So right off the bat I'm a huge fan of the original "Magnificent Seven", it was one of the first westerns i ever saw and remains a favorite of mine. It's because of that i went into the remake just dying to fall in love with it but unfortunately that's not what happened. While still a fun and enjoyable movie in parts it falls well short of its pedigree.
Now for those who don't know the original itself is a remake of the Japanese classic "Seven Samurai" which means the new movie has quite a large and distinguished history attached to it. The story is a group of villagers are being taken advantage of by some thugs and they hire some mercenaries to protect them. Simple plot really but one that leaves a ton of room to flesh out the world. What the original and Samurai had in common was they not only focused on the leads but also spent quite allot of time developing the side characters as well. No member of the group in either film was without some kind of story arc or personal quirk which not only let you relate to their actions but also made you care about whether they lived or not. One of the issues in the new movie is it doesn't do a great job of endearing all the members of the seven. I found myself staining to remember all the members because of the very limited screen time some receive. I understand you have Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt as your leads, both of whom are excellent BTW, but Yul Brenner and Steve McQueen were just as big stars and they had no problem sharing the screen. In an ensemble piece like this it's important that every character has some reason or skill that justifies their being around. This is a rule director Antoine Fuqua seems to have forgotten. That's to say nothing of the almost nonexistent screen time our villain receives. He's in possible 4 scenes the entire movie which is a shame really as there are hints that they could have done more with him as Peter Sarsgaard does give an intriguing performance in limited time.
The movie also suffers from some pacing issues. There's a huge chunk in the middle where the movie grinds to a halt and becomes boring in what should be some of the best parts, assembling the team. Ideally you want this to be a series of vignettes highlighting the skills of each member and giving the audience a concise idea of their personality and skills. Instead it almost seems like they just stumble upon each member with a minimum of explanation why or how they were chosen. Worse yet is a few members of the group are pretty much forgotten about. Vazquez (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) and Red Harvest (Martin Sensmeier) make such a small impression that's its easy to forget they're even on the team. Another issue, as in most westerns is how fast people get around the world. Seems horseback is just as fast as driving, that or everyone lives so close to one another its hard to believe they haven't met already. Not to mention how fast everyone seems to be getting around on horseback.
Now i don't want to just shoot down the movie because i did enjoy parts of it. The action is actually top notch, a bit more modern then one would expect for a movie set in the old west but still once things get rolling the action is quite enjoyable. Its also at this time that each member finally gets to show what they bring to the table and when it starts to feel like an actual team and not just a bunch of individuals. Antoine Fuqua has always had a talent for directing action and he doesn't disappoint at all here. Just makes you wish they'd have gotten to this part sooner.
Another highlight is the acting, well for the most part that is. Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt are both charming and believable but really what else do you expect. Sure there's not too much "heavy" acting to be done but they could have easily just phoned it in and coasted on charisma. Neither does it and it saves the movie in those slow scenes in the middle. Haley Bennett is fine as the widow who hires the group but ultimately is kind of forgettable. Vincent D'Onofrio and Lee Byung-hun are both very good in limited roles and both show what can be done when you take advantage of time you're given no matter how small. They both give a hidden depth and hint of humor to their characters when they easily could have just faded into the background....kinda like two of their previously mentioned co-stars. Ethan Hawke however is a real standout among the cast as he jumps from charming drunk to intimidating solider and to a man haunted by his past effortlessly and easily gives the best performance in the movie. Truly am surprised how good of an actor he's turned out to be.
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| This is the guy from "Singles" right? |
Overall I'd say that "The Magnificent Seven" is an enjoyable yet ultimately unnecessary remake of a couple of classics. Its the kind of movie you won't feel cheated for having watched, even enjoying quite a few parts of it, but once its done you're not going to remember it because there is nothing more to it then surface level. The utter definition of a summer popcorn flick.
**7/10 Stars**
Hardcore OK
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