A movie with great scenes, and bad scenes

Rating: 7/10 (13 January 2010)

I usually spend time reviewing films that I really enjoyed but I feel this film deserves a review because it had some memorable scenes in it. Too bad there were more bad scenes than good ones, but overall a very watchable film and even worth a buy.
The film starts off brilliantly, Chapter 1 had some of the finest acting ever, coupled with Morricone melodies to spice up tension. Waltz and Jackson were great and the movie felt serious. After the 1st chapter it turned into a comedy, maybe to take away the shock of the gore in the film, which was just unnecessary. Tarantino should forget about the blood and violence sometimes, he goes overboard with it and ruins the great writing and tense dialogue. Some actors were serious, while some were comedic.
Brad Pitt was the latter, he just felt out of place in this film. I loved Kruger's performance, and of course Waltz was great! See this film just for his scenes, he could win an Oscar. The character's had personality, but you really never care for these characters at the same time. Like all Tarantino films, the plot isn't anything too complex. There are no plot twists except for the usual cohesion of his many chapters at the film's climax.
Finally, the Directing, which is just like the film. Brilliant at times, bad at times. Old School and New School mixed together. Other than the horrible action scenes at the end, most of the action was good, squibs galore, but good...just campy at times. One thing I love about Tarantino is that he knows how to shoot a long, long scene, with one camera, and from one angle. His dialogue and tension are his strengths, while his plots and character's usually remain shallow.
I rate it a 6/10 for it's decent writing and directing. Interesting to see a film that doesn't have that politically correct Hollywood formula, but still taking two steps backward whenever the film shows promise.