopefully, someone will see and heed my review and save themselves some money! A Million Ways to Die in the West - Wikipedia 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. For some, he is a witty, ingenious writer and performer with a gift for puncturing egos; for others, he is nasty, derivative, mean-spirited and crass, whose work lacks the narrative coherency of his betters. "[60] Scott Foundas of Variety found the film "overlong and uninspired," criticizing the film's "lazy writing," and MacFarlane's "surprisingly bland" comic performance. You can imagine him sitting in a writers' meeting for hours, writing down every funny thing that occurred to him and ticking them off a huge list as he tried to fit them all in. [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. While both filmmakers brought modern dialogue to an historic setting, Macfarlane doesn't do anything constructive with this conceit. Alec Sulkin, Not so romantic? A Million Ways to Die in the West: Official Clip - Sh**ty Showdown, A Million Ways to Die in the West: Official Clip - If You've Only Got a Moustache, A Million Ways to Die in the West: Official Clip - You Really Do Have a Death Wish. "The more serious I was, the funnier I was," the actor explained. Heres how it works. When Albert gets high on peyote with the Indians, that's when the movie totally goes off the rails. | Quickie Review: After the massive success of Ted, director Seth MacFarlane returns to make another comedy feature film, in which he is also the star. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "A Million Ways to Die in the West" is a moronic 2. Please don't waste your money on this like I did. Most dreadful EVER- dire just doesn't do it justice! Regal But Macfarlane shows us far too much, repeating the same joke over and over without progressing the scene, and then giving us the totally unnecessarily close-up of the hat full of faeces. Albert Stark is a soft man in hard times who is trying to figure out how to escape this godforsaken frontier that seems to be trying to kill him-and everyone else in it-at every turn. A Million Ways To Die In The West reunites MacFarlane with many of the filmmakers behind Ted, including Scott Stuber (Bluegrass Films) and Jason Clark who produce, and Wellesley Wild and Alec . Naylor said to the writers present: "It doesn't matter how many one-liners you think of, it's not going to solve the problem. But the performances are weak, due in part to the writing. After the success of Ted (which I thought was decent) MacFarlane obviously thought he could do no wrong but 'A Million Ways to Die in the West' brings him crashing back to Earth in spectacular fashion. Fuzzy Door Productions, A Million Ways to Die in the West - Goodreads Oh dear. So even though the . [29] Principal photography ended on August 9, 2013. His central performance is flat and weak, with no real character development and a cocky, chauvinistic quality which makes him unappealing. Casting was done between December 2012 and March 2013. well as it turns out, most people i talked to and watched this bore actually wished that they died in the west, so add another way to die in the west: watching "A Million Ways to Die in the West" some jokes are not bad, and there 1 excellent scene, the "Mustache" dance, the only problem is Seth, what a terrible actor! Costume designer: Cindy Evans [47], A Million Ways to Die in the West received mixed to negative reviews from critics. Even if Macfarlane's ambitions didn't extend to a full-on reworking of Thomas Hobbes, he could have taken this central idea further. The jokes were tired, predictable and drawn out. Still, there's always Ted 2 to look forward to. By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie. As the story goes, the Scottish star was in the neighborhood during the production of MacFarlanes movie, starring in Gavin OConnors Jane Got A Gun. "[63] Joe Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal too found the film's length "exhausting," noting, "Some of it sputters, settling for smiles instead of laughs, and much of it flounders while the slapdash script searches [] for ever more common denominators in toilet humor. And I blushed quite a few times too," Neeson admitted. with updates on movies, TV shows, Rotten Tomatoes podcast and more. have no one of the filming crew told him anything? The soundtrack was released by Back Lot Music on May 27, 2014. I quit about 10 minutes in. 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." 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. "[56] Michael O'Sullivan at The Washington Post was mixed, deeming the film a "broad, wildly hit-or-miss satire," remarking that he found few of the jokes in the film funny. Doug Naylor, who co-created the original series, recalled being in a room of writers from The Simpsons and Cheers, and being berated for wanting to work on character construction rather than coming up with gags. 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. And Law And Order. ", "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. advised him about his acting? A Million Ways to Die in the West | TNTdrama.com 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. Oct 7, 2014, Box Office (Gross USA): Filming & Production "[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. The Oscar-nominated actor known for playing good guys is the big baddie, a gun-slinging outlaw named Clinch Leatherwood. maybe slip a note under his door? Why some talented actors would lend themselves to this drivel is beyond me and beyond anyone who enjoys real comedy. Seth MacFarlane might've picked a safer place to make his lead-acting debut than A Million Ways to Die in the West, his directorial follow-up to 2012's surprisingly successful Ted.The . There are too many ways to die out here, he laments though most of the shock-violence gags the movie employs demonstrate the risks not of living in an age before modern medicine but of inhabiting a world whose authors arent terribly gifted at slapstick. 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. Mel Brooks understood that comedy is often borne out of human misery, and used even its silliest moments to poke fun at Western stereotypes. In the United States, the film has grossed $8,336,420 from DVD sales and $6,739,162 from Blu-ray sales, making a total of $15,075,582. [31] The theme song "A Million Ways to Die" is performed by Alan Jackson. A Million Ways to Die in the West, review - Seth MacFarlane's first novel The highest-paid TV writer in history has written a weird western that had Harry Ritchie ploughing through brothel. The problem with this film is that it didn't actually appear to understand what it wanted to be. Paul Schrader Wants to Make Another Movie. 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It's very tempting to treat any film project as merely an excuse to get in more of the same material, or to allow the jokes to run on for longer than a 20-minute episode would usually permit. He is simply an obnoxious, irritating and useless man who does not deserve any of the good stuff that happens to him. On March 18, it was announced that Sarah Silverman was cast to play a prostitute in the film. [22] [16] Other westerns that inspired MacFarlane and the crew during writing included Oklahoma! how can anyone be so bad? For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. The sad thing is not only was it not funny the first time they chose to do it again and again in different ways. Alright, so"), but found that McGregor and his grown facial hair fit right in with the townspeople of Old Stump. Foy publicly humiliates Albert, who impulsively challenges Foy to a duel in a week's time to win back Louise. "[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". 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. The romance plot could hardly be more familiar, but at least it plays out against a landscape so dramatic one almost suspects the filmmakers composited a few extra sandstone formations into Monument Valley. "[59] Richard Corliss of Time called the film a "sagebrush comedy whose visual grandeur and appealing actors get polluted by some astonishingly lazy writing. A.I. 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. By the time you get home, though, you can barely remember the jokes. The image is an example of a ticket confirmation email that AMC sent you when you purchased your ticket. What is the Japanese language plot outline for A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014)? "A million ways to die in the west" is a movie that suffers from four major problems, all of them closely connected. There is definitely potential in making a film about the Wild West as a place where people can die suddenly without good reason or means of moral justification - a sort of 19th-century Leviathan, but with jokes. He stopped by the Million Ways To Die In The West set just to make an appearance, and it was then that Theron decided to offer him a part. I do not understand why Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried, Liam Neeson, Giovanni Ribisi, Neil Patrick Harris, Ewan McGregor, Ryan Reynolds and many other actors and actresses needed to be a part of this uninspiring and very, very bad project. As it is, it looks and feels for all the world like the writer plucked the resolution out of his arsw, shoehorned the plot around it and then explained it to death, killing the joke in the process. Western, Fuzzy Door Productions, When a sheep herder who hates the West saves a young lady during a bar fight they strike up a friendship that helps him gain some self-confidence. Do not, under any circumstances, waste your time and money on this trash. He stopped by the Million Ways To Die In. Haha! A Million Ways to Die in the West is a 2014 American Western black comedy film directed by Seth MacFarlane and written by MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild. 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. "It's quite romantic," Neeson said of his character's name during a visit to TODAY Monday. What a waste of time. I thought Charlize Theron and Liam Neeson were fine with a lousy script and a cameo by an actor from a classic comedy was excellent but not much else worked for me. However, a beautiful, pistol-packing woman named Anna (Charlize Theron) rides into town and helps Albert find his inner courage. Watch A Million Ways to Die in the West trailers and video, including teasers, extended looks, exclusive clips, footage, sneak peeks, interviews, and more on Moviefone. Albert, who has decided that Louise is not worth fighting for, forfeits anyway. Scott Stuber, 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. "[14] MacFarlane, a lifelong fan of westerns, began researching the topic, using Jeff Guinn's nonfiction novel, The Last Gunfight: The Real Story of the Shootout at the O.K. The characters were stereotypical and flat and the acting was poor at best. Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations. 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. [20] On March 6, it was announced Liam Neeson and Giovanni Ribisi had joined the film. The film features an ensemble cast including MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried, Neil Patrick Harris, Giovanni Ribisi, Sarah Silverman, and Liam Neeson. He was already in hair and makeup for his movie, so we just threw him in. [46] The Blu-ray release contains an unrated version (135 minutes), along with the original theatrical cut (116 minutes). "He was doing a Western, so he had the face. [34][35] The film was later released nationwide on May 30, 2014. He fits in so well, in fact, that the director says he doesnt expect many people will actually catch it. 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. "[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. A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014) - IMDb This echoes the running gag in the film as to all the dangers of the Old West. [3] This was below expectations of $26 million. Watch A Million Ways to Die in the West | Netflix A Small Light Showrunner Discusses The Goal To 'Take The Cobwebs' Off Miep Gies Beyond The Diary Of Anne Frank, Ahead Of The Equalizer's Return, Actress Lorraine Toussaint Shares What She's Proud Of After Three Seasons, 7 Upcoming Movies And TV Shows With Pacific Islander Representation, Including Jason Momoa's Chief Of War. 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. Awful isn't close to describing this film. Meanwhile, infamous outlaw Clinch Leatherwood shoots and kills an old prospector over a single gold nugget. I'm not one to overreact either way and rarely give out 10/10 or 1/10 but I genuinely feel this horror show deserves and earned it's 1/10. I so wish it had been better! IE 11 is not supported. [37][38], 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. Paul Schrader Wants to Make Another Movie | The New Yorker When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Lewis and Anna arrive in Old Stump under the guise of two siblings intending to build a farm, but Lewis is arrested after shooting the pastor's son in a saloon fight. When a mysterious and beautiful woman rides into town, she helps him find his courage and they begin to fall in love. 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. A Million Ways to Die in the West, review - Seth MacFarlane's first It was noticeably forced and obscenely crude, which is nothing new for Seth, but it was crude in a very childish way. He loses his love Louise (Amanda Seyfried) to Foy (Neil Patrick Harris). In the hands of a director who understood that suggestion is often more effective than being explicit, the joke could have worked reasonably well.