The Tarantino take on World War II is far more sensible and respectful than anyone would have imagined. The genius balance between the darkest of black comedy and heart wrenching tragedy is, in a word, sublime. Even in the first twenty minutes, I found myself on the verge of tears, and then five seconds later laughing my guts out. Or my scalp off.
The tale follows an elaborate plot to kill Hitler and his cohorts, recruiting a German movie star, a delightfully murderous â… Expand

I will begin this review by stating that this my favorite Tarantino film to date. The movie has received flak by critics for portrayal of the Jewish American men being and reflecting the brutality of the Nazis against the German opposition. While I feel this is unfair and those who feel this way are missing the point of this movie entirely. The movie is a fantasy WWII movie about what people wanted to happen in the War. It is safe to say that Nazis are some the most hated group of people in the history of our planet. With hatred comes the ability for people to dehumanize the Nazi. People tend to not care how they are treated and even forget that not every, and even most Germans, were not Nazis. The Jewish-American treatment of the Germans was brutal and graphic because Tarantino wanted people to realize that they were Nazis and at the same time were still people.
The movie itself is beautifully directed with emotional dialog and no shortage of action. Those who are upset at the overly gory action and violence have apparently not watched Quentin Tarantino films before. If you dislike or despise this, then don't watch Quentin Tarantino. The two storylines in the movie were both artfully crafted with as much character development as possible when you try to split time evenly between two separate and equally as important parts. Golden movie, loved every moment. Highly recommended unless you don't like reading subtitles; there are a lot of subtitles.… Expand

Quentin Tarantino has created a monster, as the marketing suggests, Brad Pitt is a Basterd, Eli Roth is a Basterd and so on, this is a film that aims so high and mighty, and hits all the marks without fail, a true masterpiece from Tarantino as he continues to exceed himself.
Set during the first year of the German occupation of France, the film tells a variety of stories, one being the tale of runaway Jew Shosanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent) who escapes from the Lt. Hans Landa played by the brilliant Christophe Waltz, who is a chilling but calm character in his delivery, but it is ultimately the pacing and the shear unorthodox film-making skills of Tarantino that truly set this film off on a frantic run that just doesn't stop.
Brad Pitt puts a typically stellar performance as Lt. Aldo Raine, the leader of the Basterds, who tasks his men with killing and scalping Nazi soldiers, Shosanna, meanwhile, has now changed her name and owns a cinema in Paris, and the opportunity arises for her to exact revenge on the Nazis thanks to her owning said cinema.
This is quite an ensemble cast including Diane Kruger, Eli Roth, B.J. Novak, the multi-talented Michael Fassbender and even Mike Myers. Also look out for voiceovers by Samuel L. Jackson and Harvey Kietel The truly remarkable feat achieved by this film is that no one actor or actress entirely populates the movie, the film consistently cuts to different situations in an effort to tell a story for each character, and to truly introduce each persona as having an important role to play in the film.
The Tarantino style is told from the get-go, as just like Kill Bill, the film is told in chapters, with small snippets of his work throughout, the gore, the bizarre dialogue, but most of all, the engaging and tense long scenes which really set the tone of a thrilling film, with the viewer not being quite sure just what is going to happen next in many of the scenes, a particular one being that involving a small French tavern where Fassbenders character is meeting a double agent, this is simply the highlight of the film, it has drama, different cuts and nail-biting dialogue to suggest throughout it that something just isn't right.
The cinematography is simply excellent and thought-provokingly unique, offering various incarnations of an environment that just add to the gleaming picture.
It has all the makings to be a classic, with particularly mind-blowing performances, especially from Christophe Waltz, who is just an absolute treat to admire in his capabilities throughout the entire film.
To quote Lt. Aldo Raine, which Tarantino should now use for himself..."This just might be my masterpiece"… Expand

A war movie only Tarantino can pull off. I knew it was special when I saw it in theaters, and with every watch my respect only grows. Brad Pitt as Lt. Aldo Raine is one of my favorite performances ever. "I think this might just be my masterpiece." Yes, Quentin Tarantino, it's one of many from you but it is, indeed, a masterpiece.

Christoph Waltz indeed made this film the epic that it is. It however can drag just a little bit, if it was cut 20 minutes or so shorter that would be great, but despite that it was still a great film. The movie must be seen for Christoph Waltz's portrayal of Col. Hans Landa, he was perfect in his scenes in every way. He made the movie. Also Brad Pitt had his funny moments as well, he was pretty good at his role as well.… Collapse

this movie is so great, its one of my favourite movies of all time it deserved more oscars Christopher Waltz deserved that oscar but a few more to this movie would of been better

For me this is by far Tarantino's second best movie. The first scene in this movie is one of the best and most intense that I have seen in any movie...ever. The way that Tarantino can put together such a lengthy scene like this, packing a punch with the dialogue, the intensity, and developing his characters. In one scene we can see what kind of character Waltz will be through the entire film. Absolutely brilliant. The opening scene and the scene in the bar, which lasts probably half an hour by itself, are enough to make this one of my favorite movies. There are a couple points at which this movie drags just a bit, and this is what keeps it from being a perfect 10 in my opinion. In my estimation Tarantino has three movies: Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, and Basterds, that show that he is a brilliant story teller, writer, and casts his movies flawlessly. It is a shame he cannot show these capabilities every time he makes a film.… Expand

Bastards is Tarantino's best movie since Pulp Fiction, and its an adrenaline fueled epic and an audacious war film that manages to sizzle with both familiarity and complete originality. He's taken World War II and made it his own.

Pure entertainment.

A brilliant film that's one of Tarantino's absolute best. Some of the scenes run a bit long, but the sharp screenplay moves the plot along nicely. Solid performances. One of the best of 2009!

People say Tarantino's best is Pulp Fiction. I will have to say that Basterds was more pleasing on several levels. This WWII half spoof half seriousness pleases audiences everywhere making it a truly memorable film.

Wow, this movie is awesome. Tarantino never disappoints me by so far. The actors are very good and the story better. This is the movie I search for over a year, with this kind of action and war. Very good film.