In a word, fun

Rating: 9/10 (24 December 2009)

I completely understand why some people would hate this film. I had no expectations for this film, except that it was helmed by QT and all that entails. I was pleasantly surprised, enough to order the Blu-ray immediately after watching it.
To the naysayers... was it needlessly gory? Of course! Jesus, did you expect something else from QT? Were the characters over the top? Again, would you expect anything else from QT? This isn't Ingmar Bergman we're talking about, it's Quentin Tarantino. If you think Sergio Leone's characters weren't also overdone and almost comical, watch his films again. Tarantino just takes it one step further. Please don't tell me that you expect characters to fall in love and get married after one day as they did in most spaghetti westerns. You accept that nonsense because it's a product of the day and the genre.
I loved the language play in this film. Thank god QT didn't pander to stupid audiences who don't like to read movies. The nuances of language are new for Tarantino and a welcomed addition. It definitely added depth to the scenes.
The acting was also at least on par with other QT films, if not better. Waltz was amazing, sheer genius. The Nazi characters were given a respect that I didn't expect in this film. They weren't bumbling idiots, nor were they completely evil automatons. They were humanized. To those who fault this treatment, you are doing history a disservice. You don't need to be a monster to do evil things. Humans are capable of such atrocities en masse and we have seen this time and time again.
If there is a fault with the acting, it would be the Basterds themselves. There's not enough back story to justify their actions. Their treatment is too comical. Give me more back story if you want me to believe they can completely suspend all human decency. Don't rely on history, because at that point most of the Nazi atrocities were just rumor and speculation. Perhaps the Basterds were comical to lessen the impact of their atrocities. To those who fault Brad Pitt specifically, I think he was exactly who QT wanted him to be. Was Eli Wallach any worse as Tuco? John Wayne's acting was laughably bad and yet people adore Ford's spaghetti westerns.
Unlike some, I was held in complete suspense by this film. Why? Because I had no idea what to expect. I didn't know if QT was going to take it completely over the top or not. I kept waiting for some reason why the plot would fail. I should have seen Hitler's demise coming, however. After all, this is QT. Someone else said it best. This film never would have been released if not for Tarantino. That's the reason why it succeeds. It IS a Tarantino film.
I also watched District 9 the same weekend I saw this. I found myself saying how stupid all those characters were and how unrealistic were their actions. That's the difference. In District 9, you present me with a situation that is supposed to be real and yet you give me people who act ridiculously out of character for their situation. In Inglourious Basterds, you suspend everything because it is complete fantasy. Everything goes out the window with Tarantino. If you can't suspend that, you won't enjoy this film. If you can, you will be rewarded with a fantastic romp through cinematic silliness.
Is this Citizen Kane? Hardly! Was it completely entertaining and outstanding for it's purpose, absolutely! If you are not a QT fan, stay away. You won't like it.