--- title: "The Magnificent Seven: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-magnificent-seven-2016/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-magnificent-seven-2016" critics_score: 44 critics_reviews: 27 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Magnificent Seven (2016): what the critics said Critics' score 44 from 27 reviews: 4 positive, 9 mixed, 14 negative. Most critics find The Magnificent Seven a slick but uninspired remake, with more star power than character development. Praise centres on the ensemble, particularly Denzel Washington’s commanding presence, Chris Pratt’s energy and Vincent D’Onofrio’s eccentric performance. Several reviews also credit the western imagery and the staging of the action. Even some detractors find the extended final shootout exciting, though that enthusiasm does not extend to the film around it. The reservations cluster around thinly written characters, an overfamiliar story and too little emotional investment to make the danger matter. Several critics also find its treatment of the historical setting shallow. The spread is wide: Total Film and Time Out regard the cast and action as enough to make the remake succeed. The action itself remains contested, with The AV Club finding the climax stiff and spatially confusing where others see well-organised spectacle. ## Time Out — Joshua Rothkopf Rating 4/5. 9 September 2016. Rothkopf finds the action-heavy remake succeeds in holding its own against the classic. He singles out its starry cast, led by Denzel Washington. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-magnificent-seven) ## Total Film — Jamie Graham Rating 4/5. 12 September 2016. The critic finds the film not quite magnificent, but a rare remake that delivers and Fuqua’s best since Training Day. They praise Denzel Washington’s commanding performance and the film’s thrilling western imagery and action. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-magnificent-seven-review/) ## The New York Times — A.O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 22 September 2016. The page content is blocked, so the critic’s verdict cannot be established. No specific praise or complaint is available from the text provided. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/23/movies/magnificent-seven-review-denzel-washington.html) ## Slant Magazine — Jake Cole Rating 2.5/4. 19 September 2016. Cole finds the film passably entertaining but ultimately disposable and lacking in energy. He praises the explosive, well-organized chaos of the climax, while faulting the direction for never letting the action fully take off. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-magnificent-seven/) ## Little White Lies — David Jenkins Rating 4/3/3. 15 September 2016. Jenkins finds it a lively, effective western with some richer allegorical potential, though it does not reinvent the genre. He praises the well-chosen cast and character backstories, while criticizing the sexualized, sidelined role given to its sole female character. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-magnificent-seven) ## The Independent — Geoffrey Macnab Rating 3/5. 22 September 2016. Macnab finds the film slow to build but ultimately a rousing, full-blooded Western. He particularly praises the prolonged final shootout for its brilliant orchestration and practical action. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/the-magnificent-seven-review-a-rousing-fullblooded-affair-that-takes-a-while-to-reach-full-gallop-a7322751.html) ## The i Paper — Matthew Turner Rating ★★★. 21 September 2016. Turner finds the remake entertaining but unlikely to leave much of an impact or displace the original. He praises the star power of Washington and Pratt, while noting the diverse cast’s characters are underdeveloped. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/magnificent-seven-remake-review-22440) ## Radio Times — Jeremy Aspinall Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 20 September 2016. The review says the film delivers plenty of action but does not match the 1960s classic. It singles out Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt and Ethan Hawke as the remake’s main draws. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/the-magnificent-seven-review-theres-plenty-of-action-but-it-cant-challenge-the-60s-classic/) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 22 September 2016. Lane finds the reboot largely unconvincing, faulting its borrowed Western conventions and missed opportunities. He singles out Vincent D’Onofrio’s performance as a bright spot. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/03/the-magnificent-seven-and-goat) ## Screen Daily — Tim Grierson Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. Grierson finds the remake sluggish and uninspired, with underwritten characters that keep its ensemble from engaging. He praises the sustained excitement of the climactic shootout, while faulting the film for failing to build enough connection beforehand. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-magnificent-seven-venice/toronto-review/5108832.article) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 8 September 2016. Festival review. McCarthy finds the remake competently made but uninspired and culturally shallow. He gives the climactic action credit for delivering, while criticizing the one-dimensional villain and underdeveloped characters. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/the-magnificent-seven-924855/) ## Variety — Owen Gleiberman Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 8 September 2016. Gleiberman finds the remake dutiful and uninspired, with a story that now feels rote. He praises Chris Pratt’s combustible screen presence, while criticizing the film’s noisy, familiar action. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/the-magnificent-seven-review-toronto-film-festival-denzel-washington-chris-pratt-1201854625/) ## Empire — Phil de Semlyen Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 9 September 2016. The critic finds the remake slick but forgettable, with little fresh to say and too little emotional investment. Vincent D’Onofrio’s eccentric tracker is singled out as one of its few lively pleasures. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/magnificent-seven-2-review/) ## Evening Standard — David Sexton Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 9 September 2016. Sexton argues that the remake is an unnecessary, politically updated retread of classics that should have been left alone. He praises the stylish costumes and weaponry, but complains that the film follows an over-familiar trajectory. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-magnificent-seven-film-review-a-twotime-classic-that-deserves-to-rest-in-peace-a3340816.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 22 September 2016. Turan finds the remake handsome but lifeless, with little emotional force. He particularly faults its self-satisfied humor, which undercuts the story’s chance to connect with its characters. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-magnificent-seven-review-20160919-snap-story.html) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 22 September 2016. Bradshaw finds the remake heavy-handed and joyless, with Denzel Washington notably off his game. He credits its superficial style and competent action, but complains that it lacks jeopardy and that the townsfolk’s acting is poor. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/sep/22/the-magnificent-seven-review-denzel-washington) ## Vulture — David Edelstein Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 23 September 2016. Edelstein finds the remake wan, formulaic, and lacking the grandeur or emotional depth of its predecessors. He praises the Western atmosphere and Denzel Washington’s star presence, but says the action is hard to follow and the characters never meaningfully connect. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2016/09/review-the-magnificent-seven-is-a-wan-western.html) ## The AV Club — Ignatiy Vishnevetsky Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 22 September 2016. The critic finds the remake morally superficial, tedious, and ultimately perfunctory. They single out the climax as stiff and geographically incomprehensible. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-magnificent-seven-gets-an-uninspired-remake-1798188899) ## Consequence — Blake Goble Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 21 September 2016. Goble finds the film an enjoyable, stylish update that respects the Western rather than pushing the genre forward. He especially praises the cast’s camaraderie and the clear, excitingly staged action, while noting the film’s awkward handling of its historical setting. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2016/09/film-review-the-magnificent-seven/) ## Den of Geek — Edward Douglas Rating 3.5/5. 22 September 2016. Douglas finds the remake entertaining and well served by its ensemble, but overly traditional compared with more distinctive Westerns. He particularly praises the character interplay and the climactic battle. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-magnificent-seven-review/) ## HeyUGuys — Stefan Pape Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. Pape finds the film engaging in its underdog story but too generic to justify the remake. He singles out Peter Sarsgaard’s harrowing, effectively restrained performance as the villain. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/magnificent-seven-review/) ## The Ringer — K. Austin Collins Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 22 September 2016. The critic finds the film likable but ultimately too much of a political fantasy to confront the racism its setting evokes. They praise its attentive action and cast, while singling out the brief tension around Chisolm’s arrival as its most complex element. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2016/09/22/movies/the-post-racial-fantasy-of-the-magnificent-seven-dfed9dd4630e) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 19 September 2016. Hammond finds the reboot entertaining but lacking the gravitas and substance of its predecessors. He praises the diverse cast and Peter Sarsgaard’s villainous performance, while faulting the film’s emphasis on endless shootouts over character development. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2016/09/magnificent-seven-review-denzel-washington-chris-pratt-antoine-fuqua-video-1201822899/) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating D. 22 September 2016. Festival review. Goldberg finds the remake disappointing, criticizing its rote characterization and lack of substance. He singles out the missed opportunity to develop friction between the Native American tracker and the veteran who had killed Native Americans. [Read the review](https://collider.com/the-magnificent-seven-review/) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 8 September 2016. Festival review. The headline signals a negative verdict, describing the remake as bigger, louder and dumber. It criticizes the film for making a classic Western remake bigger and louder without improving it. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/magnificent-seven-bigger-louder-dumber-remake-classic-western-tiff-review-20160908/) ## The Wrap — Alonso Duralde Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 8 September 2016. Festival review. The critic finds the remake lackluster, with its action ultimately overwhelmed by an exhausting, hard-to-follow final shootout. They praise the saloon confrontation for its cinematography, editing, and sharp dialogue. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/magnificent-seven-denzel-washington-chris-pratt-review-2016/) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 18 September 2016. Wilkinson finds the film a hollow, poorly characterized imitation that fails to make its action suspenseful. She praises the action sequences as slick and well handled, but says they lack tension because the characters never engage the viewer. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-magnificent-seven-2016-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-magnificent-seven-2016.md