The critics have spoken, and it’s good news for “The Magnificent Seven” director-producer Antoine Fuqua.
Fuqua had a lot of pressure on his hands with the remake of the 1960s Steve McQueen classic, which was a successful remake of the 1954 Japanese film “Seven Samurai”– both films received 93 and 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, respectively.
But Fuqua — who is currently shooting the AT&T Audience network series “Ice” — pulls through and delivers a modest contemporary take on an old classic, which has critics praising the Western for doing the genre justice and saying that “The Magnificent Seven” is what “Suicide Squad” should have been.
Although TheWrap’s Robert Abele felt that “Magnificent Seven” was just an OK western that “will do for now until somebody else gets in the saddle,” he still couldn’t deny that the passion for the genre still shined through.
“There’s certainly enough verve, and love for the genre, to help one get past its trouble spots, but you can’t help feeling the mercenary thinking behind rehashing this mercenary yarn,” wrote Abele.
The film received a solid 64 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics raved that even though Fuqua’s remake doesn’t blow its predecessors out of the water, it’s still a “rock-solid” film that leaves some wanting to see it again.
“The Magnificent Seven” follows seven outlaws who are enlisted to help residents of a town under the siege of villains during the 1870s, shortly after the Civil War.
The western will hit theaters Sept. 23.
Read seven of the best reviews below.
Liz Braun, The Toronto Sun
“Western fans are in for a treat at ‘The Magnificent Seven.’ Antoine Fuqua remakes the John Sturges/Kurosawa classic for the 21st century with three-dimensional characters and spectacular action sequences. This epic David and Goliath story, which premieres Thursday night at the Toronto International Film Festival, has all the blazing gun battles and heroics of the original and it’s visually stunning, courtesy of cinematographer Mauro Fiore. The film is wonderful to look at — grand, transporting and vaguely nostalgic, all at once. It’s a rousing good time at the movies.
Kevin Lally, Film Journal International
“Yes, this is ‘The Magnificent Seven’ seen through a modern lens, but this durable tale of an impromptu band of fighters facing impossible odds was always meant to be bigger and grander than life. (And as in the originals, there are poignant fatalities among the Seven.) Anchored by a reliably authoritative Washington, with heroic moments for the entire septet, Fuqua’s film is a solidly crafted western with both nostalgic appeal and a refreshing contemporary flavor.”
Mike Ryan, Uproxx
“The new ‘The Magnificent Seven’ is a master class in over-the-top acting and line delivery and, really, just everything. I want to see it again. ‘The Magnificent Seven’ is what ‘Suicide Squad’ should have been: a ragtag group of scoundrels and malcontents, who band together to fight an even more villainous foe, who all seem to realize a) this is a big lark, and b) they have no chance of winning, but c) they do it all anyway with a wink and a smile.”
Edward Douglas, Den of Geek
“‘The Magnificent Seven’ serves as further evidence of how Antoine Fuqua has improved as a filmmaker since making ‘Brooklyn’s Finest’ in 2009, delving into different genres and mastering them all. Any trepidations about the film’s slow pace are more than made up for with the final battle.”
William Bibbiani, Crave Online
“Antoine Fuqua‘s ‘The Magnificent Seven’ doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s a damn fine wheel. It gets you where it’s going and it’s well worth getting there. It sure is a pleasant change of pace to see a western that gets away with simply being a western, without winking all of the time. It’s what the old folks used to call a straight shooter, and it delivers with a bang.”
Peter Howell, Toronto Star
“What Fuqua’s ‘Magnificent Seven’ lacks in originality it makes up for in personality, with his ‘Training Day’ and ‘The Equalizer’ compadre Denzel Washington earning his oats as an ensemble leader in his first western.”
Chris Bumbray, JoBlo
“The finished film is rock-solid, thanks to the above-average craftsmanship of director Antoine Fuqua (as solid a mainstream director as they come) and the always-towering charisma of star Denzel Washington. While not exactly ‘The Equalizer in the Old West’, the two movies have the same philosophy, being that the strong must protect the weak.”