Tarantino Goes Western!!!

Rating: 8/10 (6 January 2013)

I really have to believe that if Quentin Tarantino and I had actually lived near one another as we were growing up, we would have probably been great friends; or at least seen each other attending the same movies. I know this sound utterly prosperous, but in his recent film "Django Unchained", he has really added some great 'spaghetti western' homage moments from some very obscure films which included movie scores from "Two Mules for Sister Sara" (Clint Eastwood / Shirley MacLaine) and "My Name is Trinity" (Terence Hill / Bud Spencer); two films in which I utterly adore. I love a good Western, and Tarantino does not disappoint with his interpretation of this genre.
Returning for his second Tarantino film after his Academy Award Winning performance in 'Inglorious Basterds', Christopher Waltz is Dr. Schultz, a former dentist turned bounty hunter. He is in pursuit of three (3) ruthless brothers; however, he needs the assistance of a runaway slave, Django (played by Jamie Fox), to identify his criminal quarry. After recovering his reward bounty, Dr. Schultz (Waltz) reaches a mutual agreement with Django (Fox) to maintain their partnership throughout the winter, and in return Dr. Schultz will assist Django in finding his wife whose whereabouts are somewhere deep in the heart of Dixie. Under Dr. Schultz's tutelage, Django is able to hone his skills as a bona fide bounty hunter and gunslinger in his own right.
Director Tarantino is a skilled story-teller. Whether it's a botched bank heist or a vampire diner from hell, Tarantino's filmmaking esthetic is easily identifiable. No one in the industry can show a bullet piercing flesh, and the blood splatter associated with that infliction better than Quentin Tarantino and I can assure you, that blood splatter budget was not scrimped on in the production of this film. From the opening sequence to the ending credits, this film screams Tarantino. Even his five (5) minute cameo in this film is so over-the-top, it's easily remembered and will be often referred to.
This film has an all-star cast featuring the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx, Samuel L. Jackson, and Christopher Waltz; and a production budget of $100 Million dollars. This film has everything that you have come to expect in a Quentin Tarantino film: awesome gunfight sequences, blood-shed galore, great story telling, and what I'd like to refer to as a "Blazing Saddles"-esque comedy sequence referring to pillow-case hoods and eye-hole placement that is absolutely hilarious!!!
This is a MUST SEE film for enthusiasts of the Western genre or fans of Quentin Tarantino, I highly recommend this film. Running 165 minutes in length, the film flows effortlessly. I was actually shocked at how long the film was after it had finished, because I had not referred my watch once while watching it. Another Tarantino accolade to great filmmaking and keeping the audience fully engaged and entertained. Again this is not your father's typical Western; it's a Tarantino interpretation of a Western. It's 'Pulp Fiction' meets 'A Fistful of Dollars' with all the Tarantino artistic brutality thrown in to heighten your visual viewing experience. So view this film with caution, and revel in your memories of your Saturday Matinée film jaunts of your youth brought into the 21st Century with a Quentin Tarantino graphic embellishment.
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