Review of The Magnificent Seven (2016) by Ricky W — 13 Mar 2017

Washington leads a remake of the 1960 Western classic that hits all the right buttons but misses the fun of the original.

Director Antoine Fuqua brings his modern vision to a classic story in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures' and Columbia Pictures' The Magnificent Seven. With the town of Rose Creek under the deadly control of industrialist Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard), the desperate townspeople, led by Emma Cullen (Haley Bennett), employ protection from seven outlaws, bounty hunters, gamblers and hired guns - Sam Chisolm (Denzel Washington), Josh Farraday (Chris Pratt), Goodnight Robicheaux (Ethan Hawke), Jack Horne (Vincent D'Onofrio), Billy Rocks (Byung-Hun Lee), Vasquez (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), and Red Harvest (Martin Sensmeier). As they prepare the town for the violent showdown that they know is coming, these seven mercenaries find themselves fighting for more than money.

This remake is action-packed and intense, but it just doesn't seem to capture the fun of the 1960 original. It's unfortunate too, because on paper, this mix of cast and crew should really work well together. Unfortunately, for all of the things this film should have going for it, the fun that should be there throughout, just isn't.