Tarantino Hits It Out of the Park Once Again

Rating: 9/10 (26 December 2009)

Mr. Tarantino is one of THE best directors in Hollywood. He is one of the best writers and the dialogue in his movies is just amazing. This one is no exception and is probably one of his best. Let's jump right in to Inglourious Basterds (that's how it's spelled so don't go telling me to say it like "Inglorious Bastards" that's not how he spells it).
Our main character is Lieutenant Aldo Raine played by Brad Pitt. He sports an accent in this movie that if it doesn't make you laugh at least once, consult your doctor immediately. His accent pops in at the most inappropriate times. He's a likable character and is also kind of a badass. He just hates Nazis. He goes by the take no prisoners method. If you're a Nazi and run across him, it's either they kill you with a baseball bat or they let you live but carve a swastika on your forehead. Aldo is one awesome guy and just proves that Quentin can write the best characters possible.
Our main villain is the Nazis but particularly Colonel Hans Landa, played terrifyingly by Cristoph Waltz. This guy is a smooth-talking, calm, collected, and smart man. He acts in such a way that you'd expect little from him but they don't call him "The Jew Hunter" for nothing. This guy is one of the most terrifying villains in film history. In one scene he eats strudel in a restaurant while Tarantino's lively dialogue is happening and you can't help but think, "What is this guy up to? Yeah he's eating strudel, but what is he up to?" He is definitely one guy you won't want to mess with.
Our supporting characters are awesome. Let's start with the ladies. There are two main ladies in this movie, Bridget von Hammersmark played by Diane Kruger, and one of my favorite Tarantino characters, Shosanna Dreyfus, played by Melanie Laurent.
Why do I like Shosanna so much, well, she reminds me of The Bride from Kill Bill, bent on revenge, and that worked well for Kill Bill and it works here. In the beginning of the movie, Hans Landa murders Shosanna's entire family but she escapes and now, she seeks revenge on the Nazis. Since a movie premiere of a film showcasing the victory of the Nazis is taking place at her theatre, she takes this as a prime opportunity for vengeance. She's definitely someone you won't want to mess with either.
As for Bridget, she doesn't have much screen time but for the time she's on screen, she plays her role good enough. She doesn't stand out so much but she does her job.
The male supporting cast consists of Donny Donowitz AKA The Bear Jew played by Eli Roth. This guy is awesome, why? Two words, Baseball Bat. He beats people up with a baseball bat. This is shown once in the whole movie but that scene was one of my favorites, no not because of the violence but because of Tarantino's direction and writing of that scene. Aldo asks a German Soldier where the other Nazis are but he respectfully refuses. Then he asks Donny to kill him. I don't want to spoil the rest of this beautiful scene for you. Just watch it, unless you're pussified towards strong violence, that is.
Another male cast member is Hugo Stiglitz played by Til Schweiger. This guy has limited screen time but unlike Ms. Von Hammersmark, this guy actually kicks major ass during his time on screen. Nuff said.
There are a few more male cast members and Mike Myers has a cameo but they are so trivial that I won't go over them but they're still some awesome characters.
The story is great, I pretty much explained the first part above but what makes it so great is Tarantino's unique styles in writing. He doesn't spoon feed you with the story. There are two separate stories: One involves Aldo Raine and the Basterds, trying to finish off the Nazis' Third Reich at the movie premiere, and the other involves Shosanna getting her revenge using the movie premiere. At the end these two stories intertwine creating a marvelous finish that I won't spoil for you. And since Hans Landa and Aldo Rained barely cross paths until near the end, their encounters are some of my favorite parts.
The acting here is a slight problem. Brad Pitt is fun to watch but his acting is kind of meh... here. Eli Roth is also kind of meh... Cristoph Waltz is easily the best actor in here and I hope he wins an Oscar. His portrayal of Hans Landa is damn near perfect. Melanie Laurent and Diane Kruger also do great jobs.
The direction of this movie, need I to say it, damn near perfect. Quentin Tarantino is the master of writing dialogue but his direction makes it all the better. His music choice, though eclectic, is still really good and is arguably one of the best soundtracks of the year.
The Visuals of the movie, how it depicts World War II, is well, pretty good. There are very few anachronisms and you really believe you're there, especially the first scene.
To summarize, this is a great movie but not for conventional audiences and more of an intellectual audience as there is a lot of dialogue that could bore you if you're expecting a bloodbath of action. I recommend this movie if you're willing to sacrifice 2 hours and 33 minutes of your life. Overall, I give Inglourious Basterds, 90% awesome