The thing with movie clichés is that if you like the genre of film you can put up with, or even welcome them. I found that last year when San Andreas indulged in a lot of disaster movie tropes, and found myself doing so again when watching The Magnificent Seven. Cowardly sheriffs, a man playing piano in the bar that suddenly stops when trouble enters the room, scantily dressed prostitutes, god-fearing townsfolk straight out of Blazing Saddles or Carry on Cowboy are all present and correct. I can imagine a lot of people rolling their eyes but I was just pleased to see a sweeping western like this back on the big screen.
As for comparisons to the 1960 version. Well, it isn’t as good and never was going to be. But I’m not getting too precious about that, as that film was a remake itself, and liking that hasn’t ruined my enjoyment of the Seven Samurai in any way.
In this new version, Denzel Washington plays Chisolm. Employed by townspeople to rid them of industrialist Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard) who is taking over their town and forcing them out of their homes, Chisolm recruits six other men to help him. Bogue recruits a massive army of men to take on the intrepid seven…
I found a lot to enjoy in this film. The recruiting of the men provides some enjoyable scenes and the final act that features a brilliantly choreographed battle. The diversity of the seven men is admirable if a bit forced, and by the end you care enough about all of them to hope that they all survive. Of the performances, Washington is decent and Chris Pratt, as the first man he recruits, is a highlight. I also particularly enjoyed Haley Bennett as the widow who recruits Chisolm. It would have been good to see her in a role as one of the seven as she is side-lined for a lot of the final action sequence.
I did miss Elmer Bernstein’s iconic musical theme that is hinted at but doesn’t actually feature until the end credits. I would have liked to hear that whilst seeing the seven ride into town.
Rating: 7 ….and a half