I'll try keep the spoilers out of this - in case you haven't seen it.

I'm going to start by stating that this film IMO doesn't live up to the 'spaghetti western' that I kept hearing about. I was really excited to see it on the hype alone and QT knows his westerns...

1) The acting was outstanding, but you can expect that from any QT film. Foxx, DiCaprio and Waltz performances make this film a repeat occasion.

2) The cinematography was stellar as well. Every scene has its own, unique tone and feel. There were some scenes that were some of the most breathtaking I've seen. What really bothered me, is that spaghetti westerns are known for bringing front and center the characters, settings and props that don't have much significance to it's plot. I may have to see it again, but it wasn't overtly present at all.

3) The costumes and make up were awesome. The colors were vibrant, scars looked grumsome and some of the props were intense and disturbing. Some of it felt like Rainer Werner Fassibinder.

4) The dialogue was on par with the rest of QT. There was one stand out scene that had me twisted - it was brillantly paced IMO. If you hadn't heard already, this film blasts the n-bomb about 100 times or more. By the end of the film, it really didn't phase me and I think that was the problem. Sometimes it was approriate for the context of the dialogue, but as it progressed - I could feel myself being desensitized to the rest of the dialogue. I understand there has to be an authenticity about it, but felt it took away from it completely.

5) The score was amazing and unexpected, but again - it wasn't in line with what I hoped for.

6) Which brings me to the plot. I like the concept, but it didn't deliver the goods. Foxx's character Django really never grew into his character. As a black protagonist, I was expecting him to come into his own. He was a strong character, don't get me wrong. I guess he never really felt 'Unchained'. Confusingly, it was all about moving from A to B. The end was epic, but wasn't giving a proper bulid up.

I'm going to give it a B-, but I'll probably watch it again and see 1,000,000 things I missed the first time around. Damn you QT!

Johnny, B- is a fair grade, as is your analysis. I saw it tonight. I am a Tarintino fan,but this movie is extremely overrated. Maybe even shockingly so.

I have a feeling people are liking this largely because they know it's a Tarintino.

No one expects it to be intellectually stimulating or thought provoking, and it's not remotely so. No one should expect that this movie will make any serious attempt to put the audience in the period, and it doesn't. Well, to people who have little sense of history and think Star Wars really did take place a a galaxy far away and a long time ago, maybe this is history for them.

All of that is fine if the movie entertains, it the characters intrigue. It entertains, but not nearly enough for a movie like this. The characters occasionally intrigue, but more often just seem ridiculous.

The biggest problem is that the story is emotionally flat. Oh, sure, if you whip an innocent slave then shoot a heartless slave master, yeah, that gets a reaction. But anyone can do that. Heck, you can get a reaction showing knee surgery on Discovery Channel. That looks rough,man.

But there is little reason to really care for these characters. Any of them.

There are some clever scenes, a few memorable lines of dialogue. But when Quinton calls me and asks for my advice, this is what I will say:

"Change it up, man. You need a new schtick. No more Leone homages. No more Kill Bill in different settings. God, if you have to repeat yourself go back to Reservoir Dogs. Like a brilliant pop musician, it's time to reinvent yourself."

The critics seem to love this. You will never convince me that that is anything but the notion that it's not cool to diss Quenton. That's where you want to be, as a director, where popular and critical culture has already predetermined that anything you do is cool, and everyone is willing to look past your mistakes.

Yeah, this movie is pretty awesome, Tarantino's best since pulp, pretty much flawless, and at nearly 3 hrs it moved pretty quick. It also had some great gore and some really fun shootouts. Dicaprio is a riot in this, looks like he was having a blast being a bad guy, and Waltz was great as usual,and Jamie Fox had a coolness to him. It's a great audience movie as well, people were laughing and cheering throughout.  Great flick by a great filmaker, movies really don't get better than this. Of course people are gonna bitch and moan about this movie, people like to trash tarantino to make themselves feel hip, but the masses I can tell will get a kick out of it.

See, I'm not sure about the people like to bash Tarantino thing. I read multiple reviews by the main film critics, they were generally very positive.

And I myself like Tarantino movies. I loved Inglorious, Pulp, Reservoir, even Jackie Brown.

So I wanted to like this and expected to. I was surprised that I didn't, at how silly it often was. And how flat, especially the first hour.

So idea that people want to feel hip by trashing this...no, more the other way. It's hip to love Tarintino. He's like Letterman used to be. You had to laugh even on nights he wasn't funny. To like Leno was to be one of the cool people.

This film is not going to stand the test of time. Inglorious is a film you can watch over and over, especially that long opening scene. Pulp and Reservoir were filled with brilliant dialogue. In fact even that vampire one with Clooney was top notch dialogue.

Django has its moments, but often the dialogue sounded first draft or something. It just didn't feel real or even consistent.

Years from now, no one will remember this film. It won't be one of the classic Tarantino's you can't help stopping on anytime you are surfing.

Waiting for this one on Redbox too

Someone review Jack Reacher already

Have not seen the film yet, but I read the script. Critics are calling this Tarantino's most violent film ever?

Did not get that at all from the script. Few scenes will ever disturb me more than that poor mutilated cop in Reservoir Dogs. And the gratuitous carnage in Kill Bill? -- which I loved.

James

It's violent because the way the killings take place, and there are a ton of killings. Each bullet results in an explosion of blood. It's like Gallagher and his watermelons.

there's a lot of blood... but i hardly notice it most of the time

film violence just doesnt phase me anymore.

Nearly as bloody as Kill Bill, and nearly as good as Inglourious.  I enjoyed the hell out of it.  Despite its shortcomings and gaping plot hole, Tarantino knows how to make a satisfying film.

I will agree, there was plenty wrong with the film.
But, it was a damn good time.
For being nearly 3 hours, it went quick.

The acting was superb. Sam Jackson was a character that you loved to hate.
I liked the buddy cop aspect of the movie.

Yes, the dialogue wasn't great. But it was still pretty good. It doesn't hold a candle to movies like Pulp Fiction, of course.

Overall, I loved the movie.
I wouldn't call it a masterpiece by any means. But I would definitely recommend it. Especailly, if you're a QT fan.

Quoted from oJOHNNYoNUTSo As a black protagonist, I was expecting him to come into his own. He was a strong character, don't get me wrong. I guess he never really felt 'Unchained'.

As my own personal black protagonist, I wonder when I'll come into my own!

I'm more or less in line with Steex. Lots wrong with it, can't really say I was bothered by that. Had to love that dialogue, had to love sitting in the theatre and feel like I was seeing a real honest-to-goodness cinematic MOVIE, and had to love the good ol'-fashioned ass-whuppings being liberally handed out. Funny, thrilling, and discomforting. The guy behind me could barely stand some of the violence, and most of the theatre didn't know what to do with themselves during the 'Mandingo fight.' Awesome stuff.

And, y'know. Just love to see that brother in the saddle. Top 3 of the year, for me

P.S. Bet poor ol' Spike Lee ain't too happy with it. Ha ha ha.

I really liked this movie, though not as much as the Kill Bills and Inglourious.  The story had its own leisurely pace, and as typical with Tarantino, snubbed its nose at standard structure.  I suppose Django didn't have the same scope and operatic grandeur of Kill Bill and Basterds, but I still found it relentlessly entertaining.  Sam Jackson stole the show, I was cracking up at damn near every line of his.

Django's climax had a somewhat similar feel to Basterd's but didn't pack the same emotional wallop for me.  It was a fitting, though unsurprising ending.  Overall, a great ride and, unlike movies of similar length like Dark Knight, I never checked my watch once.  

Damn, this movie's a hoot. Bullshit story really, waaaaaaaay over the top splatter action but, fuck me, what a ride. DiCaprio is awesome, Waltz is awesome, Samuel is awesome, Foxx is...alright I guess but he had to do a lot with a lot less.

I had my doubts about QT in the past, Jackie Brown was a snooze fest, the Kill Bills were just whack and fucking Death Proof fucking sucked elephant semen. But he redeemed himself with Inglorious Basterds and he's definitely back on top again with Django.

Two thumbs up.

What the fuck did they put in those bullets back in the day? C4? Damn!

Jesus sniper, did you just snort a line of coke before writing that review? haha

However, I couldnt agree more. This might be the year's best for me. However I'm a bit biased considering I saw this on my birthday and was drinking a six pack of stouts in the theaters. Made for an awesome experience.

Concerning the bullets, I loved how they played up the splatter. However those pellets back then packed quite a wallop. They were inaccurate as s hit but if it struck you, you were officially f ucked.

I loved the missle sounds the bullets made right before the splat in the second to last shootout. It's also funny this moivie is only 14A here in canada, Inglourious was 18A and had about the 10th of the violence