One certainly can’t criticize Family Guy and Ted creator/writer/producer/director Seth MacFarlane for resting on his laurels. His latest comedy effort, A Million Ways to Die in the West, finds the entertainment mogul adding a lead actor to an already overstuffed resume. There are certainly growing pains evident in this movie, which misses the target as often as it hits. However, enough gags work amidst the messiness to earn it a minor recommendation.
Albert (Seth MacFarlane) is a timid sheep farmer who is only too aware of how easy it is to die in a small frontier town. His cautiousness goes unappreciated in girlfriend Louise (Amanda Seyfried), who deems him unmanly and promptly dumps him. A jealous Albert soon challenges Louise’s new boyfriend Foy (Neil Patrick Harris) to a gunfight. The protagonist is completely unprepared, but mysterious sharpshooter Anna (Charlize Theron) agrees to show him the ropes. However, Albert finds himself in even more danger when Anna’s outlaw husband (Liam Neeson) arrives in town.
The different environment and setting leaves MacFarlane in a sort of comedic no man’s land. A period western doesn’t exactly allow for a lot of pop culture riffs (although the screenplay does wedge in a few opportunities). Therefore, it binds its creator to the conventions of the genre and the film suffers as it attempts to find a tone. A few expository scenes are played straight, some utilize observational humor, and others resort to juvenile scatological gags.
Co-stars Giovanni Ribisi and Sarah Silverman are the biggest victims of the shifting tone. They are cast asunder in a subplot that only offers variations on a single joke and the story never seems certain of what it needs to do with their characters. There’s a musical number in the middle of the film that appears out of nowhere and isn’t quite as funny as it should be. And as expected, there are too many bodily function jokes, most of which fall flat. In general, there’s an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink feel to the humor that definitely results in dry patches.
Thankfully, there are a few big laughs. Sequences in which Albert complains about the horrible living conditions are funny and his interactions with Anna have a likable, easy-going rapport. There’s an amusing running gag about photographs and why no one ever seems to smile in them, as well as an entertainingly drug-addled encounter with Native Americans. One the best moments in the movie features Albert staring down a foe at high noon, insulting him awkwardly, exiting frame and then reentering to clarify and explain the jab’s meaning. Finally, there are some very funny cameos, with one exceptional scene that’s almost worth the price of admission on its own. It’s these moments in which the film finally hits its stride.
As someone who is not overly familiar with MacFarlane’s work, it’s hard to say whether A Million Ways to Die in the West will be perceived as agreeable or disappointing to his fan base. As a neutral observer, this reviewer may have found it a problematic and clumsy effort, but one that still managed to eke out a big, hearty laugh every so often (which is more than can be said of many comedies). On that basis, it earns a passing grade.