Magnificent Seven (2016)

Watching this movie, I couldn't help comparing it to the 1960 version, rather than trying to assess it on its own merits. But you decide to do a remake, you invite that, so here we are.

It's not bad. I like Denzel Washington more than Yul Brynner, so consider that an upgrade. I was horrified at the idea they were trying to have Chris Pratt fill the Steve McQueen role, because Pratt is completely incapable of playing anyone cool. On the other hand, he's very good at playing a guy who thinks he's cool, but is actually kind of a dork, and that's what I read him as here, so that's intelligent casting.

Peter Sarsgaard as Bartholomew Bogue is a much more despicable villain than Eli Wallach's Calvera was. I like Calvera more, but if you want to see the bad guy die, Bogue is the villain you want. He's such a delusional, self-aggrandizing dick. Talks about how capitalism is God, and therefore to go against him is to go against God. Who doesn't want an ass like that to die slowly?

Although part of the reason I liked making the villain a ruthless industrialist was I thought there would inevitably be the point where some of the townspeople defected, and it seemed more plausible with a guy who could promise a lot of money. Looking at the 1960s version, you can tell Wallach's gang is on its last legs. They're hitting that rinky-dink little village as hard as they are because they're being driven away from the more lucrative places by the military. The double-cross never comes, but I still enjoyed Bogue's death more.

I couldn't decide if Vincent D'Onofrio was overdoing with his acting on his character. Sometimes it was OK, sometimes it was too much. I liked Byung-hun Lee as Billy Rocks, because he was my favorite character in The Good, the Bad, the Weird. Love that movie so much. I don't know that this movie does a whole lot with him, although I enjoyed the friendship between he and Ethan Hawke's character.

I did like, during the lengthy final battle, that we get this inspirational music going right as the Seven think they've got it won. The heroes all get an extra burst, rushing out boldly to finish off what they think are the remainders of Bogue's army of goons. It's feels like a moment of triumph, and then the Gatling gun starts up. I kind of wish they hadn't told us that's what Bogue had on the wagon, since it means the audience knows that things are about to go sideways at the moment the film is trying to indicate otherwise.

I think I actually prefer the brief skirmish when the Seven first reach the town, when they wipe out the small force Bogue left behind to keep an eye on the town. It's quick, let's most everybody show off or demonstrate their issues, and was just generally fun. The final battle might reach that length where after awhile it's like, OK let's wrap this up, I got stuff to do.

Too much slow-motion in the action sequences, but griping about that is probably as much a lost cause as complaining about decompression in superhero comics.

Overall, without having watched the 1960 version in over a year, probably call it a wash. New version has some aspects and characters I like better, but so does the older version. I don't consider either appointment viewing, but if there's nothing else on and you want to watch a Western, you can do a lot worse than either of these.