A stranger rides into the small western town of Rose Creek. He is bounty hunter Sam Chisolm (Denzel Washington) and he plans only to stay overnight. A young woman, Emma Cullen (Haley Bennett) approaches him. She tells him that the town has been enslaved by a despot named Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard) who owns a gold-mining operation. She offers him a sack containing all the money the town has, to destroy Bogue and free the town.
Chisolm quickly sizes up the situation before committing himself. He needs a cadre to organize the revolt. He recruits five strangers of dubious backgrounds and adds an Indian, Red Harvest (Martin Sensmeier), to make a band of seven.
The mission will not be easy. Bogue has a formidable army controlling Rose Creek and his mining properties. But Chisolm forms a town militia and by bravery, trickery, and guts gets the upper hand.
The film is a solid remake of the 1960’s “The Magnificent Seven” starring Yul Brynner and has a “High Noon” ending.
A silent character is the outstanding backgrounds in the open country scenes. They are filmed in the Monument Valley of Arizona and have been used in westerns since the advent of talkies. With the improved photographic equipment and high definition techniques, the scenes are breathtaking. One of the prime locations is named John Ford Peak for the legendary western film director. Enjoy the vistas!
Casting is right on the mark as is the acting. The slaughter that takes place in various gun battles is overdone. My guess is that over 200 bit-the-dust. That’s a problem for the town mortician who has only a few pine boxes ready.
If westerns are in your saddle bag of movie picks, put “The Magnificent Seven” your list. It will more than keep your attention for its two hour and 15 minute run. The movie is currently showing at both the Barnstorm Theater and The Rialto in The Villages.
Villager Jack Petro reviews movies for Villages-News.com
