The Magnificent Seven (2016)

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  TheMovieDiorama

  6 / 10

  The Magnificent Seven is good old fashioned western fun. It's quite clear it harks back to old westerns (including the original film) in a great big ball of nostalgia. Problem is for me, it's already a genre I just don't resonate with. To start with, the cast of this remake is actually pretty good! Each member has charisma and a personality, Chris Pratt and Ethan Hawke were stand outs. Always good to see Byung-Hun Lee in any film as well, however at times I did think Denzel Washington was miscast. I don't know, a western just didn't suit him if I'm honest...he has screen presence but his acting range isn't suited for a "cowboy" character. Antoine Fuqua's direction was solid yet again, everything was clear and beautiful to look at. Massive bonus points for using practical effects and the horse stunt work was really innovative. Fuqua decided to use a film structure where the first two acts build up to a big finale and it worked for the most part! The last act was full of explosions, guns and a ridiculous amount of bodies. Regardless, I just couldn't connect with this film. I found the first two acts slow and unmemorable. I found the villain to be underused (literally like 10 minutes of screen time). I found James Horner's score to be quite weak except for the main theme tune which I'm glad they kept. I just...I don't know! I know it's supposed to resemble the classic western structure but parts of this film seemed like a chore. Maybe after another watch I might give it a higher rating but I just felt disconnected. It's still a fun time and the last act is a blast!

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