Tarantino packs a punch

Rating: 8/10 (21 January 2013)

WITH five Golden Globe nominations and two wins (supporting actor and screenplay), Quentin Tarantino's latest offering really packs a punch. Set in 1858, Django Unchained tells the story of a former dentist turned bounty hunter, Dr King Schultz (Golden Globe winner Christoph Waltz), helping newly freed slave Django Freeman (Jamie Foxx) to save his slave wife from one of the biggest plantation owners in the deep south of America. With the exception of 3:10 to Yuma (2007), I would rather watch paint dry than watch a Western, but Django Unchained is just plain exciting from start to finish. When I'm dragged to the movies to watch the latest Jennifer Aniston rom-com, I would expect to be bored senseless, but when it comes to Tarantino, audiences will want florid language, good storytelling, outstanding acting and a whole bunch of gore, and my oh my, does it deliver. The film has all the normal Tarantino personality, with long one-to-one scenes and well crafted dialogue, interesting characters and bad-ass monologues. Each actor plays his role to perfection — Foxx as the newly freed slave, Waltz as the quirky yet malicious bounty hunter, the beautiful Kerry Washington as the lost lover, Leonardo DiCaprio as a powerful young plantation owner, and Samuel L. Jackson as the trusty house slave. The film is a departure from Tarantino's usual form of disjointed storytelling — most notably Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction — and smooth flowing with a clear beginning, middle and ending. The last 20 minutes of the film tended to drag, but that's just Tarantino. Fans will appreciate the typical Tarantino shlock, but for newer audiences, it also a story that everybody can appreciate. It is a serious movie with a good take on slavery in the 1800s and some heart-wrenching scenes, but Tarantino also offers a lot of comic relief, both in the witty dialogue and situational comedy. Django Unchained is not up to the standard of his 1990s best, but if you want a solid narrative with good action, this one is for you.