Grand Guignol comedy at its stickiest...

Rating: 7/10 (30 July 2016)

...and faithfully presented in the guise of a panoramic (literally) Western mashed into an Agatha Christie closed-room whodunit, along with various prior Tarantino tropes (not the least of which being the ubiquitous Samuel L. Jackson), "Hateful Eight" remains unlikely to place terribly high in the pantheon of cinema, let alone in the rankings of Tarantino offerings. Expansive 70mm presentation to the side (a choice brutally defanged by non-theatrical viewing), the plot leans heavily on coincidences that beggar the meaning of serendipity and trademark Tarantino verbal excursions of rhetorical diarrhea that tend to tax one's patience. While I'll admit I enjoy such excesses at times, Tarantino pushes them just a little too hard here, with Samuel L.'s taunting monologue directed at Bruce "Need you ask?" Dern's Confederate general being a prime example. There are times when Tarantino can't restrain himself; you'd think after so many years he'd have matured a bit more. "Hateful Eight" isn't a film that demands repeat viewing. It'll make its way into my video library eventually, but I'll be in no hurry about it; a return to his early work remains much more appealing.