MovieChat Forums > A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014) Discussion > Easily one of the worst comedies I've ev...

Easily one of the worst comedies I've ever seen.

posted 10 years ago by RufusZombot
108 replies | jump to latest

I went into this expecting something at least on-par with Ted (while not being a cinematic masterpiece, it's plot made sense and there were a few laughs throughout). Instead I left wishing I could get my money back. I refuse to walk out of movies; I believe that I can't truly criticize something if I haven't seen it all the way through, but this was a struggle. I'm sure I'll get bashed for 'not getting the humor' and I realize I'm not 17 anymore, but I can't understand how anyone who knows what good movies are can think this is even remotely funny. I loved the premise, but the movie itself just didn't do it for me. I can laugh at the occasional fart joke, but these were terrible. If you're going to make a two-hour poop joke, at least have the decency to write a plot that makes sense. This felt like it was a bunch of jokes that his friends assured him were funny with no one but himself to critique it, then he slapped them all into a movie with a loose plot that he hoped would pass for a movie.

[–] lebowskithedude 10 years ago

I don't think it was THAT bad. I give you, it could have been much better - I laughed, but not enough. 5/10. Not the worst, but I expect better from the creator of Family Guy, American Dad and Ted.

[–] skatermcgrath93 10 years ago

Agreed. I like Ted and the occasional episode of Family Guy, but this completely missed the mark.

Everything was just POO PEE POO PEE FART POO PEE SEX. I'm easy to please, but even I need more than this.

Take Grown Ups 2 for example. Not exactly high filmmaking, but the likeable cast made it easy to watch. Nothing about this cast was likeable and Seth Macfarlane is only funny as a supporting role. When he becomes the main role, it falls apart.

[–] ellelatham 10 years ago

That was some of the laziest writing I've ever seen in a movie. Like it might've made more sense if Albert was from the future and they didn't have so much 21st century language from the other characters. But as it is, Seth didn't feel like researching the movies he's supposed to be making fun of and turned in this unfunny mess with anachronisms.

In other words, I guess it pays off to be really popular because if a regular guy pitched this to a big studio, they would be laughed out of the office. But since it was Seth MacFarlane, they said "Sure. Let's get a bunch of other respectable actors and comedians to embarrass themselves in front of the unsuspecting audience and we'll make enough money to make it worth it." It wasn't worth it.

So glad I didn't pay to see it.

[–] jackg11228 10 years ago

Seth was the problem. The movie was meant to be a farce but he doesn't have the chops to pull it off.

[–] MannLaw 10 years ago

I must respectfully dissent.

I thought this was a pretty good movie - about a 7.75 on a scale of 1 - 10. I can, however, appreciate the fact that the great unwashed may not have the sophistication to understand this carefully crafted work of art. (Translation: I thought this was a pretty funny movie if you like some bathroom humor mixed in with some poop humor).

I've seen this movie twice and will watch it again.

[–] ChopperGuyTX 10 years ago

I also must dissent from the predominant view in this thread. I think that this was actually a very funny movie. I am a college educated 51-yr old professional on a business trip and I just happened upon it at my hotel last night. I had never heard of this movie or Seth McFarlane, but I found myself staying up way too late because I couldn't stop laughing. At first I was perplexed about whatever it was I was watching, but then I was drawn into the story. Charlize Theron has a way of drawing you into the story.

I rarely watch TV at all, if I do it is History, Discovery, etc. I have never watched an animated TV show (cartoon) since I outgrew Bugs Bunny in 1975. I do not go looking for the bathroom humor, but if this was all that the detractors saw, then they missed a lot of very clever humor:

Seth and Ribisi "sparring" with each other during the bar fight...that was hilarious! More funny than the fact they were sparring in this fashion, was the fact that they had clearly had to do this on more than one occasion, and that they had such a contingency plan in place.

Seth looking at his old photographs and lamenting how it would be nice if it were possible to smile during a photo...but just the thought of that was too far out!

Neal Patrick Harris as the "Moustacherie" proprieter was fabulous! The premise that one could not "afford" to have a moustache because of the cost of waxes and creams makes me chuckle now.

After the barn dance, Seth comments how much he hates that "Moustache" song to Charlize and then he says something like what can one expect, it is 1882 and there are only 3 songs.

The cameo by Christopher Lloyd was great. Likewise, there were a lot of cameos by other famous actors. I spotted Ryan Reynolds get shot by Liam Neeson.

Ribisi accepting the terms of his girlfriend's employment (Silverman) by rationalizing the fact that he has a lousy job too.

It goes on and on. Yes, there was a lot of crude, sexual, bathroom, humor. What made it funny was not the fact that it was crude or sexual in nature, but the real joke was how everybody just accepted the presence of these elements as a "matter-of-fact" nature of their existence. Like when Silverman gets done working and declines to sit down because of "work related" discomfort.

As far as McFarlane's performance goes, I thought it was perfectly played. He was playing the character of "everyman"...the regular-guy type who is trying to get along and get by and make something of himself. It is the proverbial "nice guy who finishes last" character until something happens that makes him have to face his demons. It is the classic underdog story, the "David Vs. Goliath" tale of triumph against the odds.

This would not have been the same movie at all had it been played by Rob Schneider, or Will Ferrell, or any of the other slew of comedic actors that always play things way over the top.

I missed the beginning of the movie, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and laughed more than I can remember in years. I will definitely be looking for it to come on HBO again.

[–] uvl 10 years ago

Agree. It was very disappointing. I think I had one hearty laugh and a couple of smiles, but that was it. I sat through it all, but kept wishing it would be over.

[–] rclay-1 10 years ago

I'll say one thing for this film, it actually makes Plan 9 from Outer Space look good.

Fortytwo? FortyTwo? what sort of puerile, pathetic, stupid answer is that? Everyone knows it's 43.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] Unknownian 10 years ago

I agree with the OP. I liked Ted. I thought it was unique, funny, and over the top in a good way.
This movie was a total waste of film. I can't believe he even got it made, and even more surprising, that he got a decent cast to waste their time in the desert to film this garbage.