Are you ready for my The Magnificent Seven blu-ray review? Let met first say I don’t like the idea of re-making classic films. That said when they are remade I try to give them a fair assessment. The film I’m reviewing here is indeed a classic or should I say a classic western.
The Magnificent Seven (2016) version is a remake of the classic 1960 film. The original starred actors such as Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson and James Coburn. The new film stars Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt and Ethan Hawke. Surely Denzel can’t save this from being a disaster.
- The Magnificent Seven (2016)
- Genre: Western
- Directed by Antoine Fuqua
- UK Rating 12
- Discs: 2
- Released By Sony Pictures
- Blu-ray Released: 23 January 2017
Plot
A town is taken over unlawfully by a businessman whose only concern is the local gold mine. It’s of course the locals who find themselves powerless with many finding their businesses at risk. The local sheriff is on the payroll and anyone who dares to question the legality is instantly silenced. What the townsfolk need is a hero. Actually they need seven men willing to take on the ruthless killers and they might just be in luck.
Style / Direction
The films directed by Antoine Fuqua whilst the cinematography is handled by Mauro Fiore. I have to say I was seriously impressed with the choice of camera angles and overall cinematography. This really does feel like a genuinely well made western.
Music / Audio Effects
The music score comes from James Horner and Simon Franglen. There’s nothing wrong with the music either, it fits perfectly into the western genre with of course that familiar score from the original film.
Acting / Characters
Having been very positive in my assessment on the filmmaking side surely that won’t continue here on the acting front. Well again and I can’t believe I’m going to say this but pretty much everyone was terrific. I mean you know Denzel Washington is going to deliver and deliver he does. He plays Sam Chisholm the leader of the seven and the one that recruits the others.
I couldn’t believe how good Chris Pratt as Joshua Faraday was. He does a fabulous job with that character.
Similarly Ethan Hawke as Goodnight Robicheaux is equally as impressive in his role as a rifle expert with a serious problem. I won’t spoil that for those of you yet to see the film.
Byung-hun Lee plays Billy Rocks, Goodnight’s friend and basically knife expert. The other real stand-out actor or should I say actress is Haley Bennett as Emma Cullen. She essentially is the driving force behind the town’s resistance to losing their homes. She takes on this role following the death of a love one at the hands of businessman Bartholomew Bogue. I was really impressed by her performance, she’s extremely capable with a rifle but not in some unbelievable way.
I guess I really should mention the bad guy Bartholomew Bogue played by Peter Sarsgaard. He does ok in the role without being amazing like the actors I just mentioned.
Cast
- Denzel Washington as Sam Chisholm
- Chris Pratt as Joshua Faraday
- Ethan Hawke as Goodnight Robicheaux
- Byung-hun Lee as Billy Rocks
- Vincent D’Onofrio as Jack Horne
- Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Vasquez
- Martin Sensmeier as Red Harvest
- Peter Sarsgaard as Bartholomew Bogue
- Haley Bennett as Emma Cullen
- Luke Grimes as Teddy Q
- Matt Bomer as Matthew Cullen
- Jonathan Joss as Denali
- Cam Gigandet as McCann
- Sean Bridgers as Fanning
- Billy Slaughter as Josiah
Conclusion: The Magnificent Seven (2016) Film Review
The Magnificent Seven (2016) version is a cracking film in its own right. I highly recommend it but I’m sure you want to know how it compares with the original.
Well I like to think they both offer something a little different and that makes them both good in their own right. That said 1960 film will always be the definitive and go to version from my perspective.
As I started off in this review saying I don’t like remakes and I’m still of that opinion. That said every now and again one comes along that actually doesn’t suck. It’s very rare and given Hollywood’s current trend of agenda driven filmmaking I think it’s fair to assume that we won’t be seeing any more good remakes for a very long time.
In order to make a good movie and I’m not just referring to remakes, you need to have visionary directors, producers and actors with immense talent and passion. Hollywood however has decided on another route judging by many of their recent offerings. The Magnificent Seven (2016) fortunately escapes that trend.
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Conclusion: The Magnificent Seven Blu-ray Review
The film only came out in 2016 so as you might expect the picture quality is excellent. Now on to the extras and I think they have covered just about everything you could want. There’s a making of, interviews, deleted scenes and feature on the awesome music. I mean what more do you want?
Extras
- Vengeance Mode with Antoine Fuqua & The Seven
- The Seven (9 mins)
- Rogue Bogue (5 mins
- The Taking of Rose Creek (5 mins)
- Gunslingers (5 mins)
- Magnificent Music (4 mins)
- Deleted Scenes
Bonus Disc
- Seven Tales of Making the Magnificent Seven (27 mins)
Popcorn Cinema Rating: The Magnificent Seven (2016)
MOVIE RATING: EXCELLENT
BLU-RAY RATING: EXCELLENT
POPCORN CINEMA: RECOMMENDED
Amazon UK Links
The Magnificent Seven (2016) blu-ray is available now.
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The Magnificent Seven (2016) Trailer
For those of you yet to see the film I’ll leave you with a little taster…
Clip may not representative of the Blu-ray version
That concludes my The Magnificent Seven blu-ray review, I’m aiming to review at least one Denzel Washington film a week. What’s next? Check back soon…
Summary: The Magnificent Seven (2016) Blu-ray Review
Movie title: The Magnificent Seven (2016)
Duration: 133 mins
Director(s): Antoine Fuqua
Actor(s): Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Byung-hun Lee, Vincent D'Onofrio, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Martin Sensmeier, Haley Bennett,
Genre: Western
- Movie Rating
- Blu-ray Picture Rating
- Extras
Summary
A surprisingly good remake
