The Magnificent Seven (1960) ****

John Sturges' The Magnificent Seven (1960) is the rare remake (of Akira Kurosawa's 1954 masterpiece Seven Samurai) that became a classic in its own right. TM7 features a stacked ensemble of fantastic actors delivering indelible performances, stylish cinematography by Charles Lang (who shot some of the best-looking pictures of the 1950s and '60s), and Elmer Bernstein's immensely memorable theme. Three years later, Sturges would reteam with three of the seven (Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, and James Coburn) plus Bernstein to make the even more exciting The Great Escape (review). A heroic and straightforward western with plenty of action and adventure, TM7 is undoubtably magnificent entertainment.

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