Major disappointment from masterful filmmakers

Rating: 3/10 (27 December 2007)

I am really surprised by the critics' admiration for this film. I am not so surprised at the reaction of the Tarantino fan types that have rated this film so highly on the IMDb. A film with this much graphic violence (I counted Anton's tally at 14, but maybe I missed some) better have some good points to make -- and any more, they should be NEW points -- or else it's just a horror film. I am afraid that the Coens have come up with a horror film. Okay, but then I don't understand how the critics can get so worked up (of course, I thought they were way too kind to Little Children also).
Essentially, as some other readers have so rightly pointed out, this film is pointless. The insults of other readers --- that those of us who believe this are dumb --- doesn't hold water. I have discussed the film with a number of friends who are great fans of cinema (and I mean they have an appreciation of the classics of world cinema), and they also had to agree. And we are fans of the Coens, and feel that they make interesting films with great dialog, settings, acting, and photography. In fact, I cannot fault the film technically. The problem is with the story itself, which means that either Cormac McCarthy failed, or the Coens did in adapting it.
So I invite other readers to explain what points are made here that we haven't already seen a zillion times in other films. The relentless evil of man? The ultimate meaninglessness of existence? Do we really need this much blood to do so?
Sigh. Okay. How about this? The Coens have attempted to adapt what I suppose is a serious American novel to the screen. However, if that is the case, I shouldn't have to accept the usual suspension of disbelief. Thus, how is it that this ultimate killing machine was apprehended by the not-so-bright deputy in the first place? We first see Anton in custody - - handcuffed as it were. From then on, this psycho has essentially killed everyone he has chatted with. That was a major loose end for me.
Another friend considered the film a rip-off of The Terminator, which he says in turn was a stolen idea. Even down to the scene where Anton has to repair himself.
Other critics have called the film "funnier than Fargo", which if true, is pretty distressing. In the theater I was in, there were indeed chuckles in the appropriate spots, but when I saw Fargo, people were laughing loud and hard throughout. To imagine a theater audience doing so with this film is downright chilling.