A lack of sympathy is odd, but inevitable in this case.

Rating: 1/10 (18 August 2006)

I literally just saw this film and I'm puzzled as to how I feel about it.
Usually the whole point of watching people being tortured is that the horror stems from not only the visceral horror, but the sympathy for the victim. Without this necessary factor, the thrill of the scene is all but lost.
However, in the beginning of the film, when Paxton, a rude American with his rude American friend and a stereotypically horny European male, shouts, "Man I hope bestiality is legal in this country, cause that girl is a f@$%kin pig!" (at a prostitute who is nowhere near fat), I found myself muttering, "God, just kill him now." We have already lost sympathy for the characters. All we have left is the violence.
The rest of the film is overextended sex scenes that cut into valuable film time that could be used to explain why we should care about these men. Perhaps that's Roth and Tarantino's intention--to view the victims as the murderers would: as arrogant, rude, oversexed and boorish Americans that are only good for tourism and death, if anything.
Blah blah blah, death death death, shame shame shame. I expected better from Tarantino, master of Kill Bill and helping hand in the amazing Sin City.
Even the prize cow needs to deliver sour milk once in a while.