Review of The Magnificent Seven (2016) by Trevorsview — 09 Dec 2016

You know that old classic 1960 western of the same name? Well, it looks like it’s getting a remake that nobody was asking for. How about all those other older westerns that were big in the old days? You know, the ones with the burnt-down churches, gun firing, duels, saloons, trips out into the wilderness, and a message on repentance? Well guess what? This modern take on the extinct genre does all of that with loud booming noises and not much else.

It’s the exact same tone as The Wild Bunch, the same key concept as Seven Samurai, the same type of story arc as Stagecoach, and follows under the same standards as every other western ever made. Does that automatically make The Magnificent Seven a bad motion picture though? Not exactly. It’s neither fantastic nor a failure, just somewhere in the middle.

It all starts pretty much with the usual bad guy threatening the village of Rose Creek in 1879, starting his terrorism by burning down the church. From there, the seven heroes of the town are rounded up one by one, starting with the African American cowboy, played by Denzel Washington (Glory, Training Day). Now, I have a lot of respect for this two-time Academy Award winning actor, and for the most part he plays his part here rather heroically. His role just suffers from a lack of real commitment, both on his own part as well as the director.

At least the second addition to this clan is better, the usually more laid-back actor Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy, Parks and Recreation). His character is a real jerk to everyone he meets, but it’s still hard not to like the way he plays the part, particularly when he cons his victims with card tricks and talks about how he treats his guns as if they were his wives.

But my favorite performance has to go to Ethan Hawke (Boyhood, Training Day). His calm, raspy voice feels genuine enough to tone down on all the other mayhem that goes on, especially in the third act.

Each of the four other easily distinguishable characters, which include a native, a silent one, a tagalong fellow, and an overweight drunk, follow the predictable plot structure of training the town people to fight against the bad guys in explosive gun-slinging fashion. It does sound awfully familiar, as if only every other movie of the 1950s has done this, and you know what? You’re right. But there is one additional thing that adds on to this experience that we didn’t have back then: IMAX surround sound.

With thanks to the advanced sound technology we have now, every gun firing and bomb blowing is felt with the intensity of the battle. While the camera and edit patterns may not help all the time with the enjoyment, the experience of listening to this in a large theater will.

But then again, there are plenty other films coming out within the next few months (Arrival, Passengers, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) that will utilize the use of surround sound possibly better than The Magnificent Seven. This film is visually backed up with costumes that look like they came fresh from Value Village and set pieces that do not feel lived in at all. It almost feels as if it’s too much like the feel of old westerns with the cheap-looking studio sets.

But that’s the least of my complaints. There’s nothing exactly harmful or demeaning about this motion picture, nor should it be considered among the worst of the genre. It simply is what it is. You don’t have to see it if it doesn’t grip you, and you don’t have to love it if you do end up seeing it. Just acknowledge that this remake is evidence of cinema artists striving to revive the old days when Hollywood was about simple entertainment rather than making a profit for some industry.