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| Denzel Washington & Chris Pratt (r) star in The Magnificent Seven |
So Far, So
Rotten Tomatoes Plot: Director Antoine Fuqua brings his modern vision to a classic story in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures' and Columbia Pictures' The Magnificent Seven. With the town of Rose Creek under the deadly control of industrialist Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard) the desperate townspeople, led by Emma Cullen (Haley Bennett) employ protection from seven outlaws, bounty hunters, gamblers and hired guns - Sam Chisolm (Denzel Washington) Josh Farraday (Chris Pratt) Goodnight Robicheaux (Ethan Hawke) Jack Horne (Vincent D'Onofrio) Billy Rocks (Byung-Hun Lee) Vasquez (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) and Red Harvest (Martin Sensmeier.) As they prepare the town for the violent showdown that they know is coming, these seven mercenaries find themselves fighting for more than money.
Merriam-Webster defines magnificent as "very beautiful or impressive." Fuqua's The Magnificent Seven is neither. In fact, it could be one of the worst (and most ill-advised) remakes in years. Sarsgaard says it best, "It won't sweeten. It will only sour." And sour it does... for way too long (133 minutes.) Each performer pales in comparison to their 1960 versions (in terms of ability and fit, even Denzel) and there's zero imagination/magic, "thanks" to a horrendous screenplay and lackluster direction. Without solid turns from Hawke and Garcia-Rulfo, I'd be tempted to give it an F. As is, D for disappointing.
Grade: D
