Tag: Akira Kurosawa

“The Magnificent Seven” Trailer With Denzel Washington

Magnificent Seven Trailer The new trailer for The Magnificent Seven (2016) has me cautiously optimistic that the movie will do justice to the very good original film from 1961. That movie starred Yul Brynner, Eli Wallach, Steve McQueen, and Charles Bronson. The new film also features a great cast, with Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Ethan Hawke, and Haley Bennett. From the trailer though, it looks like the movie is largely a Washington and Pratt show.

Antoine Fuqua, who previously directed Training Day (2001) and King Arthur (2004), directs the new film. From the trailer, it seems he at least roughly follows the story of the 1961 film, which was directed by John Sturges. That film, in turn was based on the great Japanese film, Seven Samurai (1954), which was directed by Akira Kurosawa.

The trailer shows a widow (Bennett) seeking help to get vengeance for her husband’s death. As in the original The Magnificent Seven, the new trailer indicates one thing leads to another, so that the rag-tag band of seven has to stand up against an army to protect a town. Check out the trailer below.

The Magnificent Seven heads into theaters on September 23, 2016.

What do you think of the trailer? Leave your two cents in the comments?

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    Runaway Train (Missed Movies)

    Runaway Train Movie If you have not seen the 1985 movie Runaway Train, it will take you back to the time when action movies were about more than explosions. Even though there is plenty of action this film, there also is a lot more.

    Runaway Train features one of Jon Voight’s greatest performances.  And it also has a meaningful story that has something to say about life and freedom.

    The movie opens in an Alaska prison, where Voight plays an inmate.  The inmate, Manny, is despised by the prison’s warden. Another prisoner named Buck — who is played by a young Eric Roberts idolizes Manny.

    When Manny makes a move to escape, Buck goes with him. Not long after getting out of prison, the two end up on a train, which as you may guess from the movie’s title, becomes a runaway train due to various circumstances.

    Although that is the basic plot, there is a lot more going on in the story.  Much of the best part of the movie is the interactions between the characters and what the story has to say about life, freedom, and death.

    In many ways Runaway Train is an existential movie about choices we make, either dictated by luck or by our own choosing. If the movie had nothing else going for it, the movie is worth watching for the final haunting scene.

    Runaway Train     also stars Rebecca De Mornay and was directed by Andrei Konchalovsky. One may surmise that some of the depth of the film came from the original version of the screenplay that was written by the great director Akira Kurosawa.

    Kurosawa explored similar themes in his own movies, including in a much quieter way in the wonderful Ikuru (1952). The acting, especially by Voight, is also excellent, as both Voight and Roberts were nominated for Academy Awards for their roles.

    Conclusion?

    If you have never seen Runaway Train, you are in for a treat if you enjoy thoughtful movies. Although the movie features plenty of action, it does not have the myriad of explosions of modern movies.  This movie is really about something. Runaway Train is one of the great existential action films of all time.

    Other Reviews Because Why Should You Trust Me? On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has an 86% critics rating and a 77% audience rating. If you do not believe me about the movie, here are Robert Ebert, who loved the movie, and Gene Siskel, who did not, discussing Runaway Train.

    {Missed Movies is our continuing series on good films you might have missed because they have not received the recognition and attention they deserve.}

    What did you think of Runaway Train? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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