The Magnificent Seven (2016)
Genre: Western
Certification: N/A
Duration: 132 minutes
Directed by: Antoine Fuqua
Starring: Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D’Onofrio, Byung-hun Lee, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Martin Sensmeier, Haley Bennett, Peter Sarsgaard
KRS Releasing Ltd

Doing a remake of a classic Western film – which in turn was a remake of another iconic Japanese movie by acclaimed director Akira Kurosawa, Seven Samurai (1954) – was never going to be an easy task.

Directed by John Sturges and starring Hollywood greats Yul Brynner, Charles Bronson, Steve McQueen and Eli Wallach, the 1960 film remains one of the most popular Westerns ever.

Antoine Fuqua, known for such films as Training Day, The Replacement Killers, Tears of the Sun, King Arthur and Olympus Has Fallen, took on the challenge to mixed results despite his grand vision.

He based his screenplay on the original one by Kurosawa  and cast Hollywood A-listers such as Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt and Ethan Hawke for his multi-ethnic team of seven outlaws. Aditionally,  James Horner, of Titanic and Avatar fame, composed some of the music score (his friend and music producer  Simon Franglen continued the score after his death in 2005).

The plot is set in the Mexican town of Rose Creek, which is under the deadly control of industrialist Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard). The desperate townspeople, led by Emma Cullen (Haley Bennett), employ protection from seven outlaws, bounty hunters, gamblers and hired gun. As they prepare the town for a violent showdown, these seven mercenaries find themselves fighting for more than money.

The film is opening worldwide on Friday, including Malta, but it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8.

Early reviews have praised the star power, musical score and throwback charm but argued that the film does not offer much that is original or innovative.

Owen Gleiberman of Variety wrote: “Fuqua is trying for John Ford meets Sergio Leone: a funky classical sweep, with room for delirious shootouts. The trouble is that he mimics the trademarks of those directors without their élan.”

And Phil de Semlyen of Empire said: “Slick but forgettable, Fuqua’s suicide squad is a macho posse movie that could use a jab of fun. It’s The Magnificent Seven, but the ‘magnificent’ is silent.”

Ratings
IMDB: 6.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 62%
Empire Magazine: 2 stars

Charlize Theron takes the form of a monkey in this animated picture set in Japan.

Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)
Genre: Animation
Certification: PG
Duration: 101 minutes
Directed by: Travis Knight
Voices of: Charlize Theron, Art Parkinson, Ralph Fiennes, Rooney Mara, Matthew McConaughey
KRS Releasing Ltd

Former rapper Travis Knight marks his directorial debut with this 3D stop-motion fantasy action film.

The story revolves around a young Japanese boy named Kubo (Art Parkinson) who accidentally summons a vengeful spirit from the past. He is soon on the run  with Monkey (Charlize Theron) and Beetle (Matthew McConaughey) to unlock a secret legacy.

Armed with a magical instrument, Kubo must battle the Moon King (Ralph Fiennes) and other gods and monsters to save his family and solve the mystery of his fallen father, the greatest samurai warrior the world has ever known.

Critics have praised the thrilling adventure, which cost $60 million to produce. So far, it earned $54 million in box office takings worldwide.

Ratings
IMDB: 8.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
Empire Magazine: 4 stars