"Django Unchained" Review

Quentin Tarantino is at it again, but who's complaining?

His latest spaghetti-western-esque saga, Django Unchained, tells the story of a 19th century slave named Django (Jamie Foxx) who is freed by Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz), a German bounty hunter. Dr. Schultz takes Django under his wing and teaches him how to become a bounty hunter himself. Together, the unlikely duo set out to rescue Django's wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) from Mississippi plantation owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio).
Like so many of Tarantino's other works, Django is stuffed with colorful characters, peculiar use of music and special effects, moments of side-splitting humor, unique cinematography, over-the-top violence, and lines that are destined to become classics ("D-J-A-N-G-O. The D is silent.").  Driven by a solid plot, all the classic Tarantino elements mold into place to make Django Unchained one of the director's best efforts yet. (I enjoyed it way more than Inglourious Basterds.)

I loved every single character in this movie. Jamie Foxx reminds us once again that he can truly act, as he turns in a riveting performance as our hero Django. Christoph Waltz is always a pleasure to watch. He lends a smart, backhanded humor to Dr. Schultz that makes the film more entertaining and his character one to root for. DiCaprio is also pitch-perfect as Calvin Candie, the Mississippi plantation owner. His character walks a fine line between being a respectable Southern gentleman and a brutal slave owner. DiCaprio nails this balance right on the head, and makes Candie one of the most truly sinister villains of the year & also the most fun to watch. My only major complaint with the film is that Kerry Washington doesn't get nearly the amount of dialogue she deserves. She's a beautiful, talented actress, and in a nearly three-hour run time, she hardly has any lines. They might as well have cast an unknown in the role of Broomhilda, Django's long-lost wife.
My favorite supporting performance of 2012 goes to Samuel L. Jackson for his portrayal of Candie's dastardly right-hand man Stephen. It's amazing how an hour or two in the make-up chair can transform a highly-revered actor into the scene-stealing performer of the year (a la Tom Cruise in Tropic Thunder). I wish I could do a better job describing this character to you, but Stephen is a man you just have to see to believe. I promise you've never seen Jackson like this before.

There was very little I did not love about Django Unchained, but I mentioned before that I was disappointed in Kerry Washington's lack of presence. In addition to that, I felt that the film's final act was slightly bloated. It was still entertaining and served as the icing on the cake for a very satisfying moviegoing experience, but I was already perfectly satisfied and ready for the credits to roll fifteen or twenty minutes before they actually did. I guess that's Tarantino, though, and I love his work more than I hate it.

On the whole, Django Unchained is one of the most immensely satisfying movies of the year. Nobody but Quentin Tarantino could have created this film, one very, very loosely inspired by the 1966-spaghetti western Django starring Franco Nero. All the two films have in common are some shared songs for the soundtrack and performances by Franco Nero. SPOILER: Look for him when Schultz & Django first meet Candie.  Nero is the owner of the slave fighting against Candie's.

Go see this in theaters as soon as you can. I think it's well-worth your attention and the awards hype.
(SPOILER: P.S. If you do... yes, that IS Jonah Hill...)

4 OF 4 STARS ****