For all those who grew up with a close affiliation to classics, Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai is a memorable watch. The evergreen classic has now been remade into The Magnificent Seven. And how has the remake turned out to be? Does it do justice to the 1957 masterpiece? Read more to find out ….
 

The Magnificent Seven is a story about how 7 people impact the fate of a village and its residents. Do they succeed in their attempts? How effective are their efforts, is what forms the rest of the story.
 

The plot is undoubtedly spiced up with all the requisite elements that would feature in any cowboy flick. There are loads of action, gun-slinging heroes, and warriors who love their smoke more than their beloved wives.
 

But where is the soul? The soul that gave “The Seven Samurai” a relatable depth is missing here. To see the subtle version of mature heroism getting replaced with loud extravagant swagger is disappointing. Extraneous quotes try to make the Western, uber-cool. But it ends up as a forced reminder to not choke macho moments down the audience’s throat.

The visuals take us to the valleys of the battle and are a proof of Mauro Fiore’s potential. Music by James Horner is stunning. It stands out as the biggest strength of the movie. Though in places we feel that unnecessary background scores can be avoided, he still racks up quite a solid show. Editing by John Refoua is crisp and his cuts make the shootout scenes slick.
 

The cast consists of a few big names like Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke and others. Chris Pratt has taken up a character which we have already seen him play, one who is so full of himself and has quite an attitude. Denzel Washington does a good job and the others support him well enough. Ethan Hawke stands out as a memorable character.
 

Overall, Magnificent Seven manages to hold a candle to the original one. It might not have done enough justice to the original but makes an engaging watch.