Scalpel?

Rating: 10/10 (24 February 2010)

If you were one of many to get a glance at 'Inglourious Basterds' in its trailer form, then you would be under the impression that this movie is all about scalping some Nazis. True to the extent that there is scalping in this film but it's much more than that. Basterds is sliced up into five chapters each with its own purpose. This of course has been done by director/screenwriter - Quentin Tarantino. Even without reading that previous sentence, you could easily tell that this is Tarantino's work, as it has his finger prints all over it. No way is that a bad thing either, as Basterds has some truly jaw dropping, laugh out loud and cringe worthy moments that you won't soon forget.
In order for these scenes to shine, Tarantino has weaved his magic but he should be thankful for his cast. The main man on the cover was Brad Pitt as our knife wielding protagonist - Lt. Aldo Raine. Aldo was at the forefront of putting some serious gashes in the Nazi regime and Pitt couldn't have portrayed this character better, which shows him to be one of the more versatile actors out there. Completely out of left field, however, is the performance from the "Jew Hunter" himself, Christoph Waltz, who steals the entire show. It is no exaggeration that Waltz's performance will be talked about for some time to come as one of the best villains film has seen.
Over time, I believe this movie will only get better. Whether you want to poke around for flaws, It won't change that Basterds will be made example of for the right reasons. Especially since it has scenes such as the bilingual one seen in the first chapter that manages to set the tone for the whole movie. Chapter four may have dragged on, but due to some cutting-edge pacing, time becomes irrelevant as this film is on a whole other level when it comes to speed. If you were doubtful of 'Inglourious Basterds' being a worthy footnote in Tarantino's catalogue or a movie better suited for the chopping board, then I cannot stress enough that you should change your mindset. It is even more alarming then the amount of puns I have used in this review thus far. On the other side of the equation however, I'll be part of the crowd licking their lips in anticipation for Tarantino's next film. Or sharpening your machete if that's your prerogative.