Review: The Magnificent Seven is Exactly That.
- Jan 7, 2017
- 2 min read
With an all star cast that includes Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt and Ethan Hawke, directed by Antoine Fuqua, the man behind The Equaliser and Training Day, The Magnificent Seven is a tour de force of action cinema that charges past the original.
A small town threatened by a single man buying up land for his own personal gain, and killing anyone who won’t sell. It’s a story almost as old as modern cinema and, while not the most original, nor the most interesting, it more than serves its purpose. And that purpose? To bring together an incredibly varied cast with the intention of laying waste to a bandit army and, if need be, dying in the attempt.
Plot is mostly irrelevant in Fuqua’s western, instead preferring action over storytelling and while it has a minor twist toward the end, it’s nothing special. And the action is where it counts. Seven heroes, each with their own skills, from explosives, to sharpshooting to being really good with knives, each brings their own talents and tales to the film.
Sam Chisolm (Washington) is the leader of the group, an enigmatic bounty hunter with enough charisma to fuel the entire film. Add to the Pratt’s Josh Faraday, a skilled card player that’s quick on the draw, Goodnight Robcheaux (Hawke) a friend of Chisolm, Jack Horne (Vincent D’Onofrio) a tracker and brawler, Byun-hun Lee’s Billy Rocks, an assassin, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo’s Vasquez, a bandit on the run from the law and Martin Sensmeier’s Red Harvest, an Indian with a path of his own. They are called together to protect the town of Rose Creek, a place under siege by Peter Sarsgasrd’s Bartholomew Bogue, a man hell bent on getting rich from the seems of gold that run under the town, and he’s not willing to give it up without a fight.
The seven are all suitably cast and entertaining, if not much more than stereotypes. Washington is his usual self, strutting about with aplomb and more than capable of holding his own. Pratt and the others are equally enjoyable, though they’re given less screen time. Sarsgaard’s villain is the only major weak point as he suffers from being incredibly generic. As he chews through the scenery it becomes apparent that he is no Eli Wallach.
Without the action, The Magnificent Seven doesn’t have a whole lot. The story is far from new and the acting, while entertaining, is nothing to write home about, but the shootouts are among the best the genre has ever seen. From duels to knife fights to gatling guns, the movie doesn’t let up once it gets started and it’s enthralling. Antoine Fuqua knows how to direct an action scene and this movie is no exception. Everyone gets their own moment and when the seven face off against Bogue’s army you can tell what’s about to go down.
The Magnificent Seven is a film that serves one purpose, and that is to entertain. It succeeds in this in every way it possibly can and is far better than it has any right to be. In a world of disappointing remakes and dead reboots, The Magnificent Seven sets a new standard and is a must watch for any action fan.
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