Starring: Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried
Sheep farmer Albert Stark (MacFarlane) lives in constant fear of the dangers in the Old West. Having been dumped by his girlfriend Louise (Seyfried) after chickening out on a duel, he finds new companionship in a new girl in town, Anna (Theron). Little does Albert know that Anna is the wife of the deadliest man in the territory, Clinch Leatherwood (Liam Neeson).
I think it's fair to say that no-one can accuse Seth MacFarlane of spreading himself too thin. This is his second theatrical feature in the director's chair in which he also has the lead role, produces and writes (not just the screenplay, he's penned a novelisation which will be his first book). You almost expect him to sing a theme song over the opening credits (and don't think he wouldn't). This is nothing new. Having made his name with Family Guy on TV (which he created and he also voices a number of characters in it) MacFarlane broke into directing feature films with Ted (2012), again also writing, producing and sharing top billing with Mark Wahlberg.
Ted was in many ways typical of MacFarlane's style. Shock comedy but with a somewhat old-fashioned sensibility glossed over it. A Million Ways To Die In The West, whilst still carrying some of MacFarlane's trademarks (chances are anyone watching the film will think at least one joke is offensive) the film is very much entrenched in staying true to the western as a genre. The opening titles alone recall the 50's westerns of John Ford and Howard Hawks, even if the title recalls the later and more violent Westerns of Sergio Leone and Sam Peckinpah.
Of course, a similar pastiche had already been done in Blazing Saddles (1974) and rather than try and go for another Blazing Saddles, Seth MacFarlane has, very wisely, gone for something different. It isn't as funny as Blazing Saddles and of course it's not as funny or offensive (it's hard to imagine anyone making Blazing Saddles today for that reason) but it surprisingly succeeds in being more authentic as a western...mostly.
MacFarlane hasn't just stumbled into the position of director because there is skill in his work. It's unrefined, but there is ability. His bread and butter may be his comedy, but when he focuses on the film's backdrop as a Western, that's when the film is at its best. In no small part, this is also thanks to Liam Neeson. A man who made his name playing revolutionaries and historical figures, moved onto sage mentors and more recently as grizzled ageing action heroes, Neeson is here as the villain of the piece and owns the screen whenever he is on.
As a hero, MacFarlane is the nice guy but not very well defined beyond a slight amount of cowardice. Kudos to Neil Patrick Harris who is clearly having the time of his life as MacFarlane's proudly moustachioed love rival. On the female side of things, Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried and Sarah Silverman do okay but all three have been given much better work in the past.
But for all that the film throws itself between comedy and western, it never settles nicely between the two and nor does the plot move very well. It's a long time between the threat being established and actually put into action and some gags also take far too long to execute. The humour also relies way too much on anachronisms and you constantly feel as if MacFarlane's Albert Stark will reveal himself as a time traveller from the 21st century (on that note, there is a brief cameo during the movie that will make fans of a certain film trilogy squeal with glee). The difficulties of MacFarlane repeating himself are averted here and this is a fairly good film, even if it is short on belly laughs. Fans of his work will be entertained even if some of the unconverted may feel a little alienated (or just disgusted) by the antics.
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