Justice Has A Number: Magnificent Seven Film Review

By Brandon Gordon

​The western is alive and well. From the sweeping vistas to the thrilling gunslingers, The Magnificent Seven shows that the western is here to stay. For years it was hard to find a good western, especially in the age of superheroes destroying cities or aliens attacking the earth. That is first and foremost what this film is, a combination of a modern action film and a classic western. The two mixing together proves to be thrilling throughout.
            The film has Director Antoine Fuqua reuniting with Denzel Washington for a third time. They previously worked together on Training Day and The Equalizer and continue their action packed streak a third time. Washington plays a warrant officer who is contracted to help free a town from a gang leader determined to take control of the land. Along they way he gathers a varied group of men with incredible abilities to help him in his fight. What seems as a simple enough story is strengthened by the depth and life the actors are able to bring to their character. The chemistry the cast has brings energy to the film that keeps you hanging on their every action. From a screenplay written by another Fuqua collaborator, Richard Wenk, and the first film effort of True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto it is no surprise that the characters will be engaging and complex. 

Denzel Washington as Warrant Officer Sam Chisolm

​Once all of the elements of the film begin to come together we get to see just how much fun this film can be. The great misfortune of the movie is that it could have been something more. The film has clear potential to be a modern classic but it doesn’t quite live up to its namesake. There are many great elements, some that are even magnificent, but its lost somewhere along the way. One of the areas that lacks compared to the others is once we are finally introduced to the seven we never get the time to truly know them. It is clear that these are rich and complex characters that want to be apart of something great. Sadly, we never get to fully engage with them. Perhaps if this weren’t the case then the film could have soared as high as its predecessor. At times it tries a little too hard to be the John Ford film we all think of when we hear western, but it’s efforts never hold it back. Occasionally it slips into the territory of Spaghetti Western through the stylization of the action, but the fluidity of the story allows these transitions to flow smoothly.
            There is no shortage of talent; many of the actors and crewmembers are top at what they do and it shows. From the final film score of composer James Horner to the awe inspiring wide shots from cinematographer Mauro Fiore, we can see and hear every little detail that was put before us to enjoy. When all of this comes into place on the screen it allows itself to be the visual feast that we would expect from those who crafted it. It is nice to have this feeling after a summer of machismo films such as Suicide Squad (Ayer, 2016) didn’t live up to their expectation. Magnificent Seven is the right amount of gritty, intense action that will leave you wanting more. And with the talent of Chris Pratt in the role of gun slinging gambler, Joshua Faraday, it might even leave you with a smile on your face as well.
            At the end of the day this film shows us why the genre was such a success for so many years. It’s pure action packed fun, and that’s all it needs to be. After a summer of films that may have left a bad taste in our mouth it’s nice that the fall movie season is off to a great start with this shooting good thrill ride.