A Million Ways to Die in the West

A Million Ways to Die in the West - Dir. Seth MacFarlane (2014)

The ubiquitous Seth MacFarlane has branched out far beyond his animated empire of Family Guy, American Dad, and the recently cancelled Cleveland Show. He's the closest thing we have these days to an old-fashioned song and dance man. He's hosted the Oscars, performed a concert tour, released a jazz album, and even executive produced the educational science series Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey. In 2012, MacFarlane wrote and directed his first feature film, Ted, the story about a man and a talking teddy bear who has long worn out his welcome. MacFarlane also performed the voice work and motion capture for the titular Ted. For his second feature, A Million Ways to Die in the West, we get MacFarlane in all his live-action glory as meek sheep farmer Albert Stark.

It's the year 1882 and Stark lives in the little town of Old Stump. He spends most of his time bemoaning how just about everything can kill you in the Wild West, from wild animals to unsanitary medical care. The most dangerous of all just might be murderous gunfighters. Albert is a sheep farmer and a pretty lousy one at that. His flock is scattered all over the place and when one of them grazes on another man's property, Albert is challenged to a showdown. Albert chickens out, much to the chagrin of his girlfriend Louise (Amanda Seyfried), who promptly for Foy (Neil Patrick Harris), the proprietor of the local Moustachery.

Albert thinks about packing it up and moving to San Francisco when he meets the gorgeous Anna (Charlize Theron). Both of them share a common disdain for everything dirty and backwards about the West. Anna also teaches Albert how to shoot a gun in order to challenge Foy and win back the fickle heart of Louise. Unfortunately, it turns out Anna is married to Clinch Leatherwood (Liam Neeson), a notorious outlaw who doesn't like anyone making moves with his wife.

A Million Ways to Die in the West wears its influences on its sleeve. Naturally, MacFarlane shoots quite a bit in Monument Valley, the gorgeous setting for so many classic John Ford Westerns. There's a nod to Terror in Tiny Town, an infamous 1938 movie starring an entire cast of little people and a lively dance number honoring facial hair that recalls Oklahoma. Of course, as a Western comedy, A Million Ways to Die in the West is cut from the same cloth as Blazing Saddles. Whereas Mel Brooks chose to do one long fart joke during the campfire sequence, MacFarlane spreads his flatulent humor throughout the film. And while Brooks was focused on race relations, MacFarlane takes a decidedly de-romanticized look at the Old West. He borrows the fish out of water aspect from Paleface and Son of Paleface starring Bob Hope. If you've watched Family Guy, then you'll know MacFarlane's reverence for hook nosed comedian thanks to the "Road to…" episodes with Stewie and Brian as Hope and Bing Crosby.

Albert makes numerous anachronistic observations about the time period. He looks at the violence and disease through modern eyes. He's reminiscent of Frank Grimes, the tightly wound character driven mad by the absurdity of The Simpsons. Sure, MacFarlane is a bit one-note in the lead, but he makes it work with his wry observations and off-the-cuff non sequiturs. Luckily, Million Ways has itself a terrific supporting cast with Neil Patrick Harris really asserting himself in the role of an annoying fop. Sarah Silverman is perfectly cast as Ruth, the proverbial hooker with the heart of gold, but with a twist. Silverman made a name for herself on the stand-up circuit with bawdy material that belied that sweet, pixie voice. Here, she's a prostitute openly engaged in outlandish sexual acts, yet she's in a chaste relationship with Albert's best friend, the virginal Edward (Giovanni Ribisi).

There are cameos galore in Million Ways. Blink and you might miss Ewan McGregor, Ryan Reynolds or Kaley Cuoco. Being set in the 1800's means MacFarlane can't rely on his usual arsenal of pop culture references. His one indulgence is the appearance of a certain time-traveling doctor and not the one who rides around in a police box.

Rating: *** (*****)

Epic

Epic - Dir. Chris Wedge (2013)

Epic is the latest CG feature from Blue Sky Studios, the animation studio behind the Ice Age series and Rio. Epic is better than any of their previous efforts, save for the first Ice Age, but it doesn't hold a candle to even the most modest Pixar production.

Mary Katherine (Amanda Seyfried), who prefers to be called 'M.K.,' reluctantly moves back in with her father, Professor Bomba (Jason Sudeikis), following the death of her mother. Dad lives in the middle of nowhere and believes a civilization of miniature people dwell in the forest. His crackpot theories have cost him his credibility in the scientific community as well as his marriage. Any chance of repairing his familial bonds is dashed as the Professor ignores his daughter in favor of chasing down evidence. But, Bomba has been right along because deep within the forest is a peaceful population of plant-like beings protected by an army known as the Leaf Men. They are at war with the Boggans and their leader Mandrake (Christoph Waltz), who is vowed to bring about death and decay. Whatever they destroy is easily brought back to life by the magical powers of Queen Tara (Beyoncé Knowles).

The two worlds collide following a Boggan ambush that mortally wounds the Queen just as M.K. wanders into the forest. She is shrunk down and thrust with the responsibility to protect a bulb that will select a new queen under the moon of the summer solstice. Joining M.K. on her quest are Ronin (Colin Farrell), the commander of the Leaf Men; Nod (Josh Hutcherson), a brash youngster who quit the service; and Mub & Grub (Aziz Ansari & Chris O'Dowd), a slug and snail tending the Queen's gardens.

Epic was loosely based on the children's book, The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs, by William Joyce, author of Rise of the Guardians. Joyce was one of five credited screenwriters on Epic, which is never a good sign. The film holds no real surprises and borrows a number of recognizable elements from movies like FernGully, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Avatar. The spine of the story follows the traditional hero's journey with Nod learning the importance of teamwork and responsibility. Other standard elements include the stoic mentor figure, the comic relief sidekicks, and the celebrity voiceover talent. Christoph Waltz as the villain isn't anything new, but even in animated form Waltz stands out as a fresh voice while other actors (Beyoncé and Steven Tyler) feel like stunt casting. Equally charming is a one-eyed, three-legged pug by the name of Ozzie.

The animation is beautifully rendered and the film shines during its many grand action sequences that include a climatic aerial battle with characters astride hummingbirds and bats as well as the ambush with Boggans camouflaged as tree bark.

When you title your film, Epic, you are setting high standards for yourself. The title is simultaneously grand and generic, which sufficiently describes the movie to a tee. It may be lacking in inventiveness, but kids will more than enjoy the wonderful animation and lighthearted humor.

Rating: ** ½ (*****)

Les Misérables

Les Misérables - Dir. Tom Hooper (2012)

I had a dream my life would be

So different from this hell I'm living

So different now from what it seemed

Now life has killed the dream I dreamed

One of the most popular and enduring versions of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel, Les Misérables, has been the stage musical. It initially began as a concept album with music by Claude-Michel Schonberg and lyrics from Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel. Cameron Mackintosh, the producer behind Broadway blockbusters Cats and The Phantom of the Opera, saw the potential and mounted a production in London before taking it to the Big Apple. Les Misérables stands as one of the longest running Broadway shows ever, opening in 1987 before closing in 2003. While there have been many movie adaptations of the original novel, the musical version has never been brought to the silver screen until now.

The story begins in 1815 with Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman), a recently released convict who has served nineteen years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his starving family and attempting to escape. Branded as a dangerous man, Valjean has nowhere to stay and no chance of finding honest work. A kindly Bishop (Colm Wilkinson, who originated the role of Valjean in the London production) takes pity and gives Valjean some of the church valuables to start a new life. Under the name Madeleine, he becomes the mayor of Montreuil-sur-Mer and a respected factory owner. Unbeknownst to him, Fantine (Anne Hathaway), a young woman in his employ is unjustly fired by the lecherous foreman. She is forced to not only become a prostitute, but to sell her teeth and hair to support her daughter, Cosette (Isabelle Allen), who is under the care of the cruel Thérnardiers (Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter). On Fantine's deathbed, Valjean promises to rescue only to be confronted by the relentless Inspector Javert (Russell Crowe). He spends years trying to live a peaceful life with Cosette with Javert constantly at his heels until a revolution explodes onto the streets of Paris.

Les Misérables isn't like your typical musical. It's more of an operetta in that nearly all of the dialogue is sung and there aren't any dance sequences. Rather than recorded separately, the songs were performed live on set to allow a more nuanced performance. Hugh Jackman, with his passion for musicals and experience on stage, equates himself superbly as Jean Valjean. The same goes for Anne Hathaway, who earned an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress as the ever suffering Fantine. Hathaway commands the screen for the show-stopping "I Dreamed a Dream," which was captured entirely in close-up and in one take. She belts a soulful rendition that will wring tears from anyone, except the most cold hearted. Though Jackman and Hathaway got the lion's share of attention during awards season, the film's best performance belongs to Samantha Barks, who made her feature film debut with Les Misérables. Barks played the role of the Thérnardiers' daughter, Eponine, on stage and reprises the role here. She can act and carry tune and does so admirably during the rain-soaked ballad, "On My Own." The one weak link in an otherwise strong ensemble is Russell Crowe as Javert whose rigid moral code allows no mercy for his prey. In a straight adaptation of the novel, Crowe would have been an excellent casting choice. However, his vocal efforts leave much to be desired. Despite his experience as a musician and frontman, Crowe's singing comes off as flat and lacking the emotional range displayed by his co-stars.

Even with a generous runtime of over two and a half hours, Les Misérables occasionally stumbles in its attempts to juggle a myriad of plotlines. The romance between the adult Cosette (Amanda Seyfried) and rabble rouser Marius (Eddie Redmayne) is rushed as is the conclusion to Javert's story. Then, there's "Suddenly," a forgettable new tune composed simply to receive a nomination for Best Original Song. The passage of time isn't always properly conveyed with abrupt intertitles announce eight years have elapsed. It's hard to sense that Javert has been nipping at Valjean's heels for decades.

Les Misérables is the most expensive and ambitious project helmed by Tom Hooper, who multiple Best Director awards for The King's Speech. Be prepared as Hooper's penchant for awkward compositions and fish eye lens close-ups hasn't waned. When looking at the bigger picture, Hooper proves more than capable of handling the spectacle required of such a lavish production. The film opens right away with a collection of tattered convicts, waist deep in seawater, as they pull a warship into dry dock. The oafish Thérnardiers take the spotlight for "Master of the House," an intricately staged musical number in which the larcenous lovebirds pick the pockets of their unsuspecting guests. "One Day More" is a well-edited ensemble piece that cuts smoothly between multiple planes of action.

Les Misérables doesn't do subtle. This is a bombastic and surprisingly gritty musical full of heart-wrenching tragedy, romance, and pageantry.

Rating: *** (*****)

In Time

In Time - Dir. Andrew Niccol (2011)

"For a few to be immortal, many must die."

Time is money in this high concept sci-fi action flick starring Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried. In Time (formerly under the working titles of Now and I'm.mortal) is set in an alternate world where time is the new currency and genetic engineering has allowed mankind to cease aging at 25. Everyone is born with a year on their clock and once you reach of age, time begins ticking away. A glowing digital readout on your forearm tells you how much you have left. Instead of 99-cent stores, they have 99-seconds stores and a cup of coffee can cost four minutes. The poor are forced to literally live day by day. Now and then, some poor soul will drop dead in the street. Their body lays there because nobody has the time to pick him up. Just when you think you're about to come ahead, the cost of living rises.

And forget about upward mobility. The city is divided into sections known as Time Zones and it can cost someone years to travel from the ghetto of Dayton to the affluent part of the city known as New Greenwich.

Will Salas (Timberlake) understands how broken the system is. There's not much he can do about it, until a high roller named Henry Hamilton (Matt Bomer) arrives in Dayton with over a hundred years on his clock. Will saves him from a group of time thieves led by Fortis (Alex Pettyfer). Already over a century old, Henry gives Will his remaining time before running his clock out. When Will's mother, Rachel (Olivia Wilde), dies in his arms because she couldn't afford a bus ride, he vows revenge against the wealthy in New Greenwich.

Before he can enjoy the lap of luxury, Will is falsely accused of murdering Henry by the Raymond Leon (Cillian Murphy), a police officer known in this world as a Timekeeper. Will escapes from custody and kidnaps Sylvia (Amanda Seyfried), the daughter of a powerful banker named Philippe Weis (Vincent Kartheiser). Weis callously extols the virtues of temporal Darwinism, only the strong must survive for mankind to prosper. Faster than you can say Patty Hearst, the rebellious Sylvia joins forces with Will to rob from the rich and give to the poor. Their disruption of the status quo makes them wanted fugitives.

In Time was written and directed by Andrew Niccol, no stranger to dystopian futures having also made Gattaca, about a society where the population has been engineered to be perfect. Niccol also directed the underrated Lord of War and wrote the screenplay for The Truman Show. As such, "In Time" has some clever ideas. The poor are always in a rush because they haven't the time to dawdle while the rich can afford to live at a leisurely pace. The trade off is that they can still die by accident so they surround themselves with bodyguards and be overly cautious. Thus, the elite don't truly enjoy the fruits of immortality. When Weis lines up his wife, daughter, and mother-in-law, they could just as well be triplets.

Niccol wisely avoids delving into the origins and science of his world. Such exposition isn't necessary and any deep thoughts into the story would yield a great deal of plot holes. You'll also need to prepare yourself for inane dialogue rife with silly time-related puns.

The concept of an eternally youthful society allows the movie to be completely populated only by the young and the beautiful. Justin Timberlake has taken bold roles in films like Alpha Dog and Southland Tales to distance himself from his boy band image. His turn as Facebook co-founder Sean Parker in The Social Network was exceptional. Yet, he doesn't quite have the chops to play a believable action hero. With her anime eyes and china doll looks, Amanda Seyfried, is perfectly cast as the fragile socialite.

In Time doesn't have the cerebral tone of Niccol's previous films. It is a straight-up B-movie with a few shootouts and car chases thrown in when it's not too busy pontificating about social inequality. The message is hammered home so frequently that In Time could easily be considered socialist propaganda or at the very least, a rallying cry for the Occupy Movement. If you've got time to spare, it might prove to be a mildly diverting experience.

Rating: ** (*****)

Red Riding Hood

Red Riding Hood - Dir. Catherine Hardwicke (2011)

Twilight is officially now a verb and I don't mean, "I ate some bad Mexican food and had to take a major Twilight." Hollywood execs sit around the boardroom looking at tried and true stories, then ask themselves how can we Twilight it? That means taking a classic like Beauty and the Beast and turning it into a love story about mopey teenagers (Beastly). Red Riding Hood may be the best (worst?) example of turning a well-known story and giving it the Twilight treatment. Warner Brothers even hired director Catherine Hardwicke, who works off a script by David Johnson (Orphan and the upcoming Clash of the Titans sequel).

Amanda Seyfried is Valerie, who lives in the village of Daggerhorn, nestled deep in the forests of some nebulous European countryside. Valerie is arranged by her mother, Suzette (Virginia Madsen), to be married to Henry (Max Irons), the clean cut son of a wealthy blacksmith. However, she is in love with the mussy haired Peter (Shiloh Fernandez), a humble woodcutter. Evidently, in ye olden days blacksmiths made more money than lumberjacks. The villagers make regular sacrifices to appease the werewolf who stalks the night during a full moon. The fragile peace is broken when the wolf murders Valerie's older sister. The townsfolk go on the hunt, but are sadly lacking in pitchforks and torches. As the werewolf claims more victims, the desperate people call upon noted werewolf hunter, Father Solomon (Gary Oldman), a religious fanatic with silver fingernails.

Though she's mostly known for directing the first Twilight film, Hardwicke made her debut with Thirteen, a critically praised coming-of-age tale about a teenage girl played by a young Evan Rachel Wood. Red Riding Hood is like some absurdist combination of the two. The set design is one of the main problems. Daggerhorn is a place that could only exist on a soundstage, but isn't stylish enough for you to buy into it.

The themes of Red Riding Hood are about as subtle as the spine-chilling howl of a wolf at the moon. Valerie is clad in the flowing crimson robe that has become a trademark of the titular character. Not exactly the wisest choice if one wants to remain inconspicuous, but it represents the character's sexual awakening. When the heroine pops her cherry, she does so by literally rolling in the hay with the brooding bad boy. Hardwicke shoots the love scene like a 1980's perfume commercial caught in a dream-like haze. There's also an odd pagan luau (set to Fever Ray) that just might rival the orgy rave from The Matrix Revolutions in terms of perplexing debauchery. Aside from the soap opera love triangle, Hardwicke hammers home themes of religious and government oppression through the character of Father Solomon. He fosters suspicion and distrust amongst the villagers and tortures innocent people. Didn't we already get a better version of this in The Crucible? And do we really need allusions to Guantanamo and the Patriot Act in a teen romance picture?

Hardwicke has cast some decent young actors to play the leads, but their performances are bland due to thinly drawn characterizations and leaden dialogue. The rest of the ensemble is filled by recognizable talents, who aren't exactly utilized to their fullest potential. Virginia Madsen and the great Julie Christie (as the Grandmother) are wasted while sci-fi fans will wonder what the heck are Battlestar Galactica's Michael Hogan and Stargate SG-1's Michael Shanks doing in this. Without a doubt, Gary Oldman is the best thing in the movie. He's menacing, but restrained. This is the sort of role begging for maniacal lunacy ala The Professional.

It's cheesy as cheesy gets, but Red Riding Hood can't even be appreciated as a campy cult film. This Big Bad Wolf has given us a big bad movie.

Rating: * (*****)