The Magnificent Seven is a remake of the classic 1960 film of the same name. Based on a 1954 story by Akira Kurosawa, writers Nic Pizzolatto and Richard Wenk provided enough fresh changes, characters and plot twists to be unique, while staying true to the original story. Director Antoine Fuqua brings his formidable directing chops to the reboot. True to his nature, he brings the action and keeps the intensity high throughout the film. James Horner initially composed the background score; however, he died before the movie could be finished, with Simon Franglen brought on to complete the score.
The movie follows the now familiar tale of seven men who team up to save the village of Rose Creek from the clutches of industrialist Bartholomew Bogue. The action is fast paced and violent, though not what one might call excessive, especially in our modern era of shock horror. The gunfights keep your heart pumping, which is a rare feat in itself, and brings back the fun core of Western genre. The film is pretty well seamless, easily keeping the viewer engaged throughout, with exemplary performances from the deeply talented ensemble cast. While the Western genre may never fully return to its glory days of the 1960s, films like The Magnificent Seven pay a wonderful homage to those classic films. Given the depth of the talent, coupled with Mauro Fiore’s outstanding camera work, this film seemed almost destined to be a home run, and is definitely worth a view on the big-screen.
LOS ANGELES FILM REVIEW 