Yesterday morning, we caught the first ten minutes of The Gangster Squad. I realize from that sentence, it sounds like we theater hopped, which we didn't. Theater hopping is a huge no-no in my book, I think it's stealing and just disrespectful to those who made the film and who are in the theater viewing. I love movies too much to theater hop.

We caught the the first ten minutes of The Gangster Squad because the AMC Sixteen in Burbank goofed and loaded the wrong movie. It wasn't on my hot to see list, but now I can confidently avoid seeing The Gangster Squad. Yes, I am judging a movie by ten minutes. Ten minutes and terrible reviews.

Luckily, we had tickets to Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained. I wasn't too sure what to expect out of this controversial and polarizing film, but Tarantino never seems to make a bad movie and the cast is great, so I was sold.

Django Unchained has several things done right. The screenplay is fantastic. A compelling and original story with just the right mix of serious and levity to give it heart. It's 100% Tarantino in tone and the whole stylized spaghetti-western theme just works. I think that he is the only modern film maker who could have pulled it off. It's so his signature style.

Tarantino has created fantastic characters as a foundation and found the perfect cast to bring them to life. The writing and the cast make this movie. 

Django Unchained  has great heroes and villains. I loved seeing Christoph Waltz as a good guy this time. He just steals the show every time he's on the screen. Jamie Fox does a solid job of carrying the movie. He is one of those actors that I often forget about, but always give a great performance. He's so versatile. Speaking of versatile, I physically didn't recognize Samuel L. Jackson and probably wouldn't have, except for his distinct voice gives him away. I loved Leonardo DiCaprio, who is another scene stealer and I feel is often underrated. 

Django Unchained feels like a companion piece to Inglourious Basterds. In both movies Tarantino has written such rich characters and strong underdog seeks revenge based plots. It's impossible to not be swept up in the stories and to find yourself rooting for the heroes. These are two of Tarantino's best films. 

I throughly enjoyed Django Unchained and think that it's one of the best movies of the year, very deserving of the accolades that it has received. The only negatives are that it runs a bit long (But that is Tarantino) and that Tarantino should not have cast himself in a minor supporting role. It was painful to watch, especially the strange Australian accent that he attempted. 

A great movie, definitely one to catch on the big screen!