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Brad Pitt plays Lt. Aldo Raine, who leads a group of Jewish-American soldiers during WWII called ‘The Basterds’. For these men, their job is to track down and viciously murder Nazis in an attempt to provoke fear in the Third Reich.

The Truth

Inglourious Basterds gave me mixed emotions, because I envisioned more action and eventful situations. Sadly, we rarely see the Basterds fight, even though they are hand-picked for the specialized abilities.

If we went to a Spider-Man movie, but never got to see him spin webs or stick to walls, we’d be disappointed. So why does Tarantino get a free pass on skipping the action in a movie about men sent to terrorize the Natzis?

Pushing this flaw aside, Inglourious Basterds is really a drama, and a long one at that. The majority of the film is based around the plot to blow up a movie theater owned by a French-Jewish teenage girl who seeks revenge on the SS for the killing of her family.

The buildup is slow, but rather interesting, as we learn about the lives of those who are taking part in this secret plot. Mélanie Laurent is incredible as Shosanna Dreyfus, owner of the theater. She swallows her feelings and emotions in order to carry out her plot against the German SS.

Also wonderful is Diane Kruger, as double agent Bridget von Hammersmark. She helps coordinate the Basterds and plot.

The film really focuses on Christoph Walts and his role as Col. Hans Landa, a German investigator and security officer. His performance was incredible, Oscar worthy.

In the end, the Basterds aren’t really the hero’s of the film, it is the two lead females which is ironic considering the name of the film. Actually, Pitt and the Basterds don’t have a lot to do with the film, or the final act. Its as if Tarantino ran out of ideas for the lead characters.

The Action

Sadly, not a lot. Inglourious Basterds had very little action.

The Laughs

Tarantino took a lot of shit for giving a ‘human’ side to his Hitler, but he managed to throw a few laughs in along the way. Whether or not you can laugh at the situations is one thing, I could.

Why should I watch it?

If you have 2.5 hours to kill and don’t mind a ton of subtitles, Inglourious Basterds is a decent film.

What’s bad about it?

Inglourious Basterds had a little too much buildup and not enough action. The subtitles would have been a little too much if I never spoke a bit of french and could concentrate on the film like I did.

You’ll Like It If

If you are looking for a historically inaccurate film, with a pretty smart plot and writing, Inglourious Basterds is for you.

What I learned

Brad Pitt is possibly the most overrated actor in film today, and wooden baseball bats are harder than the human skull.

The Verdict

Inglourious Basterds didn’t meet my expectations, but it may meet yours. The lack of action and insight to the assembled Inglourious Basterds was disappointing, I wish we could have gotten to see them in action.

Inglourious Basterds was a decent film, and you get your money’s worth out of the runtime.