THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN
Directed by Antoine Fuqua
Screenplay Richard Wenk and Nick Pizzolatto
Based on screenplays by Akira Kurosawa; Shinobu Hashimoto; and Hideo Oguni
Starring: Denzel Washington; Chris Pratt; Ethan Hawke; Vincent D'Onofrio; Byung-Hun-Lee; Manuel Garcia-Rulfo; Martin Sensmeir; Haley Bennett; and Peter Sarsgaard.
This is a really entertaining film based on the Seven Samurai and the 1970 classic The Magnificent Seven. This is one of the better movies of the year. As of this review on Rotten Tomatoes this film is getting a 65%. Really? What were the other 35% wanting. You go to this movie to be entertained; see a western; action; and some laughs. It delivered in all aspects. You cannot be that prudish. It is a very good big screen film, to be seen on..... the big screen.
Let me break it down for you:
First the acting/casting.
Well you know Pratt/Washington/ D'Onofrio/Hawke (Underrated actor) were going to be great as part of the Seven. I mean it's Pratt/ D'Onofrio/Washington/Hawke. I mean really. In fact there is one small conversation between Washington's Chisolm and Hawke's Robicheaux that was so ...I don't know...it had me think of Training Day and I wished they could be in every film together. Just great chemistry still!!
Now the lesser known actors: Lee as Billy Rocks; Garcia-Rulfo as Vasquez; and Sensmeier as Red Harvest are just fantastic and maybe are more interesting than the better known actors.
Haley Bennett as Emma Cullen. Well...we have been hearing so much in the press about her. How she will get a possible Nomination for the upcoming Girl On The Train. How good she is in the upcoming Rules Don't Apply. Now I have not seen those movies yet so I cannot give you my opinion on her performances in those movies however here in Seven she is really good. She is beautiful but also tough. Playing up against 7 big personalities she is wonderful. Even when she is not in the forefront, look for her, she is saying so much just by her look.
To make this work you need a good bad guy and Sarsgaard as Bogue delivers. He is just pure evil and thinks he is smarter than everyone in the room, which makes you hate him more!!
Now the script:
Well the script follows the original. So that works and then it throws in modern special effects with some really great stunt work.
However, the biggest and maybe the only fault I guess, that I see in this film is....it drags in the middle. It needed editing, it needed to be tighter. The movie runs two hours and fifteen minutes, and in the middle I was looking at my watch often. It was just unnecessary scenes like all seven sitting in a bar . And then again later, sitting in a bar. Just needed editing. Mind you I love character development but after awhile you know enough. Also I think the final battle which ran about 35 minutes could have been edited down.
One last note the score in this film is Oscar worthy. The score is done by James Horner. and Simon Franglen. Yes during the credits it has that great classic theme that won the Oscar by Elmer Bernstein, but during this film a couple times I was thinking damn this score pulls you in. Which is nice to hear when films like Me Before You and Bridget Jone's Baby almost interrupted the story lines with annoying music. Sometime as you see here all you need is a great score to help with tone.
4 1/2 stars. Yes a bit long but what fun. A western on the big screen!! And a classic great story. Cowboys coming in to save a small town. Go see it!!
By the way....Chris Pratt gives the front runner for best line in a film this year. It involves when someone is falling off a building. Classic!!
From the shadows as always thanks form your time.
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