The Magnificent Seven is a 2016 American Western action film of how Seven gunmen in the old west bit by bit meet up to help a poor town against savage criminals.
The most rousing moment in The Magnificent Seven comes after the action has already concluded, when the credits roll to the emphatic accompaniment of Elmer Bernstein's iconic 1960 score.
In rust-brown appearance as well as offhand staging of the gunfights, Faqua's 'M7' is closer to operatic Leone than choreographed Sturges ... war-weary Hawke and rousing theme by late James Horner are pluses
An entertaining film but considering the pedigree of the two productions on which it's based, it definitely should have been much more than that. [Full review in Spanish]
This isn't just a remake, it is a straight up old-fashioned Western that stands on its own. It is very well acted and the production values are first rate. The direction by the underrated Antoine Fuqua ('Training Day') is spot on.
Traces of real history are hard to spot in Fuqua's Western, but there isn't much evidence of a real Western, either. You sense that an entire genre, far from being revitalized, is being plundered for handy tips.
The magnificence of the titular septet is barely discernible in this unwarranted update of the 1960 Western that was itself a remake of the 1954 Japanese classic Seven Samurai.
It has few standout moments and, in addition, doesn't have anything too deep or thought-provoking to say. Yet, if you simply wish to see a gun-slinging Western with some of your favorite actors, it's a least a passable couple hours at the movies.
As things build toward the long, bloody and by-the-numbers (if ably staged) showdown, it's hard not to mourn for the film this could have been, considering the assemblage of talent.
