Author’s Note: This is a remake of the 1960s western with the same name of “The Magnificent Seven,” which in turn is an American rendering of 1954’s Akira Kurosawa masterpiece “The Seven Samurai.” I highly recommend you see these two films, as they are cultural and cinematic landmarks.

When the small town of Rose Creek is terrorized by mining company boss,Bartholomew Bogue, Emma Cullen escapes to find help for her homestead in the form of Sam Chisolm and a ragtag group of six other men who answer the call to mount a defense and save Rose Creek from Bogue – or die trying.

Cinematography: 3/5

Throughout the action scenes, or the Californian landscape shots, “The Magnificent Seven” is certainly a sight to see. There is a healthy saturation of colors on screen that makes it easy on the eyes and great to look at. When the bullets start flying and the action picks up the pace, Mauro Fiore’s camera work keeps up with the battle sequences.

There is always a good sense of orientation, keeping track of where all the characters are especially during the hectic opening of the final battle that could have just as easily been a frantic camera whipping mess.

Writing 2/5

One must congratulate director Antoine Fuqua for taking on the mammoth task of remaking the legendary “Magnificent Seven.” While this newest version of the Seven is an appetizing action ride, it unfortunately lacks the dramatic and thematic depth that make its predecessors such an engaging experience.

The plot is decently paced. It moves along in a way that is neither rushed nor plodding along. The Seven are introduced at even times, allowing for their own introduction in to the plot for the audience to gain a basic understanding of their character. Solid though these introductions are, there is not much growth for hardly any of them as the film progresses leaving them as mainly one note characters.

Ultimately, it felt as if this movie should have gone through a few more drafts before finishing production. A lot of the humor, while mainly banter between the Seven, seems awkwardly placed or lacks comedic value. Along with the one liners, there are several dramatic plot points that seemed misplaced or at least could have been fleshed out further in order to have a bigger effect.

Acting 3/5

Denzel Washington plays the bounty hunter, Sam Chisolm; the other major cast members included: Chris Pratt as the gambler, Joshua Faraday, Ethan Hawke as the sharpshooter, Goodnight Robicheaux, Byung-hun Lee as the assassin, Billy Rocks, Vincent D’Onofrio as mountain man, Jack Horne, Martin Sensmeier as Comanche warrior, Red Harvest and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Mexican outlaw, Vasquez.

As mentioned before, the Seven are mainly one note characters, but the roles are helped along by the fun the actors are all having portraying the characters and interacting with each other.

They are accompanied by Haley Bennett, who plays the headstrong Emma Cullen, and Peter Sarsgaard, the villainous Bartholomew Bogue. While Sarsgaard has his moments, there is a good deal of odd character quirks and hammy acting that downplay the otherwise effectively sinister role.

Overall:

Is Antoine Fuqua’s Magnificent Seven completely unwatchable by itself? No. It is a passable popcorn muncher that would probably have fit better in the summer line up of movies. But compared to the legacy of the two films that this is inspired by, this newest remake of “The Magnificent Seven” completely passes up the emotional and dramatic impact that were the basis of the original Seven Samurai.

Instead, it swings with both hands at the big money action scenes and shootouts that, while visually impressive and thrilling, make this just another action flick remake that forgets what makes the “Magnificent Seven” so magnificent.