100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 158: The Maginificent Seven

Director: Antoine Fuqua
Genre: Action/ Western/ Adventure
Runtime: 132 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Etha Hawke, Vincent D’Onofrio, Byung-Hun Lee, Manuel Garcia Rulfo, Martin Sendmeier, Haley Bennett, Peter Sarsgaard, Matt Bomer

Description: Seven gun men in the old west gradually come together to help a poor village against savage thieves.

Review: Remakes are dangerous and most often I don’t like them. The original “The Magnificent Seven” is one of my favorite classic westerns. This remake has a double risk. The original by John Sturgess was already a retelling of the legenday “Seven Samurai”, translated to a western. Director Antoine Fuqua doesn’t only have to fight the popularity of the 1960 film, but also has to refresh the well-known story. Luckily for us, “The Magnificent Seven” is not a bad remake.
Fuqua takes his time with the introduction and really focusses on the charisma of Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt and Ethan Hawke. All three are convincing. Washington as the calm bad-ass, Hawke as tence sharp shooter and Pratt as a cowboy with a sense of honor.
The violent opening sets a certain tone, but then “The Magnificent Seven” turns into a more standard western. Lots of action, pretty shots of landscapes and a big dose of testosterone. For the genre it’s good, but it never reaches the same level as the original.
The final battle of the movie is action packed and it’s one giant spectacle. Beautifully shot.
“The Magnificent Seven” is a good film when you think of it as an original film. When you compare it to the original, it’s better than average. Very entertaining and a good cast.

Rating: 3,5/ 5