A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST (Rated R)

Seth MacFarlane, the creator of “Family Guy” and “Ted,” knows his way around comedy and satire, proving his willingness, even eagerness, to also delve into the swamps of gross-out humor and raunchy excess.

“A Million Ways to Die in the West,” in which MacFarlane has the unlikely starring role of an inept but oddly smart sheep farmer in the dusty, remote desert region of the Arizona territory in 1882, seeks to emulate another famous Western satire.

The comparisons to Mel Brooks’ classic “Blazing Saddles” are inevitable for many reasons, not the least of them being that scatological humor is in the mix, though MacFarlane, also the director and screenwriter, goes farther in bad taste than Brooks would ever contemplate.

Not to belabor the point, but MacFarlane clearly doesn’t have the measured comic timing or even boundary-pushing sensibilities of Mel Brooks, who seemed to instinctively know just how far to go with his routines.

For some odd reason, unlike Mel Brooks’ supporting roles as the lecherous Governor and an Indian chief, MacFarlane thought it a good idea that he should be the central focus of “A Million Ways to Die in the West,” as if he were somehow indispensable to the plot.

MacFarlane’s sheep farmer Albert Stark, unable to keep his flock from wandering aimlessly through town and on other lands, is better suited as a narrator. He starts off like a visitor from another planet describing, in colorful language, the woeful hardships of the Old West.

Irreverent comedy is the trademark of MacFarlane’s work, and here he seems to be at his best when he appears to be the outsider or the inner voice, such as when he spoke the dialogue for the stuffed teddy bear in the hilariously raunchy “Ted,” or here just casually observing the lunacy around him.

Indeed, there are many ways to expire in the West, from pistols at noon and ambushes from gunfighters to runaway tumbleweed that slits one’s throat or the horns of a rampaging bull taking out the random vendor of snake-oil remedies at the County fair.

As far as the story goes, the nerdy Albert is getting dumped by his vacuous girlfriend Louise (Amanda Seyfried), because she’s fallen for the oily, obnoxious proprietor of a mustache toiletries supply store.

Neil Patrick Harris, delightfully funny as a fancy dude overly impressed with his handlebar whiskers, plays the part of the odious Foy.

Albert unwisely challenges Foy to a duel, though he sets the showdown date for a week hence, in anticipation that he may be better prepared than the last time he was confronted by a vicious gunslinger.

Still living with his parents on the homestead, Albert’s only real friends are the odd couple of Edward (Giovanni Ribisi) and Ruth (Sarah Silverman), neither one of them adept at guns or advice for romance.

The ongoing joke, played to extremes, is that Ruth is the most popular prostitute in town, given to performing all sorts of perverted sex acts later recounted in some detail. Meanwhile, she and Edward have not had sex because they are saving themselves for marriage.

Having contemplated leaving the dreadful town of Old Stump for the more appealing San Francisco, Albert is dissuaded from leaving by the sudden appearance of the very pretty and smart newcomer, Anna (Charlize Theron), who is attracted to the sheep farmer’s gentle manner.

Having arrived in town to hide out while her mean, vile gangster husband Clinch (a taciturn Liam Neeson) is trying to stay a few steps ahead of the law, Anna reveals nothing about her past, though her alleged bodyguard tries to pass himself off as her brother but soon ends up in jail for killing several people.

Anna’s presence is fortuitous for Albert because she’s as talented with guns as any sharpshooting desperado. Her skills go far in helping Albert overcome his ham-fisted handling of weapons, where target practice is an exercise in futility.

Filmmaking is often an untidy business, and there are scenes that seem more like filler than essential to the plot. One such extended scene is Albert being captured by Indians before they realize he speaks their language, and then he ends in a wild state of hallucination after too much peyote.

“A Million Ways to Die in the West,” trying to live up to its title, may be the only movie ever to show an unfortunate bystander being killed by a giant block of ice. Crazy stuff happens in the Old West and MacFarlane aims to show much of it, and often to hilarious effect.

Very few comedies will ever measure up to the zany comic standards of “Blazing Saddles,” and so let’s put that aside and just enjoy the wacky humor of Seth MacFarlane as best we can. There are plenty of reasons to laugh, and even to gag in disbelief, in this film.  

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.