The original 1960 THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN was one of the first westerns I ever saw, thanks to my grandfather, where Saturday afternoons as a kid I would sit there in the lounge room with him watching westerns, so it holds a special place in my heart. Hearing about the remake, I wasn't particularly interested, but over time my curiosity won out, especially with that ensemble cast led by Denzel Washington.
While watchable, I found it to lack that sense of big time adventure (well Elmer Bernstein's powerful music score was a big part of that) and the effortless magnetism of the original film, however this efficient reboot (in the second half) delivers in spades the bravado confrontations, blaring shootouts and blazing self-sacrifice in the face of impossible odds. Action is expertly-staged, pacing stays upbeat and an earnestly well-oiled cast (with some standing out more than others) acquitting themselves by bringing few moments of emotional attachment, in spite of the shallow caricature arches and at times forced chemistry. At the core of the mechanical plot, the message and its themes remains the same, although I didn't really understand the need for the out-of-the-blue revenge angle towards the end. Nonetheless THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN is an admirable effort.
While watchable, I found it to lack that sense of big time adventure (well Elmer Bernstein's powerful music score was a big part of that) and the effortless magnetism of the original film, however this efficient reboot (in the second half) delivers in spades the bravado confrontations, blaring shootouts and blazing self-sacrifice in the face of impossible odds. Action is expertly-staged, pacing stays upbeat and an earnestly well-oiled cast (with some standing out more than others) acquitting themselves by bringing few moments of emotional attachment, in spite of the shallow caricature arches and at times forced chemistry. At the core of the mechanical plot, the message and its themes remains the same, although I didn't really understand the need for the out-of-the-blue revenge angle towards the end. Nonetheless THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN is an admirable effort.