Entertaining but Tarantino is stuck in revenge fantasy mode.

Rating: 7/10 (23 August 2009)

The film was promoted with the phrase "Once upon a time..." both a tribute to one of Tarantino's heroes, Sergio Leone, and a tip off that the film presented would be a FANTASY. Tarantino has been stuck in strictly revenge fantasy mode since Kill Bill, as the two Bill films, Death Proof, and now Basterds are all nothing but revenge fantasies. He clearly let us know he was not making a film that presented us with accurate history. The Nazis in the film serve two purposes, comic relief and symbol of evil and the violent destruction of them fulfills the fantasy.
It is well known that Tarantino does not make films that are polite or in "good taste" he makes films that satisfy his childhood film fantasies. I can't imagine a person walking into a Tarantino film thinking they are going to get a history lesson or learn something. This has never been the point of a Tarantino film, he makes films to pay tribute to the pop culture and filmmakers he loves so much. He is not a complex filmmaker, he is a kid in a candy store and like that kid all he wants to do is overindulge himself. The "fun" in seeing one of his films is watching him do so with such glee.
This film is a big goofy mess, not meant to be taken seriously, the thing is you can either laugh along with Tarantino or walk away. I won't argue that there is plenty in this film, including the ending, which could obviously be seen as "offensive to Jews" and some of my Jewish friends have already told me they think the film is a travesty but I think the thing is you have to try to take into consideration Tarantino's intention, which was to make a film that would make the kid in him yell "That's so cool!" Is that sort of dumb considering Tarantino is an adult? Sure it is, but I guess watching the film is like watching kids open presents, they are thrilled and excited to be tearing off all that pretty colored paper...not very deep but it is true.