Review of The Magnificent Seven (2016) by Maksim B — 09 Mar 2017

Ambitious and modernized, Antoine Fuqua's take on the classic The Magnificent Seven may not match its legendary 1960 predecessor or Akira Kurosawa's hyper-cult Seven Samurai, but provides a 2016 level of entertainment backed with solid acting and good old, straight-forward western story-telling. Appealing to the both mainstream and purist western fans, this delivery's only fault is that it cannot match the original movies and if approached with such expectations it could disappoint.

The small town of Rose Creek is terrorized by the gang of the industrialist Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard), whose aim is to force all inhabitants to sell their lands and properties cheap in order for him to develop his industrial vision. When a local lady Emma (Haley Bennett), refuses to sell her land and finds a way to hire and to involve a group of bounty hunters, outlaws, ex-soldiers and a native American, Bogue's band find opponents who have found a cause to die for.

Even though Fuqua's delivery stands somehow on its own and it has taken quite some liberties if showing and developing its characters, the story has nothing to surprise with. It entertains without too many complication, just as a typical western should be doing it, but yet it does not have the dramatic load to fully get the audience involved. The viewers will more intrigued by the actors casted and their characters than the story.

Speaking of the cast, it should be pointed out that director Fuqua has chosen an ensemble of actors who are appealing to all audiences. Having established names such as Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D'Onofrio teamed up with the hot and teen-appealing Chris Pratt and the art-house cult Korean Byung-hun Lee is by no means a recipe for a success. All of them are depicting characters who pretty much match the initial expectations for the actors, but the duo Hawke / Lee deserve a special attention due to the impressive chemistry between them. The seven characters are quite likeable and this fully compensates for the lack of dramatic load or the story's predictability.

In conclusion, the latest take of The Magnificent Seven will certainly not remain in the history as a classic, but more as re-make which had its time and audience. Highly entertaining, straight-forward and well-acted it offers fun to even viewers who are not found of westerns. A must see and worth spending time at home watching it, it is among the better westerns of recent years.