In the interest of getting “hard” copies of my work under one roof, I plan to spend the next few weeks posting the entire archive of my film journalism here on ScullyVision. With due respect to the many publications I’ve written for, the internet remains quite temporary, and I’d hate to see any of my work disappear for digital reasons. As such, this gargantuan project must begin! I don’t want to do it. I hate doing it. But it needs to be done. Please note that my opinions, like everyone’s, have changed a LOT since I started, so many of these reviews will only represent a snapshot in time. Objectivity has absolutely no place in film criticism, at least not how I do it.
The Magnificent Seven suffers from the same problem as its 1960s counterpart: with so much plot there’s very little time for story. The titular seven are a rogues gallery of badasses, but not much more. It’s only in moments of “remember me?” that precede every showdown that we get any sort of motivation from our heroes, and it feels like a missed opportunity. That said, Antoine Fuqua’s well-crafted reimagining shares the same value as its predecessor as well: it’s just so so so much fun. Yippee-ki-yay! When the residents of a small western town decide they’ve had enough of a slimy villain who makes a habit of stealing their resources using violence and a creed of manifest destiny, they turn to a squad of hired guns (and knives, and arrows) to protect their home from the next attack. It’s as simple as that, and as much as I lament the lack of strong character work, I’m happy to celebrate the simple virtues of a solid shoot-em-up western. And I’m more than happy to celebrate a mainstream film that employs such a diverse cast of heroes without making a thing of it.
Ben Chisolm (Denzel Washington), is a crack shot gunslinger whose black garb is meant to invoke Yul Brenner’s turn as the leader of the Mag 7. He gathers Josh Faraday (Chris Pratt), Goodnight Robicheaux (Ethan Hawke), Billy Rocks (Byung-hun Lee), Jack Horne (Vincent D’Onofrio), Vasquez (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), and Red Harvest (Martin Sensmeier) to train the townspeople in the ways of battle, and potentially lay their own lives on the line as well. Each brings a different skill set (axe-throwing, knife work, smooth talking, etc), and it’s the moments in which their abilities (and their attitudes) complement one another that the film really shines. It’s a shame these moments are so sparse. I should also mention the formidable widow, Emma Cullen (Haley Bennett) whose magnificent inclusion should merit a retitling of the film.
Most of the actors bring a hefty load of charisma, which is really all that is required for this sort of thing, but it’s Denzel Washington who really stands out. As an actor who is usually a very intense presence, it’s nice to see his intensity used in service of fun. He’s obviously having a grand ol’ time . . . but not as grand as Peter Sarsgaard who, although underused, is delightfully villainous as Donald Trump stand-in, Batholomew Bogue. Sadly, the weak link here is Chris Pratt. As charming and puppy dog-like as he always is, it took The Magnificent Seven to make me wonder if he’s capable of more. I certainly hope so, as he’s clearly a talent to root for. Here, like always, he’s just playing himself.
Star power aside, the real winner here is Antoine Fuqua, who is becoming my favorite of the pop-filmmakers. Watching someone like Bret Ratner, you get the feeling that he’s just collecting a paycheck, but Fuqua has the blood of an artist coursing through his veins, and in The Magnificent Seven it shows. He captures more than a few breathtaking landscapes that evoke the progenitors of the genre without feeling like it they were shot on a blue screen (and it may have been – I don’t know). When we cozy up by the fire in a rock-laden desert, you can feel the chilly breeze. When the camera sweeps past a line of charging horses on a dewy morning, dense with fog, the viewer is transported to front lines of battle. And when the battle begins, it’s a showcase of practical setpieces, tangible explosions, and classically blocked stunt work that crackles with the circus-like fury of a bygone cinematic era.
Fuqua clearly has a knowledge and reverence for film, and God bless him for using his skills to make exciting movies instead of selling out to make prestige films. Trust me sir, there is nothing more prestigious than creating an entertainment that’s – gasp – entertaining. And who knows? You might just end up with another Training Day on your hands.
He even does that thing where we cut back and forth from close-ups of everyone’s eyes during a standoff. That’s the goods.
Over all, The Magnificent Seven is everything it was required to be. I’d say it’s exactly as good as the prior incarnation, and takes enough liberties with the details to merit its own existence. While the characterizations are weaker than they should be, I wonder if further development would get in the way of the sheer fun of it all. Is it worth sacrificing the pacing to give any of these characters proper motivation? I don’t know, but it’s a problem that seems inherent to the material. Well, unless of course it’s a three hour samurai epic.
Someone should make that.
The Magnificent Seven opens in Philly theaters today.
