In 1960, one of the greatest Westerns of all time,The Magnificent Seven, premiered in theaters, yet many don’t realize the movie is the first in a franchise of underrated Westerns.The Magnificent Sevenis directed by John Sturges and based on the1954 Akira Kurosawa movie,Seven Samurai.The film centers on a Mexican village being terrorized by a man named Calvera and his team of cruel outlaws. As a result,the villagers hire seven American gunslingers to protect them. The cowboys not only teach the villagers to protect themselves, but take down Calvera once and for all.
Though it may seem surprising now, upon its release,The Magnificent Sevenwas something of a failure. It did poorly at the box office in the United States and Canada, and only made a profit due to success in Europe and Asia. Furthermore, reviews were mixed. While some praisedThe Magnificent Sevenfor its high-energy first half, others were disappointed by the film’s pace and its clunky final act. As time went on,The Magnificent Sevengrew to beone of the most beloved Westerns of all time. The score, the cast, and the script have all earned appreciation now.
The Magnificent Seven’s 3 Sequel Movies Explained
The Magnificent Seven Has Also Been Remade
FollowingThe Magnificent Sevenin 1960, three sequels were released. Few audiences actually realize that these films exist, mostly because they performed far worse than the original film. The first sequel was 1966’sReturn of the Seven,which saw the return of Yul Brynner as Chris Adams.After that,Guns of the Magnificent Sevencame out in 1967, with no members of the originalMagnificent Sevencast, though Chris Adams was still the lead character, played by George Kennedy. Adams also starred in the final movie, 1972’sThe Magnificent Seven Ride!,and was played by Lee Van Cleef.
Why Denzel Washington’s 2016 Western Remake Gets A Poor Accuracy Score Explained By Expert
A cowboy and Old West expert analyzes The Magnificent Seven remake starring Denzel Washington, explaining where the film falls short on accuracy.
Regardless of the movies' quality,it is somewhat surprising thatThe Magnificent Seven’ssequels were brushed under the rug. In general,The Magnificent Sevenhas remained a well-loved movie and a popular Western franchise.The Magnificent Sevenearned a remakein 2016, directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, and Ethan Hawke, among others. A television adaptation also ran from 1998 to 2000. So the question remains: what went wrong withThe Magnificent Sevensequels that caused them to be forgotten by time?
Why Weren’t The Magnificent Seven’s Sequels As Successful?
How The Magnificent Seven Franchise Lost Its Magic
There are a number of factors that may contribute to the failure ofThe Magnificent Seven’ssequels. First and foremost, it is important to remember thatThe Magnificent Sevenwasn’t that popular among audiences in 1960. Some loved the movie, but others were bored by it, especially in America. In this way, the sequels probably were not nearly as exciting for contemporary viewers. Furthermore,The Magnificent Sevensequels were simply bad. The quality of the films decreased significantly due to changes in cast, crew, and story. As a result, the franchise lost whatever magic it had in 1960.
Thus, without the original characters or director,The Magnificent Sevensequels could not recreate the style or feeling of the original movie.
The main issue withthe Westernsequelsis that they lost the people that made the first movie so enjoyable. For example,John Sturges did not direct any ofThe Magnificent Sevensequels, and as previously mentioned, none of the originalMagnificent Sevencast members returned except for Brynner inReturn of the Seven.Chris Adams remained for longer, but he was not the same without Brynner. Thus, without the original characters or director,The Magnificent Sevensequels could not recreate the style or feeling of the original movie.
Are The Magnificent Seven Sequels Worth Watching?
There Are Better Westerns Than The Magnificent Seven Sequels
Unfortunately,it doesn’t seem as thoughThe Magnificent Sevensequels would be worth watching. AlthoughThe Magnificent Sevenearned some unfair criticism back in 1960, the sequels were properly reviewed. Their stories are poor, their production is below average, and none of them evoke the same ambiance as the first movie. While some may be interested to see just what the sequels are about, viewers should go in expecting very little.The Magnificent Sevensequels may be an enjoyable experience, but they probably will not join anyone’s list of favorite movies.
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A better way to get intoThe Magnificent Sevenfranchise is to watch the original and the 2016 remake. Unlike the sequels,2016’sThe Magnificent Sevenearned fairly positive reviews.The movie may not offer anything too innovative or fresh, but that may be exactly what audiences want. In this way, those who loveThe Magnificent Sevencan experience a new version of it without suffering through any of the panned sequels.
The Magnificent Seven
Cast
The Magnificent Seven is a Western film directed by John Sturges. Released in 1960, it follows a group of seven gunfighters, led by Chris Adams, hired to protect a defenseless Mexican village from marauding bandits. The ensemble cast includes Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, and Charles Bronson.
