Slow and often stupid, but with some good acting

Rating: 6/10 (29 August 2010)

Tarantino has produced a movie that is something of a curio, a would-be action movie without much action, long stretches of dialogue which sometimes work and other times merely bore, and acting which ranges from brilliant to terrible.
Brad Pitt, the leader of the Nazi hunters, is a cross between Ged Clampitt and Bruce Forsyth! He is bloody awful. Christopher Waltz, who plays Eric Lander, an SS "Jew Hunter" is terrific though, as is Melanie Laurent who coveys a wide range of emotions while saying little. Haven't a clue what Mike Myers was doing in the film; cod British accents are fine for comedy; here he was just crap.
The movie does have a long but excellent opening scene and a great last 30 minutes, problem is it takes too long to shift gears - the cellar scene in the bar is overlong and pretty stupid - crack behind enemy lines troops agree to meet in a cellar full of German soldiers???? Tarantino even brings up the stupidity several times but never answers it - why not just meet in a park or a hotel or something? Answer of course is so Tarantino can do a Mexican standoff...where the only survivor is someone who's vital to the plan. Yeah, right. Our crack team are actually extremely thick, as they leave evidence around all pointing to her as an enemy agent, and then come up with an explanation for the plaster cast which is so stupid the guy who wrote Springtime For Hitler would have seen through it. Would never have happened in Richard Burton's day!
I liked the fact that they actually kill Hitler et al! Although two guards for the German High Command in occupied France which has been invaded by the allies is a bit weak. It's strange that the film seems to go out of the way to avoid action while containing much off the cuff violence; and seriously under-develops the basterds, while lots of time is given over to more minor characters. I liked the German sharpshooter, though, and overall a good film - just not as good as Tarantino can be. A two out of four stars movie for me.