Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Denzel Washington | ... | ||
Chris Pratt | ... | ||
Ethan Hawke | ... | ||
Vincent D'Onofrio | ... | ||
Byung-hun Lee | ... | ||
Manuel Garcia-Rulfo | ... | ||
Martin Sensmeier | ... | ||
Haley Bennett | ... |
Emma Cullen
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Peter Sarsgaard | ... | ||
Luke Grimes | ... |
Teddy Q
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Matt Bomer | ... |
Matthew Cullen
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Jonathan Joss | ... |
Denali
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Cam Gigandet | ... |
McCann
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Emil Beheshti | ... |
Maxwell
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Mark Ashworth | ... |
Preacher
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Director Antoine Fuqua brings his modern vision to a classic story in The Magnificent Seven. With the town of Rose Creek under the deadly control of industrialist Bartholomew Bogue, the desperate townspeople employ protection from seven outlaws, bounty hunters, gamblers and hired guns. As they prepare the town for the violent showdown that they know is coming, these seven mercenaries find themselves fighting for more than money.
Come on now. If you're going to re-make "The Magnificent 7" let's do it magnificently. Where was that great music? Where is the superlative cast that include Yul Brynner, Eli Wallach, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, and Vladimir Sokoloff? You might argue that Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt are on a level with Brynner and McQueen, but I wouldn't. Pratt certainly has potential, but he doesn't yet have McQueen's star power. The rest are pale imitations, except perhaps for an unbelievably fat Vincent D'Onofrio who is certainly entertaining.
This is a modern re-telling. You might call it the Diversity 7. The producers threw in just about every minority you can think of Mexican, Asian, Black, Woman. The only thing missing was a "little" person .
Personally I liked the idea of the woman, played very well by Haley Bennett who has been with Washington before ("The Equalizer").
An action film like this works only when the villain is villainous. Eli Wallach was terrific. Peter Sarsgaard wouldn't scare a fly.
Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed it. It's OK, but it's not magnificent.