Movie Breakdown: The Magnificent Seven
Pre-Screening Stance:
I don’t believe anyone asked for a remake of The Magnificent Seven, but one has arrived. It’s directed by the solid Antoine Fuqua, and it has a high quality cast that consists of Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D’Onofrio, Byung-hun Lee, Pete Sarsgaard and more. My guess is that it’s going to be fun but forgettable.
Post-Screening Ramble:
2016’s The Magnificent Seven is a big dumb pile of rocks, but it’s a good time. Denzel Washington (pretty much all of the actors in the film essentially just “play” themselves, so character names are not necessary) meets a pretty lady who needs an impossible amount of help, and since her plight appeals to him, he signs on. From there he gets very lucky and is able to quickly and effortlessly assemble a team of fellas who are good at telling jokes and killing people. – not all people though, the right people (i.e. bad guys). Then shots get fired, knives get thrown, quips get tossed about, villainous statements get made and countered by heroic declarations, and so on and so forth. It’s all rather predictable stuff, but thankfully it’s wrapped in just the right amount of style. I especially appreciated director Antoine Fuqua’s commitment to the close up shot in the film. Everyone gets a chance to show off what they can do with their eyes, and I felt like this provided some weight and tension to what’s an overall silly experience. I also liked the way Fuqua unabashedly makes everyone look as badass as possible at every turn. Because why not. Additionally, someone should be given a high five for not just casting a bunch of white dudes.
If you’re looking for something fun, you could do a lot worse than the latest take on The Magnificent Seven.
One Last Thought:
Is it unfair that I’m already wondering what else Chris Pratt has to offer as an actor? I feel like I’m ready to see him switch things up, but then again I guess he hasn’t really been Mr. Charming Funny Guy for all that long. I don’t know. Maybe I should let him roll with it a while longer (at least through Passengers).
