Seth Macfarlane's new comedy has been trashed by critics, but do we need to worry?
A Million Ways To Die In The West is released today in the US and UK and will surely be a huge draw for fans who enjoyed Seth Macfarlane's last comedy, Ted. The Family Guy star's wicked and often inappropriate sense of humour proved a huge hit with his debut live action movie but critics have warned that the formula isn't necessarily repeated in the comedian's sophomore effort.
The comedy has hit a bum note on reviews aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, accruing an embarrassing 33% rating amongst reviewers. The Telegraph's Tim Robey barks out angry and wounding soundbites such as "flatly atrocious" and "unamusing tumbleweed" but offers a nugget for the more immature fans: "if you want to find out how much scope the Old West contains for jokes about violent bowel movements, this is very much a movie for you."
The Guardian's Mike McCahill gives the movie a similarly low rating, saying "Fans of Ted's aggressively scattershot misanthropy may be left wanting by Seth MacFarlane's mock-western follow-up" before adding "the dragging pace means the overall hit rate is down on even late-period Family Guy."
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"MacFarlane is a very funny dude, and there are times "A Million Ways to Die" is indeed funny," begins the LA Times' Betsy Sharkey before taking her review on a turn for the worse with criticisms such as "half-baked" and "problematic rather than provocative."
"MacFarlane's scenes play very much like his appearances on talk shows, a smart, funny guy with an slightly goofy grin, though a few moments in "West" edge closer to his 2013 gig hosting the Oscars, remembered mostly for its meanness," the critic states.
Watch the 'A Million Ways To Die In The West' trailer here.
Meanwhile, The Examiner gives the movie a solid but unremarkable three star rating, describing the picture as a collection of Macfarlane's "sophomoric gags with his usual brand of wit to make for a funny but uneven jaunt into tumbleweed territory."
Travis Hopson identifies Theron as the star of the show, saying "Theron proves to be the real comedic heavyweight as the tough-as-nails Anna, knocking down preconceived notions of a female's place in that society."
However, he fails to chuckle at Macfarlane, who "dabbles in exploring deeper themes but more often than not gives way to an endless stream of fart and poop jokes, profanity, and labored racial humor."
More: Seth Macfarlane wants to release a Christmas album with Norah Jones.
Should we be deterred? Well, Macfarlane's comedies are never exactly going to be classed as high-brow but it should at least be ensured that the jokes and gags keep rolling until the credits. If you enjoyed Ted, you're sure to be set of chuckling by a view of the movie's cheeky red-band trailer which gives a glimpse into the typically toe-curling set-ups and politically inappropriate hilarity.
A Million Ways To Die In The West is released today in the USA and UK.
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