Seven is the charm
By Jonathan Kane
A good, rousing Western is always welcome at the cineplex, mostly because of its rarity these days. Hollywood has reached back to one of its best – John Sturges’ 1960 “The Magnificent Seven” – with a remake starring the formidable Denzel Washington.
Of course, that film was a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1954 epic classic, “The Seven Samurai.” That movie, set in feudal Japan, remains an iconic Western with some of the most poetic action scenes ever put on film. Kurosawa wanted to pay homage to the master, John Ford, and he did it with plenty to spare.
What can you say about this new version? It’s good entertainment, but hardly reaches the classic status of its two predecessors. One problem: In the first two, the mercenaries are working off of some classic code of honor that makes them want to defend the villagers. Here, the motive is revenge, which weakens the plot a little. Also, changing the threat from marauding groups of bandits to an evil, scheming miner (Peter Sarsgaard) seems a lesser choice.
But the choice of Washington as the leader couldn’t be better. Approached by a widow, Haley Bennett, to see if he could rid the town of Sarsgaard’s evil control, Washington then enlists the help of six supremely armed strangers to assist him – most notably Chris Pratt as a roguish gunslinger and Ethan Hawke as a Confederate sharpshooter battling inner demons.
The seven’s mission is to prepare the town for retribution for killing a handful of Sarsgaard’s goons. When the confrontation comes, it’s a really big one – perhaps the longest shootout ever put on film.
Handled nicely by director Antoine Fuqua (“Training Day”), action seekers will not be disappointed. Neither will fans of Washington, who once again delivers a powerful performance.
