Django (Drag-O) Unchained - Viewer Chained

Rating: 3/10 (9 January 2013)

*This review contains SPOILERS.*
I normally read the plot summary on IMDb before I watch a movie despite my feeling that it may give away plot details. With this movie, it was the other way round. Here's why.
A freed slave in mid 19th century Texas, with the help of a bounty hunter, sets out to rescue his wife who is a slave at a plantation in Mississippi. The story doesn't get to this part till about an hour. I even wondered at some point if there was an angle where Dr.Schultz was going to double-cross Django and sell him off to some white guy. The bounty-hunting part is essential to the story but cut to the chase already! I felt chained to my seat as the movie dragged on forever.
Christopher Waltz does a good job, but Dr.Schultz was badly written. He comes across as trying too hard to be funny and cool and his elaborate dialogues get annoying at times but despite all that, you end up liking him.
Leonardo DiCaprio does a convincing job as the arrogant, rich, gore- loving plantation owner. He has evolved to the point where he can ease into any kind of role on screen and it is refreshing to see him as Calvin Candy.
Watch out for Samuel L. Jackson. He is so good as Stephen that he frightens you, annoys you and makes you want to hate him. He is the highlight of the movie. Jackson and DiCaprio complement each other very well.
Kerry Washington has a small role but does a decent job and plays Broomhilda well.
Finally, Jamie Foxx/Django. I still have not been able to separate the actor and the character from each other. He is in a trance for most of the movie and transiently comes out of it in between to say a few words and kill people. His portrayal of a man desperate to get to his wife is just not convincing. His acting needs a lot more polishing, but Tarantino is no help because Foxx's portrayal of Django made me wonder if he is so bad an actor or if Tarantino messed up his acting. Hence, I can't separate Foxx from Django.
The chemistry between Django and Broomhilda is conspicuous by its total absence. Even the girl who shows Django around when he goes to find the Brittle brothers has a few lines with him. After putting us through 165 minutes of torture anyway, couldn't Tarantino have filmed one scene showing Django and Broomhilda together (before they get separated)? Instead, all we get to see is Django helping Broomhilda escape early on in the movie and then imagining her all over the place. Just one scene of them sharing screen space (instead of the useless KKK scene) would have done the trick. No wonder Calvin doesn't suspect anything between the two of them. There is no show of emotion from Django when Dr.Schultz is killed. He just says a random, unemotional goodbye later when he collects Broomhilda's papers. So much for the man who freed him and helped him find his wife.
The action scenes are a little too violent, but it is an action flick, so I'll let that pass. The cinematography is very good, editing terrible and music a little too modern for the time in which the movie is set.
This was a good story with huge potential, but the abysmal writing, direction and editing made it a dud for me. If not for good acting by Jackson, DiCaprio, Schultz and the likes, 'Django Unchained' would have fallen flat. Undoubtedly, they are the saving grace of the film. The only good thing for us was that we checked the running time ahead and bought popcorn. Rent it out on DVD, it's not worth the admission fee.