by Matt Sernaker, Managing Editor
Well old timers, get ready to take a trip back in time, because funny guy Seth MacFarlane has just released his Comedy Western, A Million Ways To Die In The West. Following the success of his first live action endeavor, TED, MacFarlane attempts to follow in the footsteps of Mel Brooks with a western satire. Saddled up with a cast of well known actors (including Neil Patrick Harris, Liam Neeson, and Charlize Theron to name a few), MacFarlane attempts to make lightning strike twice.
After an agonizingly long opening title sequence, viewers are introduced to a sheep farmer named Albert (Seth MacFarlane, Family Guy), who has seen better days. After pleading for his life in a gun fight, his girlfriend Louise (Amanda Seyfried, Veronica Mars) decides to end their relationship. Albert soon learns that there is more to the breakup than meets the eye, as Louise has actually started seeing Foy (Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother), the owner of the Moustachery! With this new revelation at hand, Albert heads out drinking with his friends Ruth (Sarah Silverman, Wreck-It Ralph) and Edward (Giovanni Ribisi, Avatar), where they discuss everything wrong with the time that they live in. Albert proclaims that anything and everything in the West can and will kill you, and after an amazingly detailed monologue, a bar fight ensues. When a pretty girl named Anna (Charlize Theron, Aeon Flux) is about to be injured during the fight, Albert’s quick thinking saves her life. The two hit it off and become instant friends, and Anna decides to help Albert win his girl back. As if Albert didn’t have enough to deal with, he must also face off against the gunman known as Clinch (Liam Neeson, Non-Stop), who also happens to be Anna’s husband!
There are definitely some great laugh out loud moments scattered throughout A Million Ways To Die In The West, but since MacFarlane was trying to do a period piece, it was more challenging for him to use his typical “pop-culture reference cut away” style that he has done in Family Guy, American Dad, and TED. Instead of his typical brand of comedy, MacFarlane relies pretty heavily on shock value instead of clever writing for a good portion of the movie. My absolute favorite moment of the entire movie happens to involve a certain time traveling blacksmith, but like most comedies, this amazing cameo was spoiled in the trailers and marketing for the film. Seriously though, I understand that comedies (and movies in general) need to hook people in, but it would be really awesome if viewers could look forward to some great moments when they actually SEE THE FILM. I just went back to rewatch the original trailer, and the Red Band trailer, and they really hit a lot of the best moments without question.
In terms of the cast, MacFarlane and Theron actually play very well off each other. NPH gets some zingers in as Foy (listen closely for a How I Met Your Mother line worked in). Silverman and Ribisi are extremely entertaining to watch as they awkwardly deal with religion and life in the Old West. I would never want to mess with Liam Neeson in real life, but I would especially want to avoid a gun fight with him.
I waited a few days to write this review because I really wanted to let the comedy sink in. I do think it was a pretty decent comedy in a lot of regards, but it in no way holds a candle to Blazing Saddles or even Cannibal: The Musical. If you enjoy Family Guy or American Dad you will probably get a kick of out of this movie. I will give MacFarlane credit though, as we don’t see many attempts at mainstream westerns, and even fewer western satires. If you are in the mood to laugh and want to try something different, give A Million Ways To Die In The West a shot. Just remember, people die at the fair.
Rating: 
ComicsOnline gives A Million Ways To Die In The West 3 out of 5 obligatory Patrick Stewart voice-overs.
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