A Sloppy Film

Rating: 5/10 (4 June 2013)

I should start by saying that I love Tarantino's other films, and I love westerns. The thought of him making one with such a stellar cast got me giddy with excitement. However, the film left me grossly disappointed.
The first third of this film is actually very good. It's exciting, witty, and effectively sets up a relationship between Jamie Foxx and Christoph Waltz's characters. However, once the 'main' plot kicks in and they begin their rescue, the film stalls considerably. The entire story from this point on is uneven and silly. There are so many unnecessary scenes and the ending in particular is just terrible. It doesn't stand up to the calibre of writing in Tarantino's other films.
The acting, on the other hand, is exceptional, and probably saves the film. Everyone does a fantastic job and they deserve the praise they've received. However, this doesn't stop the film's second two-thirds being an uneven mess and with the exception of a hilarious scene featuring Jonah Hill, the film is not the gem everyone seems to be claiming it is. I was honestly convinced I saw a different film to everyone else.
It's not an especially bad film; there are witty lines and solid performances. But it's absolutely not worthy of the praise it's received.