A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014) Film Review

It’s the Wild West and things are pretty horrible. Albert (Seth MacFarlane) is a sheep farmer (although not very good at it) and a coward. After his girlfriend Louise (Amanda Seyfried) dumps him, he wants to leave. He cannot be convinced to stay by his best mate, Edward (Giovanni Ribisi) or Edward’s girlfriend, Ruth (Sarah Silverman), but when a new lady arrives in town he is convinced to stay. Little does he know that Anna (Charlize Theron) is the wife of the evil Clinch (Liam Neeson) and he is in deep trouble. Plus, now Louise is dating the creepy mustachioed Foy (Neil Patrick Harris) can life get much worse?

I thought that I would get a few laughs out of this, but (like with Ted and Family Guy) be left with the bitter taste of casual misogyny and racism. I’m quite torn by Seth MacFarlane’s humour – he pushes things too far, but that often makes me laugh. Was the ‘I saw your boobs’ song at the Oscars misogynistic or just funny? I thought it was just funny. But there are plenty of other examples of humour that I find quite unpleasant.

Luckily, that nastiness seemed to be lacking in this film. Sure, there are not really great roles for women, but that seems to be fairly normal. In fact, my favourite moments on the screen were between Sarah Silverman and Giovanni Ribisi. Who could not love a couple that is waiting to have sex when one is an extremely popular prostitute? Oh, and every moment with Neil Patrick Harris – how marvelous to have a real, old school, over-the-top, magnificent, mustache-twirling villain?

I thoroughly enjoyed it and would watch it again with very little encouragement. It’s just plain funny, (mostly low-brow, with the odd very clever remark, but why would you expect much more?) with good writing that balances the line of living in the time but having a total awareness of the future. Apparently, everyone else hated this film. It’s only got one-and-a-half stars on Rotten Tomatoes. Huh.

Ted (2012) Film Review

As a child, John Bennet had no friends. So when his parents give him a teddy bear for Christmas, he knows he’s found a real friend. He makes a wish for his bear to be real – and it comes true! Ted becomes a worldwide sensation for a short while, but pretty soon, his celebrity wears off and he is just John’s best friend. Skip to thirty years later. Ted and John spend their lives on the couch, smoking bongs. John works to live and has been dating the delightful Lori for three years. He’s stuck in arrested development, and things have to change.

From Seth MacFarlane of Family Guy fame, you know this is not going to be an exercise in good taste and family fun. It’s crude, there’s lots of swearing and drug use. And it’s really, really funny. Which is a bit of a challenge; I’m not a fan of misogyny or racism, and so there are a couple of scenes which I reckon went a step too far, but that’s what MacFarlane made his name from. Why should I be prepared to accept it? I don’t know. I can’t explain it. It just really made me laugh lots, and sometimes that’s all it takes.

‘Everybody Needs a Best Friend’ was nominated for an Oscar for Music (Original Song)