I’ve been presented with generous offers throughout my career, but never one like this. A ruthless criminal repeatedly attacks and steals from a quiet Mexican village. Determined to stay put, the villagers decide to hire some mercenaries to get rid of the villainous Calvera once and for all. As many are aware, The Magnificent Seven is a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s incredibly important and widely influential film, Shichinin no samurai. Staying true to Kurosawa's ideas, director John Sturges created a timeless movie that has become a regular feature on television schedules during bank holidays. If you look closely at the plot, it’s fairly standard, but as each distinct character and situation unfolds, it becomes clear that this is a story full of depth and detail, beautifully presented in a Western setting. Sturges certainly knew how to direct groups of actors; he later directed the excellent 1963 film, The Great Escape. He’s well-supported here by a superb cast—though Yul Brynner was the only really famous name at the time—as Steve McQueen (who carries the movie), Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, and James Coburn would all become icons of cinematic masculinity, with each actor seemingly competing to dominate the film, which ultimately added to its appeal. Even the music has become ingrained in popular culture; Elmer Bernstein's score is now familiar even to younger moviegoers. Openly masculine, but enjoyable for women too, The Magnificent Seven is a pleasure for almost anyone who likes to escape into movies. Perhaps Kurosawa himself should have the final say: after seeing John Sturges’ film, he was so impressed that he gave him a Samurai Sword as recognition of the wonderful movie he had made—and that says it all, really. 9/10

Source on TMDB