Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
As a cowardly farmer begins to fall for the mysterious new woman in town, he must put his new-found courage to the test when her husband, a notorious gun-slinger, announces his arrival.
A Million Ways to Die in the West is a broad comedy Western from Seth MacFarlane that leans heavily on anachronistic humor and crude gags. The plot is thin and predictable, following a well-worn coward-finds-courage arc without much invention. The acting is serviceable with a solid ensemble cast including Charlize Theron and Liam Neeson, though MacFarlane himself is a weak lead. The cinematography actually captures the sweeping Arizona landscape competently, giving the film some visual scale. Novelty is low — despite the Western parody premise, the humor recycles MacFarlane's established Family Guy-style shock comedy and anachronism jokes without enough fresh ideas. The ending is rushed and unsatisfying, wrapping up conflicts too easily without earning its resolution.