Not worth the hype... or hate.

Rating: 7/10 (5 April 2016)

Let me start off by saying. That anyone giving this film a 1 or 2 is embarrassing themselves and anything they say should be taken with a grain of salt. I'm not saying this because I like this movie, I'm saying it because it's true. Hardly any movie in the modern era deserves this rating unless it is shameless schlock without character or plot. The Hateful 8 is not that movie. The acting alone gives this movie a 6.5 because it is so good. If you were bored by this movie, I hope you can at least admit that the people involved with this film are extremely talented.
Now, having said that, I'll get into the meat of the review. I enjoyed this movie. However, I must admit that the main aspect of this film (and biggest cause of disdain), the dialogue, is so prominent that it might as well be the entire first half of the movie. When a movie is this dialogue heavy, it tends to put audiences to sleep. However, the cinematography and musical score is what kept me interested. I'm not usually one to notice music in a movie, but Morricone has done an excellent job of creating atmosphere and tension throughout this film. Without him, it's a real snooze-fest. Not to say that the dialogue wasn't top notch either. The lack of characters allows for more streamlined and focused storytelling. The movie stays away from unnecessary dialogue and story padding and focuses more on character building. It is clear from dialogue alone what every characters motivation is unless it is intentionally hidden.
I respect what this movie tried to do and I think Tarantino succeeded in making the movie he wanted to make. He created an atmospheric and genuinely intriguing mystery movie with a western theme. Now, that movie may not appeal to wide audiences and make tons of $$cash$$, but they tried something ambitious and I believe it payed off.