The Magnificent Seven, the 2016 remake of the 1960 Western classic of the same name (which itself was a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai), is streaming on Prime Video now.
The film focuses on seven gunmen (including Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke and Squid Game’s Byung-hun Lee) from a variety of backgrounds who are brought together by a vengeful young widow (Haley Bennett).
This is to protect her town from the private army of a destructive industrialist (Peter Sarsgaard).
Directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, The Equalizer trilogy) and co-written by Nic Pizzolatto (the creator of True Detective), this version of The Magnificent Seven landed in cinemas to solid reviews.
The general consensus was that though the movie did not reach the lofty heights of its predecessors, it is still an entertaining Western in its own right.
Here’s a sample of some positive write-ups for 2016’s The Magnificent Seven:
Chicago Reader: “Director Antoine Fuqua proves that the western is far from dead with this rousing update of John Sturges’s 1960 classic (itself adapted from Akira Kurosawa’s The Seven Samurai).”
Dallas Morning News: “Fuqua has watched his John Ford, evident in the sweeping mountain vistas that use every inch of the screen, and his Sergio Leone, represented by the squinty tension that fills the air before every showdown.”
Detroit News: “‘Magnificent’ is pushing it, but The Magnificent Seven – the latest spin on the classic outlaw tale – comes in guns blazing, sweeps the town and gets the job done.”
Financial Times: “The scenery and cinematography are eye-boggling. New Mexico is the go-to location for primal sunsets, majestically pillared cliffs and a light that leads to eternity. When your eyes stray to the battles and shoot-outs, they’re pretty good too.”
Little White Lies: “It’s a really solid, really fun classical shoot ’em up.
2016’s The Magnificent Seven is available to stream on Prime Video in the UK and Ireland, along with the original 1960 movie.
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