The big difference between the new version of The Magnificent Seven and the revered 1960 feature is the ethnic background of the main characters. The titular seven in director Antoine Fuqua's take are a diverse bunch, while the ruthless villain of the piece is no longer a Mexican bandito but, instead, a cutthroat white capitalist. Other than the revisionist casting, however, nothing particularly original or fresh has been injected into this competently made, violent but uningratiating remake of the star-studded John Sturges Western, which itself was a redo of Akira Kurosawa's imperishable 1954 classic, Seven Samurai.

This time out, it would seem that ethnic variety was the guiding principle more than anything else, the obvious irony being that it's now a rainbow coalition of misfits defending an all-white town against all-white villains way out west in 1879. One needs to take this fantasy for what it says about contemporary culture rather than for anything remotely relevant historically, and there are certainly small kicks to be had watching an Asian warrior fling his sharp knives at unsuspecting baddies, the Native American take aim with his arrows and no one on the side of righteousness seeming to ever miss a shot.

Unfortunately, these new elements introduced by Fuqua and screenwriters Nic Pizzolatto (True Detective) and Richard Wenk are, not to coin a phrase, just skin deep.

Composer James Horner died before finishing the score, which was accomplished by his friend Simon Franglen. An eyebrow-raising and ear-perking moment occurs at the end, when the opening strains of Elmer Bernstein's eternal score for the 1960 version blast from the soundtrack. For some, this will provide an all-too-vivid reminder of a film that's better than the one they've just seen.

The big difference between the new version of The Magnificent Seven and the revered 1960 feature is the ethnic background of the main characters. The titular seven in director Antoine Fuqua's take are a diverse bunch, while the ruthless villain of the piece is no longer a Mexican bandito but, instead, a cutthroat white capitalist.

AndyDursin wrote:I'll stick with the John Sturges film and Elmer's score. Great stuff.