Based on the 1956 Japanese film ‘The Seven Samurai’, ‘The
Magnificent Seven’ is an action packed western. The genre saw its zenith
during the early to late 20th century, with cinema making stars of
silver screen cowboys like John Wayne. Its popularity petered out since
the 90’s with only a few making many box office dollars. Taking its cue
from the well-known 1960 version with Yul Brynner and company, ‘The Magnificent
Seven’ shows there is still life in the western genre as gun-slingers take aim
at viewer’s imaginations.
Rose Krick, a town in the 1870’s, is under the heavy handed
control of industrialist Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard). Tired of
his vile ways, the residents enlist the help of seven outlaws, including Sam
Chisolm (Denzel Washington) and Josh (Chris Pratt). Paying them top
dollar for protection, the citizens hope to be rid of the crime plaguing their
community. The seven outlaws quickly integrate themselves into the fray
as bullets swiftly fly in the battle for a town’s soul.
Antoine Fuqua directs as if he’s a boy in a toy store.
Clearly a fan of the Western genre, he grasps the many possibilities. Whilst
some clichés creep in, Fuqua’s flair for pacing and filming action make it seem
fresh. That’s a good achievement considering ‘The Magnificent Seven’ is
yet another remake. What Fuqua does is to immerse himself into the
strongly written characters and situations. His enthusiasm clearly comes
across as the actors and startling cinematography do justice to the story.
‘The Magnificent Seven’ excels in being an action spectacle
but also as an enjoyable block-buster. It knows it won’t win many awards
for originality and so instead goes full throttle in creating genuine tension
with very hiss-able villains. The performers match their roles well with
all having a grand time re-creating the western films of yore. Their
character’s personal dynamics are expressed well, making for an interesting
backdrop from the explosive hi-jinks.
If you don’t grumble too much about it being a remake, then
‘The Magnificent Seven’ is entertaining viewing. On its own merits it has
a consistent high-quality in all areas most other recent films lack. It’s
escapist nonsense of esteemed calibre sure to leave audiences breathless by its
furious finale.
Movie Review Rating out of 10: 8
Movie Review by Patrick Moore
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