Customer Reviews

Guns of Magnificent Seven [VHS]

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

GUNS OF THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN can be adequately described as the third entry out of a group of four films that may or may not be described as a "series" of westerns based on the concept of gallantry and redemption for the mythological and eternal "seven" gunmen. Its direct predecessor RETURN OF THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN was certainly a true sequel to THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN. I found RETURN OF THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN to be a great supplement to the original. Dark and labyrinth-like it examined and analyzed the central character Chris, brilliantly portrayed by Yul Brynner, and his ability to ferret out the motivations of all the other important characters and bring each to terms with themselves.

In GUNS OF THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN we start over fresh with Chris now portrayed by George Kennedy. Physically and in a histrionic sense he bears little resemblance to the character of the first two films. As Yul Brynner commented on his character: there are only two things clean about him - his gun and his soul. And these are the two qualities that Kennedy brings to the role.

Thematically GUNS OF THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN is much closer to the original. However, its plot manages to be innovative and it contains some refreshing dialogue. Not only does it take the notion of "seven" gunmen seeking redemption for past transgressions but it even touches on Sam Peckinpah's familiar theme of the demise of a noble way of life in the face of a modern world. Our seven heroes in this film are indeed noble. Instead of protecting Mexican farmers against hordes of marauding bandits, they are now recruited to free a revolutionary leader, Quintero (Fernando Rey) from the prison fortress "cave of the rats" commanded by the evil Colonel Diego (Michael Ansara). The oppressed Mexican people need their leader.

A real highlight of this film is the recruitment of the seven. After Max (Reni Santoni) witnesses Chris save Keno (Monte Markham) from the gallows in a very entertaining scene he requests his help. Chris agrees and Keno signs on first. Max also signs on "not for the money, but because seven is your lucky number" so he tells Chris. Next Chris recruits Cassie (Bernie Casey), the dynamite expert for "one hundred dollars and not many laughs." Chris and Keno next visit Levi Morgan (James Whitmore) who is now married and retired from the profession. Whitmore demonstrates just how fine an actor he is in this film playing his part with restrained wit and charm. He's brilliant. Onto a traveling sideshow Chris and Keno next meet Slater (Joe Don Baker) the one-armed gunman who wears a ragged Confederate tunic. "I can't whip a six year old girl in a fair fight but I can blow a man's eyeballs out at a 100 yards, in a sandstorm!" Chris finally signs on P.J. (Scott Thomas) apparently as a favor to the sick and coughing gunman who is also an expert with rope.

As all seven sit around a table playing cards Chris holds up the seven of spades and the scene cuts to the seven riding majestically across the landscape on their way to help the downtrodden to the familiar strains of Elmer Bernstein's theme. This one scene really defines what The Magnificent Seven are all about. Elmer Bernstein not only reworked quite a bit of his earlier music but he composed a good deal of original music for this film. However, `The Magnificent Seven' theme remains central to the film and goes through many brilliant interpretations. This was another highlight of this film. The producers spared no money when it came to the music and it makes a significant difference.

There is a great relationship in this film between the ex-slave (Casey) and the ex-Confederate (Joe Don Baker). They start out hating each other but in the end respect each other for what life has handed them. Another interesting character is the young boy Emiliano Zapata (Tony Davis) who is temporarily orphaned while his father is held prisoner in the "cave of the rats." In the mean time James Whitmore adopts him. The boy asks many simple yet philosophical questions on the meaning of life which gives the film real substance. Also there is the adversarial relationship between Chris and Colonel Diego which grows darker as the film progresses. This is good against evil and there are no pretensions here.

This film visually looks quite different from its two predecessors. Though filmed in Spain we never see any signs of the desert as we did in RETURN OF THE SEVEN. Instead it is mostly filmed against vibrant green hills and meadows, uprooted gray rock formations and blue skies with billowing white clouds by cinematographer Antonio Macasoli. Director Paul Wendkos wanted to show us that the era of the gunman was coming to an end. The horses, not the guns fit the landscape. The claustrophobic images of gunmen gambling and drinking in smoke filled saloons and lurking in dark streets are gone. As the seven come closer to their date with destiny the landscape mirrors their final resting-place in the great beyond.

I always liked this film. It has a certain "Saturday matinee" quality about it that makes it very entertaining and uplifting. However, that very quality has seemed to diminish its very importance to some. All I know is that when Max (Reni Santoni) delivers the final line of this film I got a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye. Like one of the Mexican farmers in the THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN told Steve McQueen, "That's a feeling worth dying for."

This third film in the Magnificent Seven series is a very worthy sequel to the previous two movies. The story involves a new group of seven who join together to free a Mexican revolutionary from a prison called the Cave of the Rats. The movie is entertaining throughout as the group is organized and then their efforts in the prison break. Many scenes show the influence of spaghetti westerns whether it be close-ups or camera angles during shoot-outs. Either way, this is still a very good movie.

George Kennedy replaces Yul Brynner as Chris, the leader of the Magnificent Seven. Joining him are James Whitmore in a very good supporting role, Monte Markham as Keno(who seems to be a replacement for Steve McQueen's Vin), Reni Santoni, and Joe Don Baker as the one-armed gunman. This movie tends to focus on the beliefs of the Seven as they prepare for battle and the friendships between them. Also joining the cast is Frank Silvera, Fernando Rey, and Michael Ansara as the sinister Colonel Diego. Kennedy is excellent as the new Chris with the other six also being worthwhile replacements. Another star of the movie has to be Elmer Bernstein's rousing score that almost everyone around the world has heard. This is an entertaining sequel that isn't as good as the first one, but probably more on the level of the second sequel. VHS is of decent quality, but this one deserves to be on DVD.

To some this was an inferior sequel to the original MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, but it is actually a splendid follow-up with a sensational cast, thus making the characters more believable, and in a way, giving them more of a personality.

The noted "seven" are as follows, and as stated from the advertising compaign from the original theatrical trailer, "They Are Not Aiming to Please!". George Kennedy replaces Yul Brynner as Chris Adams, making him a more pleasant character who is one to assist his comrades in need. One would almost expect a hard-headed character in the Lone Ranger tradition who is merely out for a bounty. Monte Markham is Keno, Chris' main partner of the piece and fleeing from the Law had it not been more Chris' help. James Whitmore is Levi Morgan, the knife-wielding family man. Bernie Casey is Cassie, dynamite expert and one unable to make decent profits through it. Joe Don Baker is Slater, almost literally refrained to the use of one arm and a Colt 45 weapon his trademark. Scott Thomas is P.J., rope and rifle his weapons of choice. Reni Santoni is Max, the young Mexican who heists[some] of Frank Silvera's dollars to help Chris in the manner.

Enter Michael Ansara as Colonel Diego. A truly sensational actor who made a niche for himself portraying Indians or evil mercenaries. Thus he makes Colonel Diego a nasty character who takes great enjoyment out of watching his slaves suffer torture. Whether it's being whipped until they beg to die, stuck with their heads in the sand while horses trample over them, or leaving them out to dry in the sunlight, he is thoroughly relishing it. He is the leader of the band of marauders, and all throughout makes the character intimidating, and at the same time, believable in the sense that he plays him with such conviction.

Film works more of an individual piece than a sequel is what makes it so unique and different. Thus the characters develop more of a trust and friendship, and they provide an excellent team when having a showdown with the villains of the piece. Elmer Bernstein's music score is excellent, and makes the action throughout even more exciting, and Paul Wendkos' direction is top notch. Great performances from all supporting characters as the cast is great.

I hope it's not long before the DVD is released as this has been out of print, and hard to obtain a copy of through video stores. If you're a Western fan, this is for you!

GUNS OF THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN returns to the roots which were at the heart of the original THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN. Helping the innocent against insurmountable odds and in the process seeking redemption, these seven take on the task of saving a Mexican revolutionary leader from an impregnable fortress prison. This story is more straightforward than its predecessor RETURN OF THE SEVEN which was very introspective. The motives here are very clear and it ultimately comes down to a tale of good against evil. When the day of reckoning is over the seven only hope they are around long enough to see the fruits of their labors take root. Elmer Bernstein's sweeping score is very good. The action is exciting and emotionally charged. Also, there are some fine performances especially from Joe Don Baker and Bernie Casey who form an unlikely bond. This film does seem to lack some of the wisdom and meaning of purpose that Yul Brynner brought to the role of Chris, the leader of the seven, but George Kennedy gives a determined and well intentioned performance to see evil vanquished and peace returned to the Mexican people. This film is good and can easily hold its own while giving a heartfelt nod to the original.

That's what the theatrical original poster proclaimed. And so they are! GUNS OF THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN is much closer to the original THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN than RETURN OF THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN even though George Kennedy takes over the role of Chris from Yul Brynner. This movie was filmed in Spain just as RETURN OF THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN was. However, this film retains a whole new look. The original THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN was filmed in Mexico and was necessarily done so because the land and the people were an integral part of the story. GUNS OF THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN is concerned more about the characters that make up the seven. Instead of helping a group of people, the seven are hired to free a lone Mexican Revolutionary leader. Freeing one man instead of many allowed the script to rely solely on the lives of the seven and not tread on territory already covered in the previous two films.

George Kennedy as Chris is generally a good-natured individual willing to help the underdog. Monte Markham as Keno lives on the fringes of the law but is also generally good-natured and acts as Kennedy's partner. James Whitmore is very good as Levi Morgan, the knife-throwing married gunman who sees one more chance for adventure. Bernie Casey as Cassie is the Black gunman who is an expert with dynamite but can't make a decent wage in the post Civil War West. Joe Don Baker plays Slater a very proficient marksman with a Colt 45, who wears his Confederate coat as a shroud to cover his now "dead" arm. Scott Thomas plays P.J. the dying ex-wrangler good with rope and rifle. Rounding out the seven is Reni Santoni as Max, the young Mexican who is sent reluctantly with six hundred of Frank Silvera's dollars (American) to find Chris and get his help.

This is a great action adventure film in the tradition of the ideals that made THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN so popular. Elmer Bernstein's rousing score for this film is excellent and has never been given any real recognition. There is just so much music in it and it is very good. When this film was originally released it was rated "G" suitable for all audiences. I think that turned away many people from the box office. More people got killed in this film than the first two combined, yet it received a "G" rating. I think this is because these "seven" are such good-natured fellows and they vanquish the most evil of villains in the form of Michael Ansara as Colonel Diego in this film. Colonel Diego does not have one redeeming quality about him, nor is he possibly misguided as were Calvera or Lorca from the previous films. "G" rating or not, evil in any form does not stand a chance against the GUNS OF THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN.

After the very disappointing sequel to The Magnificent Seven, called Return of . . . , I kind of hoped they were going to end the series. With McQueen, Sturges, and the original screenwriters gone, the film just didn't work. The film was sadly filled with one western cliche after another and annoying platitudes. Then Guns of the Magnificent Seven comes out and I reluctantly go see it with a friend. I loved this film! Ten minutes into the movie and you stop worrying about how little George Kennedy resembles Yul Bryner. He fills the role of Chris as though he'd created him. Witness a great scene where Kennedy first meets Monte Markham's character, Keno, and in fact ends up saving him from being hanged as a horse thief using a humorously ingenious ploy. Since both Keno and one of his pursuers claim to be the horse's owner, they must come up with a way to prove it one way or another. Kennedy says drolly (pointing his cigar) "let's ask the horse." What follows is quite humorous and serves to introduce Seven fans to the easy chemistry between Kennedy and Markham from the get-go. Markham is one of those guys who was always good in films but never caught on like say, McQueen or Coburn, even though he bears a slight resemblance and demeanor to both. He even has that uncanny ability to deliver very short lines of dialog with either humor or poignancy.

Anyway, the script is quite good and each member of the Seven is richly drawn, albeit quickly, through striking visual introductions and terse, natural dialog. You get an explosives expert, a one-armed Confederate sharp-shooter, a family man forced to join to support his family (the always excellent James Whitmore), a horse thief and presumed outlaw, a tuberculor gunfighter, an again one of the villagers who's ready to take up the fight.

The action sequences have all the muscle and athleticism that made the original so good. The fighters are not just shooting at each other--they're diving for cover, running and jumping across roofs, and almost always in motion--much the way Sturges filmed his actors. The scenes where some of the Seven are killed are painful to watch, but filled with heroism. And, of course, there's Elmer Bernstein's music, which practically lifts you out of your seat it's so exciting. The script offers some nice quiet moments too, where the cowboys reminisce about the changing west. One of the best written scenes is where Kennedy dismisses a potential ally with a bandit (poor man's Eli Wallach). Reclining in the Seven's encampment, Kennedy doesn't even turn to face the mercenary and says something to the effect, "I'll let you know if we need you."

For true lovers of the Seven, this and the original are the only ones I'd recommend. Really good entertainment.

Wow! Guns is an excellent western and a worthy sequel to the first. I could go on and on about just what makes this such a great movie, but the other reviews have covered all that.
A FIVE STAR SHOOT 'EM UP.

Guns of the Magnificent Seven is the best of the Seven series' sequels and in some ways is actually better than the original. In it, Yul Brenner's bald, black-clad Chris (the chief gunslinger of the Seven) is replaced by a burly and vulnerable version in George Kennedy. Guns doesn't distinguish itself in plot. Similar to the original, the Seven face overwhelming odds while trying to liberate Mexican peasants from tyrants (this time it's government troops instead of bandits). Guns,however,distinguishes itself through a change in emphasis of characters and action. Granted, in the original you had an all-star ensemble. But it seemed that of the Seven, only Yul Brenner and Steve McQueen got recognition. In Guns, the wealth is spread around. You get inside the heads and hearts of all Seven and actually care what happens to them. In the original, the peasants reaped the sympathy; in Guns, it is the gunslingers. We see them as a bunch of dysfunctional joes who can't cut it in the real world and must revert to brutality to survive. It's more realistic than the original where gunfighting is mystical and its practitioners aloof saviors. The only thing that keeps Guns from outgunning the original is the lack of depth portrayed in the people the Seven protect. We don't get the sense of community and urgency as in the original. Nevertheless, Guns notches a solid second slot in the Seven series.

GUNS OF THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN plays like homage to the spirit of THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN. RETURN OF THE SEVEN digressed into peripheral territory still within the scope of the essence of what THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN encompassed. In a somewhat Freudian approach it explored some of the microcosmic elements embodied within its characters. GUNS OF THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN returns to a more direct and straightforward story of good against evil. The strong must stand up for the weak in true heroic and American Western style. The canvas is wide open and Elmer Bernstein's impressive score full of bravado is unleashed in a refreshing manner that makes you want to stand up and cheer as the seven take on those that would subjugate humanity for the darkest of evils.

This fine western spins a tale of a band of mercenaries who come to the aid of Mexican villagers who live in fear under the rule of an oppressive military led by a cruel general. The rebels are desperate to rescue their imprisoned leader and turn to a hired gunman with a reputation. The film is very much like the original movie in plot but with a different cast and an appealing hero, played by George Kennedy. The six men are recruited and fashioned into a crack fighting unit that gets help in the nick of time from an outlaw band of patriots who are also under the thumb of the despotic military ruler, in a good turn by Michael Ansara. James Whitmore, Fernando Rey, Paul Casey and Joe Don Baker are the other well-known names in this enjoyable western.