Marval Movie

The old West was a place of heroes, villains, cowards and just simple folk. It was also a place of war, disease, in-glory and racism. Of course it was, comfort always get better with time, a hundred years from now people will look back on us and wonder how the hell we lived in such conditions. And as the movie states at the beginning some people are born in the wrong time, and Seth McFarland's character, Albert Stark, is from the present but was born is the harsh world of the old West.

The movie is about a local Sheep farmer (Albert Stark, played by Seth McFarland) that is a coward in the world of the old West i.e. he wants to live. He worms his way out of a duel then looses his girlfriend (Amanda Seyfried) but to his luck another woman named Anna (Charlize Theron) arrives in town and seems to think that there's more to this farmer than what first appears (I'm not so sure).

It is the great chemistry between McFarland and Theron that really works in the movie. They really do seem to work off each-other well and find one-another funny.

As the title would imply people die in this movie and not in the generic way. Death in this movie can come from anywhere at anytime so it always keeps you on your toes. Some of them are a little cheep by simply going for the shock laugh and others are well executed by having subtle buildup and execution. 

The movie is very hansom. The lighting and sets are all believable and look like a legitimate Western. There are also these nice swooping shots that are just fun too see. McFarland ups his game for this movie, there are more technically bold shots as well as a stronger visual style. But still it is his writing and his unique comic delivery that is his strong suit.

The movie is nearly two hours long and it really should be an hour and forty minutes. There are a few jokes that go on too long and it seems like nobody can argue with the star that seems to just keep going because he's also the writer and director. There not terrible or even unfunny but it is some excess fat on the movie that needs to be trimmed.

As well as the stretched out jokes is the obvious ego trip that comes with McFarland's script. As the writer, director and main star he seems to be trying to reach a position of Orson Welles and Mel Brooks, but he is not at that stature. He is the writer and main character so obviously he is so wonderful and great, others don't see it but Anna does and does her best to fan his ego, fan it until its ready to burn the whole town down to the ground. 

Out of nowhere comes a Ryan Reynolds cameo in the movie. That's two in a row since McFarland last movie Ted. Without spoiling it, this is even better than that movie. I'm beginning to like these, if McFarland has a Ryan Reynolds cameo in all his movies I would be pretty fine with it. Also along with Reynolds are so many other cameos, many many cameos, you could probably make a game out of spotting all the cameos sprinkled throughout the movie. However there is no Patrick Warburton, that is bad, no matter how good the movie is adding Patrick Warburton would always make it better. 

A Million Ways To Die in the West seeks the stature of Blazing Saddles and just about touches it on its reaching. McFarland needs a friend to tell him when he's going too far because as of now its working for him but its a razors edge walk. 

Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 4