A Million Ways to Die in the West

"A Million Ways to Die in the West" proves that all the right ingredients can still disappoint. Seth MacFarlane has it all: He's cute, charming, funny, and filthy rich. However, despite this film proving he can be the lead in a film there's just something uniquely not endearing about this comedy. The all-star cast including Liam Neeson, Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried, Neil Patrick Harris, and Sarah Silverman can't really save it either.

MacFarlane plays Albert, an anachronistic commentator on how much life sucks in the old west. Chock-full of offensive humor and a starkly honest portrayal of poor medical care, child brides, and prostitution, the comedy makes some interesting points about the West. However, unlike other comedies, it doesn't really effectively create a funny world. Instead, the great actors and funny jokes live in a world where people are constantly dying in shocking ways and the jokes fall a little flat.

The special features are also a little lackluster. The alternate opening and ending are just clipped scenes that wouldn't have improved the cut of the film. It does include an unrated version of the film that is less afraid of the filthy jokes and gags that might work more in MacFarlane's cartoons rather than real life. The deleted scenes are also not that exciting, considering how many gags are already packed into the fim.

The making-of featurette includes interviews with the cast and more information about how they joined the cast. It's fun to see the chemistry of a great group of talented actors working on the film. The gag reel shows how funny they were off-screen as well. It's also a really smart premise to authentically explore how crappy life in the Old West would be. However, it doesn't really save the finished product. It's sad, because despite the amazing cast and intentions it doesn't work. The commentary is a little interesting because there were some CGI effects and some funny bits from MacFarlane.

Honestly, "A Million Ways to Die in the West" does prove that MacFarlane can be a lead in a movie, but if he's also director and writer it may get too messy rather than amusing. It's disappointing because this hilarious A-list cast just sort of floats through. However, fans of the movie will enjoy the bonus feature-filled Blu-ray set.

"A Million Ways to Die in the West"
Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy
$34.98
www.universalstudiosentertainment.com/