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The MAGNIFICENT SEVEN
STARRING: Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke
DIRECTOR: Antoine Fuqua
Genre: Western
Rating: PG-15
133 mins
As the scorching sun dials down the heat and the nights start to creep in earlier, the last of the summer blockbusters rides into town atop its stallion.
This isn’t a unique, trail-blazing horse though, but instead one specifically bred for a purpose by taking the best bits of its predecessors and rolling it into one pristine package.
The Magnificent Seven is a remake of the 1960s Western of the same name, which in turn was a remake of the Japanese 1954 epic Seven Samurai. Of course, it’s been updated for modern audiences with a star-studded cast, more intense and elaborate action scenes and a littering of profanity, but it’s essentially very similar.
In fact, there are very few surprises, but that doesn’t detract from the fun ride it takes viewers on. The simple revenge yarn spins out predictably as recently-widowed Emma Cullen (Haley Bennett) assembles a team of capable gunslingers, outlaws and killers to take back her town, Rose Creek, from the greedy and villainous Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard).
The storytelling is kept very simple throughout, which is actually to its benefit. Sometimes it’s nice to sit back and watch a tale unfold from A to B without jumping backwards and forwards for the sake of being complicated or ‘sophisticated’.
Given the tried-and-true storyline it follows, the cast just get to have fun playing cowboys, and it’s through them that the film shines. The action is slick and stylish, but it’s never gratuitous and always serves the plot. The big showdown at the end is as well-choreographed as the premise promises, even if it’s slightly predictable.
It’s clear that the core seven at the centre of the film had a blast making it, although only three get dealt an ample share of the screen time pie.
Denzel Washington is his usual self as Sam Chisolm, the leader of the seven who constantly comes up with ways to not outright call himself a bounty hunter, while Chris Pratt’s beverage-swigging gambler Josh Faraday is consistently played for laughs without losing any of his action hero edge.
Ethan Hawke gets some of the meatier material as Goodnight Robicheaux, a former Confederate sharpshooter dealing with PTSD from the war, although the film sadly never gets too deep into his struggles pulling the trigger.
The best part about this group of heroes is they all feel necessary and each has a unique place within the group. There’s little overlap with their stories, motivations and goals. Some are explored less than others, but you understand enough of who they are to buy why they would come along for this adventure.
This is not the typical group of people you see in movies set in the 1870s, especially following the events of the Civil War, but The Magnificent Seven doesn’t deeply explore racial divides.
Some of the characters might bristle at joining ranks with people they used to fight, and there is one scene that leans into the idea of lingering racism post-Civil War, but by-and-large the characters, and the townsfolk of Rose Creek who they are there to protect, move past any potential biases to work toward a common goal.
What ultimately works against the film is that this feels more like a fairy-tale version of a Western than any attempt to directly adapt one of the classics for the modern day. It might sound like a weird comparison to make, but this film feels like Fast & Furious on horses, with all the adrenaline-fuelled action set-pieces and horse races that come with the comparison.
There are scenes where it feels like the core cast members are play-acting as cowboys and outlaws instead of convincingly embodying them, while other shots from director Antoine Fuqua feel like direct winks to classic Western filmmaking.
The Magnificent Seven has the setting, design and the story right, but is more of a summer blockbuster than it cares to let on. Still, despite it being a bit too predictable to reach its full potential, this is a fun and thrilling ride.
It’s well-acted, beautiful and stylish, but perhaps lacks the substance that would make it truly stand out.
Showing in: Novo Cinemas, Cineco, Dana Cineplex
Rating: 4/5
