What happens when a tyrant of a business takes over a small mining town in early 1880s California, and a small band of old western heroes are hired to take it back with a large amount of gun slinging and whiskey? You may have thought of John Wayne, but instead, you ended up with Antoine Fuqua’s take on  “The Magnificent Seven.”

This film is one that I had originally approached with prejudice and bias. When the trailer first aired on television, I was shocked at the cast list. I thought to myself that the movie was going to highlight Chris Pratt’s character, instead of Denzel Washington, and this movie is going to be a bomb at the box office.

I had believed Washington was hired only to attract a black American audience, which is something I dislike when it comes to Hollywood. However, after I stepped into the theater and watched the two hour film, I realized I was completely wrong.

One thing that I can say, without spoilers, is that the cast is not just star-studded and stellar; these actors and actresses gave portrayals that have never been seen before. None of the jokes were blatant and forced and there wasn't a cheesy romance where the pretty guy gets the girl. This film was realistic. People actually got injured in these gunfights. I was shocked at seeing how so many relevant social issues were shown within this production, such as PTSD, alcoholism, and corruption.

After watching this magnificent movie, this is one of the most realistic westerns I have seen in my life of 17 years. This is one movie that get seven out of ten stars. 10/21/16