A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST (15, 116 mins) **
Starring Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried, Liam Neeson, Giovanni Ribisi, Neil Patrick Harris, Sarah Silverman. Director: Seth MacFarlane.

Seth MacFarlane’s rootin’ tootin’ comedy set in 1882 Arizona, merrily lassos crudity, toilet humour and hoary stereotypes, and dispatches subtlety to the famous Boot Hill cemetery.

It’s a far cry from the writer-director’s offbeat buddy comedy Ted.

While Ted was potty-mouthed, occasionally mean-spirited yet full of heart, A Million Ways... is potty-mouthed, occasionally mean-spirited and full of farts a symphony of flatulence ranging from cheeky parps to full-blooded, earthshaking trumpets.

MacFarlane complements his chorus of puerility by spraying and smearing every scene of potentially heartfelt emotion with bodily fluids.

It’s not enough that a sheep relieves itself on his cowardly character: we have to witness the stream of yellow liquid jettisoning from the animal’s twitching appendage in excruciating close-up.

The animal in question belongs to farmer Albert (MacFarlane), who lives on the outskirts of “a dirty cesspool of despair” called Old Stump.

He is at odds with the gun-slinging etiquette of the era and loses his simpering girlfriend Louise (Seyfried) to a moustachioed rival (Harris) after chickening out of a duel.

A mysterious woman called Anna (Theron) moseys into town and teaches Albert how to handle a firearm and muster his courage.

Under Anna’s expert tutelage, Albert becomes the man he always wanted to be and he falls in love with his feisty mentor.

Unfortunately, she happens to be the wife of bandit Clinch Leatherwood (Neeson), one of the quickest shots in the west.

A Million Ways To Die In The West is joyless.

MacFarlane’s nitwit is unsympathetic while Seyfried’s love interest is poorly sketched so there’s no reason to root for Albert to win her back.

Theron seems to be having a whale of a time in her underwritten role and Leeson chews scenery rather than tobacco as the pantomime bad guy.

Contrary to expectations, MacFarlane’s imagination doesn’t stretch as far as one million demises for the supporting cast.

With this film, he does attempt career suicide though, behind and in front of the camera.