The Magnificent Seven

Name: The Magnificent Seven
Genre: Action, Adventure, Western
Released: October 23, 1960
Duration: 128 min
Rating: 74
Cast: Charles Bronson, Steve McQueen, Yul Brynner

1960

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 13 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 31 Ratings

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7.6

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7.6	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 31 Ratings

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The Magnificent Seven

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Movie Details & Credits

United Artists | Release Date: October 23, 1960 | Approved

Starring: Charles Bronson, Steve McQueen, Yul Brynner

Summary: Seven gunfighters defend an oppressed Mexican village against an army of marauding bandits.

Director: John Sturges

Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Western

Rating: Approved

Runtime: 128 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Empire Kim Newman

Deep down, you know it's not as good as Seven Samurai — but few films are. You also know that next time it's on television, you'll find yourself watching it. Read full review

100

Staff (Not Credited)

An expert, sensitive study of the fateful tie that inevitably binds the strong to the weak, this film may well be the best western of 1960. Read full review

100

Desmond Ryan

The Magnificent Seven has a secure niche among the great westerns. Its action is brilliantly staged. [12 May 2001, p.E01]

Michael Nordine

The Magnificent Seven fights an uphill battle in matching the scope and thrills of its source material. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

Until the women and children arrive on the scene about two-thirds of the way through, The Magnificent Seven is a rip-roaring rootin' tootin' western with lots of bite and tang and old-fashioned abandon. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

Sturges' remake of Kurosawa's Seven Samurai is always worth a look, mainly for the performances of McQueen, Bronson, Coburn and Vaughn. Read full review

Howard Thompson

A gifted director like Mr. Sturges (who also produced) can't be held entirely responsible for this endless dawdling prologue, since William Roberts' scenario increasingly flattens the action with philosophical talk on all sides and some easy clichés. Read full review

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User Reviews

kyle20ellis

Apr 9, 2022

The Magnificent Seven has everything going for it, a near-perfect cast, a truly magnificent score and the fact it is very exciting as a western. Maybe not as good as Seven Samurai, but boy it is by far one of the better remakes out there. If you want a bad remake, see Psycho, starring VinceThe Magnificent Seven has everything going for it, a near-perfect cast, a truly magnificent score and the fact it is very exciting as a western. Maybe not as good as Seven Samurai, but boy it is by far one of the better remakes out there. If you want a bad remake, see Psycho, starring Vince Vaughan or The Wicker Man, starring Nicolas Cage, in my opinion they should never have been made. The Magnificent Seven is an example of how a remake should be made, it was one of those pleasant surprises for me of as soon as the first note of the score blared I knew hey this is great stuff.

The plot is simple, but I like simplicity, sometimes simplicity is good, but it is a great concept and very well constructed. It really helps as well that the action sequences are tremendously exciting, and that the landscapes are truly dazzling. Elmer Bernstein's score has a lot to do with The Magnificent Seven's success I think as well, it is rousing, triumphant and bombastic and very like the score for Lawrence of Arabia it sticks in the mind for a long time afterwards. If I were to choose to which score I preferred over this and the Great Escape, I think this score, The Great Escape was great but I have always found that whenever I hum both tunes people are less annoyed by The Magnificent Seven.

The screenplay is focused, humorous and wise, maybe a little stilted on occasions but it develops the characters well and has heart. And the actors are wonderful. Yul Brynner is the epitome of coolness here, I do think he was better in The King and I, where he was absolutely magnificent, but he does a great job here. Eli Wallach is suitably slimy as the villainous Calvera, who is more than a cardboard cut-out, and Steve McQueen, James Coburn, Charles Bronson and Robert Vaughn are all great. Overall, this is a great film, very exciting, great to look at and has a magnificent score. 9.5/10 Bethany Cox… Expand

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Broyax

Sep 26, 2018

J'avais d'abord vu ce remake-là avant de voir le film original, le vrai. Et déjà j'avais trouvé cet avatar hollymerdien bien bidon et terriblement tarte ! et pourtant, il est nettement moins long que le film japonais... et pourtant l'impression ressentie (c'est comme la température à laJ'avais d'abord vu ce remake-là avant de voir le film original, le vrai. Et déjà j'avais trouvé cet avatar hollymerdien bien bidon et terriblement tarte ! et pourtant, il est nettement moins long que le film japonais... et pourtant l'impression ressentie (c'est comme la température à la météo) est bel et bien celle d'un film lent, chiant et interminable. Et minable tout court.

Revoir le remake après avoir vu la vraie version, celle avec les Samouraïs, est encore pire : il s'agit d'une mauvaise, d'une atroce copie, d'un pastiche ridicule et d'un plagiat pathétique. En vérité, sans un effort d'adaptation énorme, je ne crois pas que le film d'origine puisse être transposé dans l'univers du western, ce n'est tout simplement pas compatible...

Le scénario de l'oeuvre nipponne est en effet d'une extrême rigueur et rien n'est laissé au hasard, y compris ce fameux chiffre 7, le nombre de Samouraïs requis et expliqué dans le film ; pareil pour les motivations des guerriers, leur psychologie, leur mode de pensée et leur environnement, les demandes et réactions des villageois et tutti quanti... Dans le film de Kurosawa, tout est pensé, crédible, convaincant !

Rien à voir avec cette farce de remake où tout n'est que caricature et ennui avec des acteurs perdus et sans direction qui prennent la pose comme des andouilles à chaque plan et chaque réplique. Ce film est une merde, très loin d'arriver à la cheville de l'oeuvre dont elle est si lamentablement inspirée.… Expand

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