Akira Kurosawa gets pretty decent justice done through this remake. Not as good as Seven Samurai, but it's no embarrassment. Some people even prefer this to Kurosawa's masterpiece, and I can see why, in many respects.
An amazing movie, this film really delivers for the die hard Seven Samurai fan wanting a twist.
Updated 07.15.08 Golly, I used to be a lazy reviewer. Anyway, this is an absolutely amazing film. I remember watching it at least a dozen times when I was a kid with my dad. This was long before I ever saw The Seven Samurai and I thought that this was an original story. While I may love The Magnificent Seven, The Seven Samurai is an absolutely perfect film. But for a remake, this movie absolutely sh*ts tits. It is that good.
Call me a sucker for amazing casts, this is another movie like the remake of Ocean's Eleven or The Dirty Dozen that really just throws actors at the screen in hopes of making them good. This is one of the cases, like the previous instances, where it really works. A) This is another one of those Steve McQueen performances that just grabs me. Sure, the guy is part of an ensemble, but he always manages to stand out.
B) (stands for...) Bronson. Charles Bronson always gets picked as a member of the roughriders celebrity heavy-hitters. That's because the man used to be a tank. I find it funny that they finally got him to be the soft-hearted character. In Great Escape they made him tough, but claustrophobic. This one, they made him a friend of children. Now, this is not the first time that the hulking character finds his heart among children, but I think Bronson (who despite his later reputation, is a fine actor) really brings something honest and real to the part. He's a real personable actor and for a gunfighter movie, there's a lot of heart to this part.
I can't believe how close to The Seven Samurai this movie is. The only difference is the amount of patience they expect from each of their audiences. The Seven Samurai has a four hour runtime. That's great for such an amazing movie, but can be a trial for anyone. Magnificent Seven kind of glosses over the preparation period that the movie really builds up and focuses more on the cowardice of the people in the town. While I feel the long setup really delivers a really awesome payoff, I did appreciate that the movie "got right to the point." Due to the shortened runtime, there's a different feeling that can be gained from different choices made. I like both, but now for different reasons.
I could go into each actor's addition to this fine film. Really, this is one of those perfect movies too. It's not one that really has a lot of emotinal depth to it, but is one of the most fun Westerns out there. This movie is extremely accessible and is a valid introduction to the Western genre. It's a good shoot-em-up film and is just a damned good time. This is some popcorn chompin good times.
a very impressive film that does honored justice to its eastern predecessor. not as battle-blazing as i expected and was hoping, but the characters are treated with enough depth to prove they aren't just soulless gunslingers. the acting among the villagers wasn't all that stunning, but the seven plus Wallach were just great. a classic Western with quite possibly the most classic score ever written.
Classic western remake of the Seven Samurai featuring Yul Brynner and a very young cast featuring Charles, Bronson, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn, and Steve McQueen. This is the story of seven gunfighters hired by a Mexican village to protect and teach them to fight against a gang of bandits led by the superb Eli Wallach. Even though thetitle calls these men "magnificent" you soon learn that they are far from it. They are all flaws characters, some almost as flawed as Wallach. That's what makes this film so interesting.
Not that I've seen very many westerns, but this is probably the best out there. The all-star cast makes it enjoyable and interesting the whole way through, especially Yul Brynner. The take from Kurosawa is expertly crafted to make for an excellent and defining film.
GREAT western! One of the best. Seven gunmen ride down to a small villiage to help some farmers rid themselves of a bad guy who steal their food. They all overcome something to kick butt! About the only movie you will see Horst Buchholz in that you would want to see him in.
A Mexican village is periodically raided by a gang of bandits led by Calvera (Eli Wallach). As he and his men ride away from their latest visit, Calvera promises to return.
Desperate, the village leaders travel to a border town to buy guns to defend themselves. They approach a veteran gunslinger, Chris (Yul Brynner), for help. He tells them that guns alone will not do them any good; they are simple farmers, not fighters. They then ask him to lead them, but Chris rejects them, telling them that a single man is not enough. They keep at him though, and he eventually gives in. He recruits men, though the pay is only a pittance. First to answer the call is the hotheaded, inexperienced Chico (Horst Buchholz), but he is rejected. Harry Luck (Brad Dexter), an old friend of Chris, joins because he believes Chris is actually looking for treasure. Vin (Steve McQueen) signs on after going broke from gambling. Other recruits include Bernardo O'Reilly (Charles Bronson), Britt (James Coburn), fast and deadly with his switchblade, and Lee (Robert Vaughn), who is on the run and needs someplace to lay low until things cool down. Chico trails the group as they ride south, and is eventually allowed to join them.
Upon reaching the village, they begin training the residents. As they work together, the gunmen and villagers begin to bond. Chico finds a woman he is attracted to, Petra (Rosenda Monteros).
Calvera returns and is disappointed to find that the villagers have hired gunmen. After a brief exchange, the bandits are chased away. Later, Chico spies on the outlaws and returns with the grim news that Calvera and his men are planning to return--the outlaws are broke and starving, and need the crops from the village just to survive.
The seven debate whether they should leave, but decide to remain. They make a surprise raid on the bandit camp, but find it empty. Returning, they are ambushed by Calvera's men, who have taken over the village. Their lives are spared, as Calvera fears others coming for revenge if the Americans are killed; they are disarmed and escorted out of the village.
All of Chris' group except Harry decide to finish the job the next morning. During the ensuing battle, Harry returns to rescue Chris, and is mortally wounded. Bernardo is killed protecting some children he had befriended; Lee and Britt are also slain. Seeing the gunmen's bravery, the villagers grab whatever they can use as weapons and join the battle. The bandits are routed. Calvera himself is shot by Chris; puzzled, he asks why a man like Chris came back, but dies without receiving an answer.
As the three survivors leave, Chico decides to stay with Petra. Chris and Vin ride away, pausing briefly at the graves of their fallen comrades. Chris observes, "Only the farmers won. We lost. We always lose."
Definately wasn't as good as Kurosawa's Seven Samurai mainly because the 4 hour story had to be condensed to 2 hours which didn't give us a chance to connect with the characters more. I liked the cast although I wouldn't have minded a William Holden or even James Garner.
he Seven Samurai is one of the best films ever made, but this remake did everything right and added a far more memorable score to boot. The cast is amazing as each was trying to make their way up the food chain by attempting to steal every scene possible from each other and even the star Yul Brynner. I think this rivalry makes the film even more enjoyable to watch as each of the seven put their own stamp on each scene and character. I have due to multiple watching come to love each character in their own right just like the Seven Samurai because each is given such human qualities. Charles Bronson is a great example as he is in the beginning shown chopping wood, but we learn that he used to be an expensive gun to hire, but now he through some means or other has fallen to chopping wood to pay his rent. We can relate and grow to love him for the love and care he shows to the three little boys that look to him as a hero. It most of all never loses sight of the greatness of the farmers just like the Seven Samurai. I feel it lost next to nothing in the transfer save the great Japanese culture which Kurosawa fleshes out in the original. A rare remake that can stand up to its foreign original.
Un excellent remake américain du génial Seven Samurai de Kurosawa. L'histoire est centré sur le caractére de chaque protagoniste et chaque acteur donne une solide interprétation.
I has wanted to see this for a long time, but was a bit disappointed and found myself getting a bit bored. I prefer westerns like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Hud, rather than this. But you can't really be a film buff without seeing it, so I had to, and I'm glad I did. But that theme tune is just instantly recognisable (even though I get it mixed with that from The Big Country) and so beautifully written.
This western remake of Seven Samurai is actually more enjoyable than Kurosawa's epic (and a hell of a lot shorter). This film benefits from a top-notch cast and Elmer Bernstein's terrific music score.
Some classics stay classic because there is a hidden element that can not be captured by other movies. Unfortunately, this movie has been exploited and every hidden element that has been duplicated time and time again. Therefore, although I consider this a good movie, I can not consider it a classic for I predict that there will be a time when this movie will be forgotten due to too many movies having the same elements as this movie.
Based on a story by Akira Kurosawa, starring Yul Brinner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn and Eli Wallach, directed by John (The Gunfight At The OK Corral/The Great Escape) Sturges and accompanied by one of the best musical scores ever written, and you have the ingredients for possibly the perfect old school western. Poor old Brad Dexter didn't stand much of a chance up against an ensemble cast of this quality, but he makes a decent fist of a character who is essentially an amalgam of two characters from Seven Samurai, which makes way for Vaughn's gunslinger who has lost his nerve and slots seamlessly into the action. It does take a more popular culture slant on the original's more arthouse sensibilities, but it works perfectly. Brinner and McQueen make a brilliant double act and it even adds a more upbeat ending without failing to retain the spirit of the source material. One of the very few examples of a remake that is almost as worthwhile as the original.
Doesn't quite stand up to "Seven Samurai" on which it's based, but it comes close. The main thing that's missing is that the filmmakers weren't able to find someone to match the dynamic screen presence of the lumbering, emotional Toshiro Mifune. But you can't go wrong with Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, James Coburn, and Charles Bronson as cool, unflappable gunmen. It's a definite must for Western fans, and for fans of "Samurai", it's worth it to see the American translation, as the noble gunman is the perfect American version of the noble masterless samurai.
watched this movie again for the tenth time.steve mcqueen is dynamic as usual.i dont know what is was but i had a fixation for robert vaughns gloves when i was a kid.and they are still cool.
Excellent western and well executed adaptation of Seven Samurai. Each cast member, although typically no associated with a western, couldn't have been better cast. The movie reflects a man's duty of justice, not just for others, but for his own sense of being.
The key to remaking a film is to distance yourself from the original in at least one very noticable way. Whether you take a rarely seen monster that looks like a man and turn him into the most hellish thing imagined (The Thing) or make slow zombies fast (Dawn of the Dead) or add color (Psycho)...Whoa, whoa...sorry, not Psycho, terrible remake. But altering the original story in a way that makes it fresh is how you generate more interest in a story the viewer may already know. It's why Halloween failed. It's why I Am Legend almost worked. The Magnificent Seven is one of the greatest westerns ever made. The story is still brilliant and the update creates enough new tension to keep you glued to the screen. It also features an all-time cast in a western and contains the all-time greatest line in a western. "Nobody throws me my own gun and says 'run.' Nobody."
Based on Kurosawa's awesome Seven Saurai film, this moves the story to the American west with tremendous success. An ensamble cast at their finest and an excellent story (of course). My only complaint is Bronson should've kicked way more ass, I mean, it's Bronson!
The Magnificent Seven is a wonderful adaption of Akira Kurosawa's rousing Seven Samurai. The beleaguered denizens of a Mexican village, weary of attacks by banditos, hire seven gunslingers to repel the invaders once and for all. The gunmen are cool and capable, with most of the actors playing them just on the cusp of '60s stardom: Steve McQueen, James Coburn, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn. The man who brings these warriors together is Yul Brynner, the baddest bald man in the West. There's nothing especially stylish about the approach of veteran director John Sturges (The Great Escape), but the storytelling is clear and strong, and the charisma of the young guns fairly flies off the screen. If that isn't enough to awaken the 12-year-old kid inside anyone, the unforgettable Elmer Bernstein music will do it. Although its sequels cannot in the least measure up, The Magnificent Seven is still one of the most memorable westerns to date.
MCT:July 16, 2008
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MCT:May 31, 2008
