Well, shoot me but I liked it. It seemed a bit weird at first, this diverse cast, but I read on wiki the director Fuqua saying that back then there were black cowboys and Asian workers and everything, so if that's true maybe the unnatural decision was made in the past when they always chose an all-white and usually all-male cast to play the heroes, and not now.
Anyway, being used to the old western, it seemed strange at first, but it stayed with me for... maybe even a couple of seconds I don't know, then I was like, "who cares, Denzel Washington: always a pleasure", and that was it. After that, the rest was easily accepted and welcomed.
It had a few things in common with the old one, of course, other than the basic plot I mean, but it was more modern obviously; still, the soul was the same I think. I like the old one a lot, but I don't think that means I must dislike any remake, there can be two good movies on the same story, I don't see why not, no need to force a "which one was better" at all cost. The era and the actors, everything's different, so I'm ok with both.
I liked that there was one good with knives, and one with psychological problems, like in the old one. I was glad that this time there was no annoying kid, I guess here he was replaced by the Comanche guy, but I liked him alright.
Faraday fought till the end, and already wounded he sacrificed himself to destroy the machine gun brought by Bogue. Maybe he knew his injury was already something he couldn't survive, anyway his attempt was a suicidal mission, it was obvious he couldn't get out of it alive, but at least he completed what he wanted to do and destroyed it.
Goodnight at the last moment decided he wasn't strong enough to face another battle and ran away, but came back during the fight. He died along with his friend Billy, after shooting a lot of enemies to help Faraday reach his destination, they were killed by the machine gun.
Horn was killed too. Only Chisolm, Vasquez and Red Harvest came out of it alive.
I liked the Emma character too: she was nice, she was emotional, maybe unprepared for what killing a man actually entails but she went through with it till the end because she had no options. The actress was really good too, she got to me earlier on, when her husband talked back to Bogue and she had that look on her face, without a word she conveyed the message, what are you doing, you'll get killed, the terror she felt for what she feared could happen, and indeed happened.
She could shoot well enough, because 'she had a father too', and I liked that too.
So yes, I liked it, it was well done and well played. Sure, it seemed a bit awkward that nobody would have anything to say about trusting their lives to a Comanche, for example, but I'm glad it went this way, I really had no desire for internal conflicts. Instead, I appreciated the moments when the seven got each other's back, the moments that showed Billy and Goodnight's friendship, when Horn and Red Harvest went eating (or drinking,whatever) together, when Vasquez got mad because someone had shot Faraday...
Actually Faraday is the only one that looked a bit forced, maybe, too much of a modern guy, I don't know how to explain it.
The basic plot is the same: a village of poor, pacific people gets in real trouble when a cruel greedy man wants their land, wants to buy it for nothing, wants them to work as slaves in his gold mines, and kills without blinking anyone who opposes him. When Emma's husband is killed along with other man, only because he dared talk back to evil Bogue, she's determined to find a way to oppose Bogue at all cost. With a friend, she goes looking for help. She finds it when she meets Sam Chisolm, a sort of bounty-hunter, a US Marshal according to wiki, I don't remember all his references he mentioned. Anyway, he's official. He accepts after hearing Bogue's name, and finds other men for the job. The first is Josh Faraday, who has no money but a few troubles, and spends a lot of time gambling at cards. Then Vasquez who has a bounty on his head, and they sort of make a deal (like, take this job with me and I won't ever look for you in the future); Goodnight, who fought in the Confederate army and still has nightmares about the war, and his good friend Billy, an Asian man extremely good with knives. Also, Jack Horn, a hunter of some kind, and a Comanche warrior they meet on the way.
As they reach the village, they kill all the sheriff's men, all paid by Bogue, and let the sheriff go to inform his boss so that he'll come personally, like Chisolm wants. The sheriff will be killed by Bogue himself, this is what happens when you work with such elements.
They only have a week to prepare. They try to teach the locals how to shoot and fight, they use guerrilla tactics and some dynamite they took at one of Bogue's mine, after freeing the workers there.
After this, it's time for the long showdown. Bogue comes with lots and lots of men. They fight with all they've got, the seven and the locals, and eventually they win. It only remains for Chisolm to revenge on Bogue who, we learn now, destroyed his village, killed his sisters and many others, and almost killed him. Lost in his pain and hate he doesn't notice that Bogue has a hidden weapon, but luckily for him Emma shoots the guy in time to save him. Those who survived can now go back to their lives. The locals have their village back, and the surviving three of the seven go away together.
Chisolm-Denzel Washington
Emma-Haley Bennett
Faraday-Chris Pratt
Goodnight-Ethan Hawke
Horn-Vincent D'Onofrio
Billy-Byung-Hun Lee
Vasquez-Manuel Garcia-Rulfo
Red Harvest-Martin Sensmeier
Bogue-Peter Sarsgaard
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