The Magnificent Seven

[Neville]

Battle Beyond The Stars is a Seven Samurai/Magnificent 7 remake??  I never thought of it that way.  I'll have to watch it agina with that in mind.

Yes, that's what they hired Robert Vaughn for a role, as an homage of sorts. In Spain the film was even called "The magnificent seven from space".

[Trevor]

I took Mom to see it in Imax last week: I don't know if it's necessary to see it in that format but I enjoyed it enormously and so did she. The photography is amazing and the film is one thing I did expect and another I didn't: (a) very violent and (b) funny in parts.

I was hoping to hear the Elmer Bernstein theme but was disappointed until the credits rolled and then wow. 

[dean]

Why have one of the more iconic movie western theme songs and not use it until the end credits! I saw this with friends going in thinking it'd be terrible and left thinking it was terrible so there's that. Not sure whether it's right to praise a modern western for having good cinematography since isn't that just what you should be doing these days?

In any case a few thoughts [Spoilers]:

The trailer set it up to be a romping good time but damn if that wasn't an earnest film with a few attempts at jokes. It was very paint by numbers.
The jokes were by the numbers and in some cases just fell wayyyyyyy flat [Chris Pratt being racist may have been seen as a good idea at the time but man that delivery was just terrible of what was already a terrible line.
Oh you have two Indian characters who are meant to be bad ass, one good one evil? Guess they better fight then, but don't even give it any emotion or tension, just really get it out of the way.
Oh they destroyed all of your men so you just waltz in with you and your last two goons? Sure that seems like a good idea.
Goodnight and Billy should have had their own movie, I really want to know more about those two.
Chris Pratt can't just expect to waltz in and give a look down look up smirk and think that's all there is to acting now. They really needed to feed him some better material.
Denzel is always good, but this character is pretty much a waltz in the park for him.
I know it's meant to be heroic and all that but they rode off without getting paid or getting medical attention!
I don't know if it was just my cinema but almost all the heroic close ups where out of focus.

[Jim H]

Why have one of the more iconic movie western theme songs and not use it until the end credits! I saw this with friends going in thinking it'd be terrible and left thinking it was terrible so there's that. Not sure whether it's right to praise a modern western for having good cinematography since isn't that just what you should be doing these days?

In any case a few thoughts [Spoilers]:

The trailer set it up to be a romping good time but damn if that wasn't an earnest film with a few attempts at jokes. It was very paint by numbers.
The jokes were by the numbers and in some cases just fell wayyyyyyy flat [Chris Pratt being racist may have been seen as a good idea at the time but man that delivery was just terrible of what was already a terrible line.
Oh you have two Indian characters who are meant to be bad ass, one good one evil? Guess they better fight then, but don't even give it any emotion or tension, just really get it out of the way.
Oh they destroyed all of your men so you just waltz in with you and your last two goons? Sure that seems like a good idea.
Goodnight and Billy should have had their own movie, I really want to know more about those two.
Chris Pratt can't just expect to waltz in and give a look down look up smirk and think that's all there is to acting now. They really needed to feed him some better material.
Denzel is always good, but this character is pretty much a waltz in the park for him.
I know it's meant to be heroic and all that but they rode off without getting paid or getting medical attention!
I don't know if it was just my cinema but almost all the heroic close ups where out of focus.

Funny, I agree with everything you said except I didn't find it terrible.  Maybe I have low standards for westerns these days, but I found it passably entertaining.  Denzel is a likable lead, Haley Bennett was actually pretty good, the action scenes were mostly solid. 

Other complaints - bland as hell villain, too many characters for the run time.  Chris Pratt is just OK, and yeah, weak writing for him. 

I'd give it a 6/10.

[dean]

I guess Jim H I am being pretty harsh but I sometimes think they extra lose points by going with great star power and a weak script really hurts as I'd kill to have that cast in a movie. I'm bitter over the missed chance. As far as mindless films go other than a few moments [like Pratt's terrible dialogue] it had moments of fun.

[Jim H]

I guess Jim H I am being pretty harsh but I sometimes think they extra lose points by going with great star power and a weak script really hurts as I'd kill to have that cast in a movie. I'm bitter over the missed chance. As far as mindless films go other than a few moments [like Pratt's terrible dialogue] it had moments of fun.

Yeah, I also agree with you here.  It really is a pretty excellent cast, the only weak one in the Seven was maybe Martin Sensmeier (Red Harvest), and even he wasn't bad.  Reminded me of another film, linked by Lee Byung-Hun - RED 2.  Terrific ensemble cast - Bruce Willis, Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Brian Cox, etc...  Kinda weak film.