--- title: "A Million Ways to Die in the West: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/a-million-ways-to-die-in-the-west/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/a-million-ways-to-die-in-the-west" critics_score: 41 critics_reviews: 23 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014): what the critics said Critics' score 41 from 23 reviews: 3 positive, 7 mixed, 13 negative. Most critics find A Million Ways to Die in the West an uneven, overlong comedy whose occasional good jokes cannot sustain it. Praise clusters around Charlize Theron’s lively performance, with supporting players supplying laughs that reviewers often find missing from Seth MacFarlane’s central turn. Several reviews also admire the Western cinematography and score, finding more assurance in the film’s presentation than in its comic timing. The main complaints concern repetitive vulgarity, slack pacing and a lead character the film treats too indulgently. The spread is wide: some critics find scattered pleasures, while others regard the comedy as largely unsuccessful. Collider offers a more favourable reading of the juvenile humour, finding it consistently funny despite the length and the hero’s easy treatment. Paste also enjoys the film, arguing that its thoughtful moments balance the scatology, though it shares reservations about the pacing and MacFarlane’s fit with the cast. ## IndieWire — Eric Kohn Rating B-. 28 May 2014. Kohn finds the comedy enjoyable in stretches but ultimately too sloppy and mean-spirited to match its Western inspirations. He singles out Charlize Theron’s performance and several inventive digressions as highlights. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/review-what-does-seth-macfarlanes-a-million-ways-to-die-in-the-west-tell-us-about-the-state-of-the-western-26038/) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The page is blocked, so the critic’s verdict cannot be determined. The review’s specific praise or complaint is also unavailable. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/a-million-ways-to-die-in-the-west-2014) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The page content is blocked, so the critic’s verdict cannot be verified. No specific praise or complaint is visible. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/30/movies/seth-macfarlanes-a-million-ways-to-die-in-the-west.html) ## Radio Times — Karen Krizanovich Rating 3/5. Krizanovich calls the film a potential future classic. She praises MacFarlane’s modern take on the Wild West, likening it to Blazing Saddles with contemporary profanity. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-34298r/a-million-ways-to-die-in-the-west/) ## Total Film — Philip Kemp Rating 3/5. 30 May 2014. Kemp finds the comedy western uneven but says its hits outnumber its misses. He praises the supporting cast, particularly Charlize Theron, while noting Seth MacFarlane’s awkward performance. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/a-million-ways-to-die-in-the-west-review/) ## The AV Club — Ignatiy Vishnevetsky Rating C-. 29 May 2014. The critic finds the comedy repetitive and poorly shaped, with too little material stretched across its runtime. He singles out a few visual and dialogue jokes as funny, but says they are buried under repeated setups and crude humor. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/seth-macfarlane-didn-t-bother-to-think-of-a-million-way-1798180585) ## Los Angeles Times — Betsy Sharkey Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 29 May 2014. Sharkey finds the comedy uneven and ultimately a misfire, despite some funny moments. She praises Charlize Theron’s performance but faults the film’s scattershot jokes and blunt use of political incorrectness. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-a-million-ways-review-20140530-column.html) ## Screen Daily — Tim Grierson Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 28 May 2014. Grierson finds the film’s smug, juvenile humor and uneven storytelling make it an unsatisfying comedy. He singles out Charlize Theron’s playful, spirited performance as its most appealing element. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/a-million-ways-to-die-in-the-west/5072488.article?blocktitle=REVIEWS&contentID=40296) ## The Hollywood Reporter — THR Staff Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 28 May 2014. The critic finds the comedy uneven and overlong, with a familiar romance and a bland lead performance. Charlize Theron is singled out for carrying much of the film, though the critic objects to her character becoming a damsel in distress. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/a-million-ways-die-west-707135/) ## The Independent — Geoffrey Macnab Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 30 May 2014. Macnab finds the film a weak comedy, weighed down by feeble puns, pointless cameos and graphic violence. He notes that some sheep-related gags raise a chuckle and praises the film’s handsome western cinematography. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/a-million-ways-to-die-in-the-west-film-review-slapstick-cameos-feeble-puns-and-surprisingly-graphic-violence-9456480.html) ## Empire — Simon Crook Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 30 January 2014. Crook finds the comedy plodding, repetitive and largely unfunny. He singles out Charlize Theron as the film’s big plus, while criticizing the star-wastage elsewhere. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/million-ways-die-west-review/) ## Slant Magazine — Steve Macfarlane Rating 1/4. 29 May 2014. The critic finds the film an arduously predictable, mostly unsuccessful comedy. They praise the supporting performances and occasional uneasy laughs, but fault the whiny dialogue and overreliance on jokes that rarely land. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/a-million-ways-to-die-in-the-west/) ## Vulture — David Edelstein Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 30 May 2014. Edelstein finds the comedy mostly unsuccessful, despite a few jokes that land. He singles out MacFarlane’s crude humor and bland central performance as key flaws. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2014/05/movie-review-a-million-ways-to-die-in-the-west.html) ## Little White Lies — Adam Woodward Rating 3/1/1. 29 May 2014. The critic finds the film an epic failure and MacFarlane’s lead character fundamentally unlikeable. They single out the weak jokes and repetitive flatulence humor as especially tiresome. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/a-million-ways-to-die-in-the-west) ## The Guardian — Jonathan Romney Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 31 May 2014. Romney finds the spoof western joyless, overlong and poorly timed. He singles out Sarah Silverman’s cheerful performance as a bright spot. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/jun/01/a-million-ways-to-die-in-west-review-bloated-blazing-saddles) ## Time Out — Guy Lodge Rating 1/5. 29 May 2014. The one-star rating signals a strongly negative verdict on the comedy. The description suggests the film’s wisecracking approach fails to deliver laughs. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/a-million-ways-to-die-in-the-west) ## Variety — Scott Foundas Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 28 May 2014. Foundas pans the film as a padded, uninspired comedy that fails to meet Seth MacFarlane’s usual standard. He singles out Charlize Theron’s loose, sassy performance as the main reason it remains engaging at all. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/film-review-a-million-ways-to-die-in-the-west-1201194566/) ## Paste — Brent Simon Rating 7.1. 31 May 2014. Simon calls the film an enjoyable romp, finding that its thoughtful moments balance its scatological humor. He praises the playful direction, energetic score, and cinematography, while noting that the film could be trimmed and MacFarlane feels out of step with the cast. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/a-million-ways-to-die-in-the-west) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating B-. 29 May 2014. Goldberg finds the film consistently funny but overlong, with a central character the movie too readily celebrates. He praises its unapologetic, often juvenile comedy, while faulting MacFarlane for not turning that humor on himself. [Read the review](https://collider.com/million-ways-die-west-review/) ## HeyUGuys — Amon Warmann Rating 3/5. 28 May 2014. The review finds the film enjoyable in parts but says it fails to maximise its potential and feels overlong. It praises the strong ensemble performances and cameos, while criticising the uneven humour and lazy flatulent jokes. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/million-ways-die-west-review/) ## Den of Geek — David Crow Rating 2.5/5. 29 May 2014. Crow finds the comedy largely aimless and sluggish, despite occasional successful gags. He singles out Charlize Theron’s lively performance and Neil Patrick Harris’s comic turns for praise. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/a-million-ways-to-die-in-the-west-review/) ## Digital Spy — Simon Reynolds Rating 2/5. 28 May 2014. Reynolds finds the comedy a misfire, with an overlong, laugh-free story dominated by MacFarlane. He praises the cinematography and score for capturing the style of a classic Western. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a574049/a-million-ways-to-die-in-the-west-review-seth-macfarlane-misfires/) ## The Wrap — Alonso Duralde Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 28 May 2014. The critic finds the comedy intermittently funny but ultimately weakened by juvenile, repetitive vulgarity. The film’s absurdist gags and Western visuals earn praise, while its sex and scatology jokes are singled out as overdone. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/a-million-ways-to-die-in-the-west-review-seth-macfarlane-charlize-theron-neil-patrick-harris/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/a-million-ways-to-die-in-the-west.md