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Magnificent Seven 1998 - any good ?

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Magnificent Seven 1998 - any good ?

Old 04-05-16, 10:52 AM
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Magnificent Seven 1998 - any good ?

I just rewatched the 1960 movie which was great. I only just found out on imdb there was a TV series in 1998, i don't remember it !

Was it any good ?

Worth tracking down ?
Old 04-05-16, 11:59 AM
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Re: Magnificent Seven 1998 - any good ?

I found it to be entertaining. It's not classic like the original movie, but it's better in many ways than some of the movie sequels.

One plus is that it can be picked up pretty cheaply. Dollar Stores & other bargain outlets (Ollie's, Big Lots, etc.) have them at substantial discounts. There are only two seasons, & you can usually find them for $4.95-$6.96 range.

There's also a complete set that's not much more than that.

The characters were pretty good, along with the cast (Ron Perlman, Michael Biehn, etc.). If you liked shows such as The Young Riders, you'll probably like Mag. 7. More light-hearted than Lonesome Dove: The Series, and certainly nowhere near as gritty as Hell On Wheels.

The biggest drawback that we had with the show is that it sort of undercut the entire premise of a bunch of drifting mercenaries banding together to face overwhelming odds. If they had been a loosely organized posse sent to different hotspots to lend their guns for money & a righteous cause, I think it would have worked better. Having them tied to one setting (sort of the town protectors) messed with the original premise and limited what they could do.

But it's still fun.

You might want to read the DVDTalk reviews. I agree with a lot of what both reviewers...the one who recommends the show & the one who gives it a "rent it"...have to say. And even the naysayer gives it 3 stars out of 5 for content.
Old 04-05-16, 11:59 AM
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Re: Magnificent Seven 1998 - any good ?

I enjoyed it. Not as good as the film, but it was entertaining. Some good actors, including Michael Biehn and Ron Perlman, and some good stories. You can get both seasons for around $16 total.
Old 04-05-16, 12:08 PM
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Re: Magnificent Seven 1998 - any good ?

Originally Posted by jjcool
I enjoyed it. Not as good as the film, but it was entertaining. Some good actors, including Michael Biehn and Ron Perlman, and some good stories. You can get both seasons for around $16 total.


In fairness, the original (which was a remake of Kurosawa's all-time classic Seven Samurai) featured a killer cast of soon-to-be breakout stars. In additon to Yul Brynner & Eli Wallach, you had McQueen, Bronson, Coburn, & Vaughn. Throw in Sturges' steady direction and Bernstein's classic score & you have a memorable film with lots of quotable lines.

"We deal in lead, friend."

***********************************

"If God didn't want them to be sheared, he wouldn't have made them sheep."

************************************

Vin: Yeah, sure. Everything. After awhile you can call bartenders and faro dealers by their first name - maybe two hundred of 'em! Rented rooms you live in - five hundred! Meals you eat in hash houses - a thousand! Home - none! Wife - none! Kids... none! Prospects - zero. Suppose I left anything out?

Chris Adams: Yeah. Places you're tied down to - none. People with a hold on you - none. Men you step aside for - none.

Lee: Insults swallowed - none. Enemies - none.

Chris Adams: No enemies?

Lee: Alive.

************************************

It would sort of be like hiring the cast of the Ocean's Seven remake (Clooney, Pitt, Damon, Cheadle, etc.) BEFORE most of them were stars. Kind of catching lightning in a bottle.

Like the three movie sequels (and probably the upcoming remake), the tv series didn't try to replicate the original characters...just the concept. The only constant with all the movies & the show tend to be the characters of Chris & Vin, and even they are fleshed out in much more detail in the show.

Last edited by creekdipper; 04-05-16 at 07:17 PM.
Old 04-05-16, 05:02 PM
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Re: Magnificent Seven 1998 - any good ?

Thanks guys, i might try find it cheap
Old 04-06-16, 12:27 PM
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Re: Magnificent Seven 1998 - any good ?

Originally Posted by creekdipper


In fairness, the original (which was a remake of Kurosawa's all-time classic Seven Samurai) featured a killer cast of soon-to-be breakout stars. In additon to Yul Brynner & Eli Wallach, you had McQueen, Bronson, Coburn, & Vaughn. Throw in Sturges' steady direction and Bernstein's classic score & you have a memorable film with lots of quotable lines.

"We deal in lead, friend."

***********************************

"If God didn't want them to be sheared, he wouldn't have made them sheep."

************************************

Vin: Yeah, sure. Everything. After awhile you can call bartenders and faro dealers by their first name - maybe two hundred of 'em! Rented rooms you live in - five hundred! Meals you eat in hash houses - a thousand! Home - none! Wife - none! Kids... none! Prospects - zero. Suppose I left anything out?

Chris Adams: Yeah. Places you're tied down to - none. People with a hold on you - none. Men you step aside for - none.

Lee: Insults swallowed - none. Enemies - none.

Chris Adams: No enemies?

Lee: Alive.

************************************

It would sort of be like hiring the cast of the Ocean's Seven remake (Clooney, Pitt, Damon, Cheadle, etc.) BEFORE most of them were stars. Kind of catching lightning in a bottle.

Like the three movie sequels (and probably the upcoming remake), the tv series didn't try to replicate the original characters...just the concept. The only constant with all the movies & the show tend to be the characters of Chris & Vin, and even they are fleshed out in much more detail in the show.
Yeah. I stumbled on to The Magnificent Seven through Steve McQueen. My parents lived in San Francisco for a while in their younger days and Bullitt was filmed partially at the hospital that my mother was doing her student nursing at. So that was a film that I grew up on. That led to The Great Escape and The Magnificent Seven. Some huge names in the cast, indeed. And some not so huge. Horst Buckholz? Of course, that led me to The Seven Samurai, and really Kurosawas entire filmography.

My absolute favorite exchange from Magnificent Seven is when Vin and Chris are driving the "hearse" up to the cemetary. Someone shoots at them and hits the tip of Chris' cigar:
Vin: You Elected?
Chris: Naw. I got nominated real good, though.

Oh, and I agree that the sequel films paled in comparison to the original remake. I attributed that wholly to the cast.

Last edited by jjcool; 04-06-16 at 04:29 PM.
Old 04-06-16, 12:54 PM
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Re: Magnificent Seven 1998 - any good ?

Originally Posted by Original Desmond
Thanks guys, i might try find it cheap
If you haven't seen Seven Samurai, just watch that. You'll be glad you did.
Old 04-07-16, 12:54 AM
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Re: Magnificent Seven 1998 - any good ?

Robert Vaughn who played "Lee" in the 1st movie played a Judge in the TV series.
Old 04-07-16, 06:10 AM
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Re: Magnificent Seven 1998 - any good ?

Seven Samurai > The Magificent Seven > A Bug's Life

I really enjoyed the TV series when it was on. I'd recommend it. Ron Perlman chews the scenery like a dog.

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