Sam’s Take: The Magnificent Seven (2016)
Illustration by Skye Ali
“The Magnificent Seven” had colossal shoes to fill as a remake of the 1960 Western classic of the same name, which was itself a remake of one of the most influential films of all time, “Seven Samurai.”
Luckily, director Antoine Fuqua opted to this tired plot into a serviceable action flick that never quite goes beyond that.
The film follows a rag tag team of mercenaries who are hired by a homesteader town to defend the community from an evil industrialist who threatens the townspeople’s lives.
Instead of a beat-for-beat recreation of the Western classic, the 2016 version of “The Magnificent Seven” employs enough new ideas to make it its own. The characters are more unique, the villains are capitalists and not just bandits, a diverse cast represents the races present in the American West and many other surprises along the way.
The film is also more violent and darkly-comedic than its predecessor, bringing edge to what might’ve otherwise been a wholesome outing. This lends certain deaths and fight scenes extra weight, highlighting the well-shot action with memorable and shocking moments.
Unfortunately, these changes are not enough to make compelling characters. Of the seven cowboys and all the citizens in the town, only four characters are given a meaningful back story.This leaves four underdeveloped heroes and an entire town full of disposable bodies, stealing impact from the final showdown scene.
The latter is a shame, as the Magnificent Seven themselves have some fun dialogue full of genuine laughs despite never developing beyond their initial archetypes. With a diverse cast, there was the opportunity to say something about race, yet their inclusion seems more like an afterthought.
“The Magnificent Seven” is a crowd pleasing, modern version of a classic plot, and it works regardless. With great moments sprinkled throughout the otherwise-average two hour runtime, this 2016 remake is perfect for a rental or even a matinee showing, but doesn’t bring enough to the table to be worth more than that.
Rating: Great for those in a Western mood, or those who want to bond with their Dad.
Samuel Goodrich, Contributing Writer
