THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (Blu-ray + Digital HD)
Release Date: December 20, 2016
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Video: 2.39:1 1080p Widescreen
Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, English Descriptive Audio 5.1
THE RATINGS
The Movie Itself - ★ ★½ ✰ ✰ ✰
Video Quality - ★ ★ ★ ★½
Audio Quality - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Special Features - ★ ★ ★ ✰ ✰
Overall - ★ ★ ★½ ✰ ✰
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THE FILM ITSELF Our Reviewer's Take
Talk about a disappointment.
Reviewed by Gavin King
How does one take such a whimsical original western and underwhelm with an overabundance of savagery and lack of heart? Antoine Fuqua’s remake of The Magnificent Seven pleads that question. It has it all. A great cast. Gorgeous cinematography. Expert stunt work. It’s just too long, bloated, and drawn-out to fully satisfy. Sure, the action scenes impress. They're big, loud, bombast, and even thrilling to an extent. Here's the biggest problem: the large dullness that makes up the second act is so numb and devoid of the heart that bathed the original classic that we don't bother about the standoff. Worse, that heart and whimsy that made the original so adored and lovable is wasted for full blown barbarity that - while it does work in spurts - lacks both universal appeal and high spirits, which was what the original Mag 7 was all about. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
The old town of Rose Creek is in danger. They're under the leadership of dastardly Bartholomew Rogue (Peter Sarsgaard). Desperately seeking for some help, Emma Cullen (Haley Bennett) gets ahold of Sam Chisholm (Denzel Washington), who recruits a gang of outlaws to help: Josh Faraday (Chris Pratt), Robicheaux (Ethan Hawke), Billy Rocks (Lee Byung-hun), Vasquez (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), Jack Horne (Vincent D'Onofrio), and Red Harvest (Martin Sensmier). Now, with such enemies like Bogue's enforcer McCann (Cam Gidgandet), these seven must battle between Rogue's maniacal schemes - in a battle of the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
It's a huge shame to say that, even this far into the life of cinema, even a knockout final act can't overcome the monotonous, practically ancient second act that dooms a potentially wildly fun ride. Yes, the plot does advance in these scenes, but the screenwriters could at least make the events interesting for the audience so that we're still hooked on even without pew-pew-pew guns. Worse, for those who have seen the original classic, all of the whimsy and heart that made the original Mag 7 so fantastic is dampened here for brauva action but dullness that will likely bore non-western fans throughout the second act and frustrate gurus of the old genre. And when the third act comes along, no doubt the stuntwork is terrific, but it lacks a little something that made the '60's Mag 7 so enjoyable. You guessed it: heart. It's mostly exchanged for full-blown savagery which - while I can somewhat see why some will enjoy - can't help put pale in comparison to '60's Mag 7's whimsical appeal.
The movie does pick up a bit in its aformentioned third act, but only by little spurts. First off, the action is sturdy on its general merits. Like I mentioned before, it lacks the true heart and soul of the original film but nevertheless lightly impresses with an encouraging sense of gripping essence and some surprisingly taut and even wonderful stunt work, especially by the film's horses, which play a predictably big part in the movie. The cinematography is quite nice, too. Courtesy of Mauro Fiore, he brings out a likable/appreciable factor that reminisces back to the old days of classic westerns, with all of the sandy terrain and gusto one could possibly ever want from a film of this caliber. Fiore even chooses to shoot on celluloid film rather than pretty much grainless digital to show he has a bit of respect for the genre, and I guess that's worth a shoutout if anything for respecting the, in some measure, dying age that original westerns the John Wayne's The Searchers or High Noon were captured on back in the day.
It's too bad the highly talented cast can't save the film from an overtly boring story, despite them protruding their all. Denzel Washington is predictably the highlight here, although Chris Pratt comes awfully close, ending up with the two sharing their performances very well. The biggest problem, though, is that they're not enough. Not enough to save this slog from overbearing uneventfulness (especially in the second act) that'll never really resonate with the converted (in this case, non-western fans). From the words of Chris Stuckmann, this should have been my movie! I like Deznel, love Pratt, and I would have loved to see them kick some western butt. Instead, while there are a couple positive aspects to the film, the overlong sleeper of a second act is a disappointment. Oh well.
THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN Blu-ray - Video Quality
The Magnificent Seven was shot on film, and Sony's 1080p Blu-ray does it justice. The film's cinematography is very well-represented on Blu-ray, bursting with some exceptional detail on faces, western attire, weaponry, dusty terrain, and other little odds and ends that make up the old-timey town of Rose Creek. The high-definition presenation is also excellent at showcasing background details like trees, grass, the aformentioned terrain, and light blue skies which bring Mag 7's locations to beautiful life. The color palette is alive with all sorts of colors, such as vegetation green, blood red, and horse browns, but what really makes the hues in this film is a dominant orange; one that's reminiscent of older films of the western genre and also one that fits the film's overall tone extremely well. Facial skintones are nicely realistic and well-presented. The only real complaint here comes with darker scenes, which score great black levels but leaves a handful of shots looking mildly pasty. Nevertheless, banding and aliasing and other digital artifcats are gone, and this is a faithful, rich, and very, very pretty video presentation from Sony.
THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN Blu-ray - Audio Quality
You'll want to crank this one up to eleven. The Magnificent Seven features a pulse-pounding, yet nicely nuanced DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack that makes the best use of the film's wonderful sound design and practically transports the listener to Rose Creek and its big battles. Music is big, weighty, and sometimes bassy, enjoying that extra low end to give it a very appreciably western-themed feel, all while retaining standout stage presence, especially the film's iconic theme during the end credits. No doubt action scenes sound fantastic. Gunshots zip and "pew-pew-pew" all throughout the soundscape. Bullets whiz and ricochet, dynamite pounds, debris flies, and horses and bodies thud as the loud cacophony of effects, particularly near the third act, play around from front channel to surround channel to back channel to subwoofer in robust appearance and dynamic satisfaction. Atmospherics impress, too, bringing the somewhat seedy town of Rose Creek to life and its bars, too. Dialogue, even under the hodgepodge of big-budget action sound effects, stays clear, crisp, and detailed, with strong cross-channel prioritization and natural front-center positioning. This is a fabulously entertaining soundtrack that makes the movie a tad more enjoyable.
THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN Blu-ray - Special Features
- Vengeance Mode is a fun little feature which showcases the cast and crew intervening between the movie to talk about the movie's themes, characters, action sequences, and more. Fans should enjoy this entertaining supplement. Also this supplement is available in lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1.
- Deleted Scenes include the following (you can choose to play all if you wish): Breakfast Prayer, What Are You Gonna Do About It?, Bravery And Responsibility, and Goodnight Serenade.
- The Seven offers a look at the iconic seven outlaws and the characteristics that make them "The Magnificent Seven".
- Directing the Seven looks at film's director Antoine Fuqua and the cast discussing him and his love for Westerns, as well as practical effects.
- The Taking of Rose Creek The cast/crew discuss Rose Creek, the town the movie takes place in.
- Rogue Bouge peeks at Bartholemew Bogue, played by Peter Sarsgaard, the main villain of the movie, and what makes him such an effective villain in the movie according to the team of Mag 7.
- Gunslingers The cast talks about operating the film's weapons from the film, and the challenges and tricks they learned while on the set.
- Magnificent Seven Rest in peace, James Horner. You will be missed. Takes a look at the film's score.
THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN Blu-ray - Overall Recommendation
The Magnificent Seven boasts an exceptional cast and great cinematography, but they're completely wasted by a dull, wearisome second act that dooms the film's potential as being an instant western classic. Stuntwork is fantastic in the final act, but heart is seriously lacking, even under the performances of its cast. Sony's Blu-ray is generally very good. Video quality is terrific and faithful. Audio mix is a total blast full of bass and surround activity. Supplements are surprisingly well-done and well-spoken, offering further detail into the making of the movie. Fans can no doubt eat this one up, but those who have yet to watch the movie should rent first before coming to a single conclusion on whether to buy the Blu-ray or not.
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