Want a formula for success? Take hollywood’s surging new star, surround him with mainstay veterans, and throw in a beloved western from the 60’s era of film to top it all off. The Magnificent Seven , directed by Antoine Fuqua who also directed films such as Training Day and Southpaw, is a remake of the 1960 film of the same name and brings back the same basic plot. A town full of miners is taken over by a greedy businessman named Bartholomew Bogue who’s looking to take their land and their gold-filled mines. Before leaving town, Bogue and his men shoot and strike down a handful of people and then burns down the town church.

The wife of one of the slain men, Emma Cullen, played by Haley Bennett, then moves on to another town in search of someone willing to help. Chisolm, played by Denzel Washington, happens to be in said town bringing down a wanted man and a saloon full of men singlehandedly. In the same saloon, Josh Faraday, played by Pratt, is swindling some other men out of some money during a card game. Chisolm then convinces Faraday to come on this suicide mission resulting in the assemblement of the other seven. They all come into town eliminating the minions left to protect their boss’ town, and commence the training of the everyday normal folk, which proves to be very comical.

The rest is a predictable western done with modern filmmaking techniques which proves to be very entertaining, but does not make any moves beyond basic action western. The three main characters played by Pratt, Washington, and Hawke do their best with the writing they are given and prove to the world why they are hollywood stars. However, D’Onofrio, who plays soft-speaking, savage woodsman Jack Horne, is the character who shines the most and steps most outside his typical acting chops and is rewarded by a wonderful performance.

In short, The Magnificent Seven is a western done right with amazing visuals to go along with a star-studded cast, but if you’re expecting to walk out of the theater questioning life or some other significant aspect of the world, then don’t hold your breath. However, it’s hard to argue with $134 million dollars worldwide.