John Sturges’ classic 1960 Western “The Magnificent Seven” was a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s classic “Seven Samurai.” Sturges swapped out samurais for cowboys, but kept the subtle nuances of humanity and commentary on macho bravado. Antoine Fuqua’s remake of the remake keeps the cowboys and hints at the nuances, but downplays them in favor of a humor and charm. It’s more akin to the sequels and I mean that in a good way!
To credit anyone of taking over the mantle of Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, and the rest would be a fool’s errand. While the archetypes are present, each new stalemate is their own personality, with more diversity amidst them. Some have criticized this for adhering to political correctness, failing to realize the old west was filled with diversity. The races may not have always gotten along, but they were present. That and their reasoning for assembling, for the most part, touches upon the racism of the time whilst not overly pronouncing it. Is it swept under the rug too quickly after the fact? Mostly. All of the characters are outlaws on the fringe of society, so to speak, so it makes sense for them to brush their qualms under the rug.
Sam Chisolm (Denzel Washington) is the slick & smooth bounty hunter rustling together a band of misfits to combat the army of Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard, chewing the scenery but never devouring it). He’s overtaken the sleepy town of Rose Creek, paying off the sheriff’s department and killing anyone who opposes his will. Matthew Cullen (Matt Bomer) felt his wrath, leaving behind a widow in Emma (Haley Bennett) who’s seeking righteousness, but will settle for revenge. Revenge has a price, Bogue has a bullet with his name on it, justice has a number, and various other macho slogans.
First to be recruited is Josh Faraday (Chris Pratt), a sarcastic gambler with a knack for card tricks, explosives, and great aim. Vasquez (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) is a Mexican outlaw with a bounty on his head, accepting Chisolm’s offer for his freedom. Goodnight Robicheaux (Ethan Hawke) & Billy Rocks (Byung-hun Lee) are close friends, the former a legendary sharpshooter and the latter a skilled assassin. Jack Horne (Vincent D’Onofrio) is an excellent tracker with a ridiculous accent. Finally, there’s Red Harvest (Martin Sensmeier), a Comanche warrior ousted from his tribe. His acceptance into the group is the corniest, but is worthy of a cheap laugh.
The rest of the film plays out as expected. The seven begin to bond, with tensions flaring between some. Goodnight holds back with his shots, leading Faraday to question his integrity and skills. Faraday himself hints at his tragic past in not-so-subtle fashion, spouting out dialogue about not having a father and the nightmares not dissipating. The script, credited to Richard Wenk & Nic Pizzolatto, can be too brunt and on-the-nose at times, but all the performers involved handle it with brevity. Fuqua does a fine job of reeling them in, relying on body language and the horrors of war to carry the drama.
To use Faraday as an example, the character is your typical wiseass that oozes charm. On the surface, Pratt plays him as such, winking at the camera and laying the moves on any female within striking range. And yet, none of his tricks ever work unless they come out of a deck of cards or the barrel of a gun. Emma kills his advances dead in their tracks, humbling him immediately. There’s pain hidden in his eyes and his eventual heroics feel earned.
Goodnight is the avatar for the effects of war, the killing taking its toll on him emotionally. The same goes for Chisolm, hiding ulterior motives, but he’s much smoother in handling them (in part because he’s played by Denzel Washington, the King of Smooth). Horne hints at a normal past checkered with death, while the others remain quiet. They never become background fodder, however, serving as quiet but deadly. Every member has their time to shine, with Fuqua playing around with both their stereotypes & life expectancy. There is not a Slipknot amongst the bunch.
That’s what makes this version of “The Magnificent Seven” work so well: Fuqua’s toying with the formula. The film as a whole follows the Western formula to a tee, but tweaks it ever so slightly. The familiar character traits are present, but don’t always play out as expected. The squadron is introduced as near-invincible, dispensing of the sheriff and his crew like lambs in a slaughter. When the big showdown occurs, however, their vulnerability is on display, and the numbers advantage slowly plays against them. Not only is the finale well-staged and choreographed, but it has a sense of danger missing from most. No longer are these men invincible heroes, but mere soldiers prone to mortality.
There’s a love and admiration to Westerns of old that guides this film, but never defines it. The film has its own personality, one of wit and charm. There’s an over-reliance on humor, with twenty-five percent of it failing. The jokes that don’t connect aren’t awkward, though, quietly fading into the background until the next one arrives. That leaves seventy-five percent of the jokes to work, a great ratio for any comedy, let alone an actioner. The humor is never at a disservice of the characters, breathing humanity into the proceedings instead of suffocating it.
Everything in the film is a love letter to Westerns. The score, composed by the late James Horner and completed by Simon Franglen after his passing, is as somber and heroic as a soundtrack can get, setting the mood perfectly! Mauro Fiore’s cinematography is exquisite, capturing the landscape’s massive scope which engulfs the bounty hunters. The shootouts are tight and intense, replete with Gatling guns, dynamite, and Mexican standoffs. It’s all reminiscent of the Westerns generations of old grew up with, but filled with enough modern makeup to set it apart. The Magnificent Seven act like the western version of the Avengers, but more grounded and just a bit less cheeky.
Big-budget Westerns are a dime a dozen nowadays. This one fits the bill splendidly, a thoroughly entertaining popcorn flick with just enough humanity to service the name!
Final Rating: B+