Django Unchained

Rating: 10/10 (12 January 2013)

Tarantino's back! And damn is he on fire. Django is the roller coaster movie of the year. It'll take you for a ride, make you laugh, and make you cry, and when you leave the theater, you'll leave with that feeling you get right after you drink six cans of Redbull. That untamed energy that comes power-packed with an uncontrollable force. "Django Unchained", an epic tribute to 60's spaghetti westerns, is the tale of, you know it, Django, a slave turned bounty hunter played mercilessly by Jamie Foxx. And when I say mercilessly, know that I mean mercilessly. From galloping on horses to hanging naked in shackles, Foxx did everything Boss Tarantino told him to.
Don't get me wrong, Foxx doesn't steal the show. In fact, no one does. Every actor is brilliantly on his or her game. Christoph Waltz is great to watch as Django's rescuer and eventual bounty hunting companion. He plays the part with intriguing types of depth. He's a cool, modernized, and civil guy, who also has been around the block more than a few times. DiCaprio, in one of his best roles, and that's a lot to say when you think about some of the roles he's played in, shines as Calvin Candie, an asshole of a slave plantation owner, who uses manners and plays it cool on the surface, but is a savage and warped sadist on the inside. Even the cameos are great. You have Jonah Hill, as a KKK member in what is surprisingly one of the funniest scenes in a movie all year. You've got Tarantino himself trying to pull off an Aussie accent, but failing miserably, and cracking us up in the meantime. And then you've got Don Johnson, in a semi- cameo, playing another plantation owner who goes by Big Daddy. If you still aren't drooling to see Django, let me write another couple paragraphs on why you should be first in line to buy tickets.
"Django Unchained" is actually the second installment of a loose-trilogy Tarantino is constructing that centers around revenge and follows the same basic plot line, but with breezy energy and fantastic originality. "Inglourious Basterds" was of course the first installment, featuring a band of angry Jews rising up and conquering the Nazis all the way up until Hitler's ugly smudge of a face was shot to smithereens. So, yes, its complete fantasy, but who cares? Why do we go the movies? We go there to be entertained, not for a history lesson. That's what Spike Lee doesn't understand, who condemns the film (Django) before even seeing it, complaining that it "isn't historically accurate" and that it's "offensive to his ancestors." Take a hike, man. You're just jealous of a filmmaker who's work is much better, and more importantly, much more consistent that what you produce. I mean, what was your last film, huh Spike? It was "Red Hook Summer," and no one saw it.
Finally, let me praise Django as a whole. The acting, writing, directing, production design, cinematography, costume design, and thrilling use of a mix of classic spaghetti western jives and modern mainstream hip hop to make up the film's soundtrack were all explosive and unique to Tarantino's style. I don't care how you see "Django Unchained," but for god's sake, make sure you do. See it in theaters, rent it on DVD (preferably Blu-Ray), or just download it illegally. Just SEE it! See if you can digest this massive epic Tarantino has thrown at us.