When my passion for film began, I would like to think the best genre was any movie filled with non-stop action. About two years ago, when the passion was evolving, I realized that my favorite genre was Westerns. This genre used to be the life and blood of film in both the 50's and 60's, however, in today's world, Westerns are seldom. Back in 2014, multiple sources begin to report that a reboot of John Sturges' 1960, "The Magnificent Seven", was in the works. I remember reading this and thinking that this was a huge mistake. After watching Mag7 this previous weekend, I am pleased with the outcome. When announced, Antoine Fuqua was the front runner for directing, which he followed through to end up getting the task; but he was not the only big name attached to the project. Denzel Washington was named the main character of the flick, making this his first Western. Fuqua did a very well job with this film. In most of his movies, they are adult oriented and have an underlying serious tone, but moving away from that, he makes a PG-13 blockbuster worthwhile. There are many things that make this movie great, but looking at just a few, this is my review.
The cast of the film is truly magnificent. Like I said, Tom was rumored to be playing one of the main characters and that was when the film was first surfaced to be produced. Fast forward to the following year, August of 15'. Production is well under its way for Sony's remake of Mag7, and the movie is no longer staring Mr. Curise, but instead the one and only Denzel Washington. Alongside Washington, the new action star Chris Pratt, the brilliant Ethan Hawke, and not to mention the villainous Peter Sarsgaard. Let's not forget the up and coming actress Haley Bennett, or Vincent D'Onofrio. The cast is unstoppable in this movie. Each actor, or actress, plays their character very well that greatly intermingles with each other. Fuqua, the director, is known for bringing out the best in people. For instance, look at Fuqua's best film, "Training Day" , he directed Denzel to win his first Oscar. There are some even small name actors riding, Byung-hun Lee, who played Storm Shadow in the G.I. Joe movies, and Matt Bomer, best known for "White Collar" . From beginning to end, the movie does not fail to provide impressive acting with all the while corny, but clever dialogue.
This remake pays homage to the original in many ways, but it is also different in many ways. The new Mag7 changes the names of each character and is set somewhere in America, whereas the original was set in Mexico. My favorite tie from the original was a story told by the Gambler, which is played by Chris Pratt, but originally by Steve McQueen. Another classic attribute was Denzel Washington bringing the group together in an all black outfit, the same as Yul Brynner. One of the reasons why I love the classic Mag7, or more so most Westerns, is the story surrounding the characters and setting. There was so much more dialogue rather than action, which now I really enjoy, for too much violence ruins any movie. The reboot has a lot more action and explosions than the 60's version. With the help of CGI, (computer-generated imagery), dynamite was a definite tool used, and of course, the story is good, but a little more action the movie rounds out to be amazing. The new movie definitely does justice to the original.
Most movies, considered classics, that are remade are done poorly. Fortunately, Sony Studios did very well with the modern retelling of "The Magnificent Seven" . With a story adapted from the 50's "Seven Samurai", and both the talents of Nic Pizzolato alongside Richard Wenk, the script is great. Pizzolato created the hit HBO series "True Detective". Wenk wrote Denzel and Fuqua's previous film, "The Equalizer". I loved this movie. It truly is a perfect example of what a modern Western needs to be. The action and stunts are very well made. The story and dialogue were great for what the movie is, a Western. I recommend this movie to anyone. Overall I give "The Magnificent Seven" a 9/10.
