Magnificent Seven Collaborative Review
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Magnificent Seven Collaborative Review

Salem State film writers cover the latest Denzel action flick.

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Magnificent Seven Collaborative Review
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Coming off of the summer blockbuster in 2015 Southpaw, which contained mixed to positive reviews, director Antoine Fuqua took a stab at the remake of the classic western film from 1960, The Magnificent Seven. With the star studded cast of Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, and Ethan Hawke, Fuqua and company had the right tools to make a fun and energetic flick for western fans everywhere. With their town in jeopardy from a henchman that goes by the name of Bough, a young widower asks Sam Chisell, a bounty hunter for help. Writers Matt Conway, and Ryan Feyre are back at it again for this collaborative review.

Ryan: I’m going to be honest. Coming into this film, I wasn’t expecting much. To me it looked like just another generic western film with a bunch of big name players. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the overall energy of the film, as well as the standout performance of Denzel Washington. The movie contained much of the scenes that you see in typical westerns, but also brought a swagger to the overall mood of the movie.

Matt: As a fan of westerns, Magnificent Seven seemed like an interesting proposition. Updated with a diverse cast and a bevy of gunslinging action setpieces, here is a film that delivers both as a traditional western and a summer-type blockbuster. Fuqua and company do a nice job of keeping a foot in the past and present with this film.

Ryan: Yes they do. However, I feel that the pacing and speed of the film is what lead to it’s own weak points. Despite the fact that the running time was over two hours, there were places where the movie could have slowed down to explain some important plot points and character development.. Specifically, Ethan Hawke’s character was by far the worst part of the film. There was really no point to his character. I don’t want to spoil anything, but he wasn’t really important with regards to the story. Someone else should have acted his character.

Matt: I think westerns are a lot like war films in the fact it's more about the situation than the characters. The film moved at a great pace, and the few times it slowed down to develop characters, the small details became essential to the film. Thanks to an incredibly likable cast, all of the characters here stand out and I found myself rooting for everyone of them. Having a higher pedigree of actors makes the characters stand out even more so, which makes certain key dramatic sequences all the more effective.


Ryan: Yeah I agree, however I still think that if you are going to pay a lot of money for high caliber talent, you should use them to the best of their capabilities. Yes, the movie hit on all levels as far as energy and swagger goes, however if they just developed the story a little more, along with some of the characters, it could have had a shot at standing out from the rest of the pack.

Matt : There is enough story and character to make the material stand out. The real stars here are the action setpieces and western motif, which truly shines. The action here is pulse-pounding and inventive, while still having a traditional western flair. Fuqua directs with confidence as he captures each gun-shot and dead body with style. The final thirty minutes of this film is not only a lot of fun, but also a tense experience to watch. This film will shock people as to which characters survive and die, which is rare to see in a blockbuster.

Ryan: For me, the film does stand out from the rest of the typical summer blockbuster such as Bourne or Jurassic World, but I still think it could have done more. However, in the end, I was pleasantly surprised with the execution of the overall film, and I especially enjoyed Denzel’s performance as the ruthless bounty hunter. The film may not be firing on all cylinders, but it gets the job done from an entertainment standpoint.

Matt: September is typically a pretty weak month of the air, so I am happy to say Magnificent Seven successfully whisks its audience back into the summer movie season. Its an action-packed blockbuster that packs a great deal of energy and fun, while still providing enough stakes to be invested into the characters.

Matt’s Rating: 7.5/10

Ryan’s Rating: 7/10

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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