Review: A Million Ways To Die In The West

A Million Ways To Die In The West

NOTE: Spoiler-free

For the most part, I am not a Seth Macfarlane fan.  His humor generally goes for the lowest common denominator, and he stretches jokes out so long on Family Guy, it’s clear he’s too lazy to write enough material for a 22 minute episode of television.

With this opinion of the writer, I walked into A Million Ways To Die In The West with very low expectations.  I walked out more than pleasantly surprised.

While still sticking with low-brow, crude humor, A Million Ways To Die In The West had something that Family Guy has lacked ever since being un-canceled: A STORY!  Seth MacFarlane plays Albert, a simple sheep farmer that hates living in the west more than life itself.  After being harshly dumped by his girlfriend Louise (Amanda Seyfried), in an act of chivalry during a bar fight, Albert gets involved with Anna (Charleze Theron), who no one knows is the wife of the toughest outlaw in the area, Clinch (Liam Neeson).  Clinch comes to town, finds out about Anna and Albert, an VOILA, we have a coherent plot from a Seth MacFarlane  of project!

The majority of the stuff I found funny actually came from the supporting cast.  Sarah Silverman absolutely kills it as Ruth, a prostitute who never takes her work home with her, where she lives a clean Christian life.  Neil Patrick Harris stands out as well as Foy, a mustache grooming shop owner who is arrogant, wrong, and hysterical.  On top of the outstanding supporting cast, I counted at least 5 cameos from relatively famous to very famous people that are very random, quick, and funny.  There may have been more that I missed as well.

As I said above, overall, I was pleasantly surprised with A Million Ways To Die In The West.  While it wouldn’t be my first choice of movies to see, I wouldn’t be upset if I had actually paid to see it.

A Million Ways To Die In The West opens nationally on Friday, May 30th.