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Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Disclaimer: The manufacturer provided NewTechReview with a unit of this product for review. Reviewed by Scott R. Garrigus | ||
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  “In Director Antoine Fuqua’s modern vision of a classic story, the desperate townspeople of Rose Creek employ protection from seven outlaws, bounty hunters, gamblers and hired guns after the town falls under the deadly control of industrialist Bartholomew Bogue. As they prepare the town for the violent showdown that they know is coming, these seven mercenaries find themselves fighting for more than money. That is the official description for Sony Pictures Home Entertainment’s The Magnificent Seven, which is available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD.Whenever I decide to watch a remake (especially of a classic film), I start with a bit of hesitation because most of the time the result is less satisfying than the original (Ghostbusters 2016 comes to mind... sorry ladies, you’re wonderful, but the movie, not so much). As such, I’m ecstatic to let you know that this remake of The Magnificent Seven is not only magnificent, but one of the best classic film re-imaginings in league with the likes of True Grit and 3:10 to Yuma. Antoine Fuqua has been able to bring this film into the modern cinema without losing its original Western genre feel. Not only is the film itself entertaining, but the casting is excellent with Denzel Washington as Sam Chisolm, Chris Pratt as Josh Farraday, Ethan Hawke as Goodnight Robicheaux, Vincent D’Onofrio as Jack Horne, Byung-Hun Lee as Billy Rocks, Martin Sensmeier as Red Harvest, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Vasquez, Peter Sarsgaard as Bartholomew Bogue, and Haley Bennett as Emma Cullen. Their on-screen chemistry and wonderfully delivered dialog make this modern remake all the more engaging. Both the sights and sounds of The Magnificent Seven also remain true to the Western genre. The cinematography is excellent at showcasing traditional Western vistas, not just for the sake of the genre but as functional backdrops to the movie and the storyline. In addition to the film, there are a number of well-done bonus features, which include: * Vegeance Mode - this is both a commentary and behind-the-scenes look at the film with director Antoine Fuqua along with the cast as they discuss how scenes were put together and how they fit with the storyline. * The Seven - an 8-minute featurette that talks about the film characters and the cast. * Rogue Bogue - a 5-minute featurette that talks about the Bartholomew Bogue character and how he came to be a villain. * Gunslingers - a 5-minute featurette that shows how the actors trained for their parts and the physicality it took to make the story authentic. *Directing The Seven - a 5-minute featurette discussing how Antoine Fuqua went about directing the film and what the cast thought about his work. * The Taking of Rose Creek - a 5-minute behind-the-scenes featurette showing the main filming location and how one of the action scenes was created. * Magnificent Music - a 4-minute featurette talking about what went into making the music for the film as well as the passing of one of the film’s composers, James Horner. * Deletes Scenes - and of course, no bonus feature section would be complete without the coveted deleted scenes. Included here are four scenes that total a runtime of about 7 minutes. Even though the majority of remakes don’t live up to their predecessors, The Magnificent Seven is one of the exceptions. The film remains true to the original but has been updated just enough to make it appealing to both classic movie lovers and modern moviegoers alike. I can wholeheartedly recommend this film to everyone who loves a good Western. For more information, visit: * Amazon: http://amzn.to/2iN56NQ * Sony Pictures: www.sonypictures.com |
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