Not Approved

The Magnificent Seven (2016)

Director Antoine Fuqua brings his modern vision to a classic story in "The Magnificent Seven." With the town of Rose Creek under the deadly control of industrialist Bartholomew Bogue, the desperate townspeople employ protection from seven outlaws, bounty hunters, gamblers and hired guns. As they prepare the town for the violent showdown that they know is coming, these seven mercenaries find themselves fighting for more than money.
18
Negative Rating
12345
SexLanguageViolenceDrugsNudityOther
0
Positive Rating
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FaithIntegrity

Dove Review

“The Magnificent Seven (2016)” is a paradox of sorts. It is a very well-made film, a western, featuring well-known actors who chew up the scenery. The actors include Denzel Washington as Sam Chisolm; Chris Pratt as Joshua Faraday; Vincent D’Onofrio as Jack Horne, and as the villain (and he makes a good one)–Peter Sarsgaard, playing Bartholomew Bogue. However, the violence is very strong, as is the use of language.

The film includes a fair amount of humor, and most of it works. In an early scene, for instance, two bad guys hold guns on Faraday, ready to kill him, when he distracts them with a card trick. “I like magic,” says one of the brothers, who doesn’t appear to be the sharpest pencil in the can. The audience chuckled at this joke. Sure enough, Faraday turns the tables on them and takes them out. In yet another scene, Jack Horne appears in the film for the first time, and he is a brute of a man. After he walks off, a comment is made: “I believe that bear was wearing people’s clothes!”

The story opens as Bogue disrupts a meeting in church, in Rose Creek, long enough to make an outrageous offer of $20 for each person’s share of land (he wants to take over the mining business and the town), and he proceeds to kill a lot of people as a demonstration of his strength and power. Then he nearly burns down the church. He also makes the mistake of killing one woman’s husband in cold blood. The woman, Emma Cullen (Haley Bennett) seeks vengeance and rounds up Sam Chisholm, who then enlists the help of the others to defeat Bogue and take back their town. They have a lot of adventures along the way, with shoot ’em ups and killings.

Due to the violence, strong language, and some strong thematic content in the sex category, we are unable to approve this film for family viewing and must deny it the Dove “Family-Approved” Seal.

Dove Rating Details

0
Faith

None

0
Integrity

A ton of violence, including numerous shootings and killings, some with blood showing on hands and clothes; several men pierced with arrows; several people stabbed; a man is repeatedly kicked and struck, and evil men strike others; a woman is stabbed and killed with an axe; explosions with dynamite, causing death; corpses shown on the ground; people shot in cold blood; a Gatling gun is used to kill a lot of people; man's ear is shot, and part of it is missing and bloody; bullet hole shown in man's head; people killed with thrown darts; the town is shot up; Indian pulls out either a heart or liver from a deer and eats it and offers it to a man who also eats some of it.

3
Sex

Saloon girls are scantily clad; one saloon girl wants money from a man, apparently for sex; an innuendo about poking and sticking; the mention of a "whore" house and a comment that a man in a meeting in church had just visited there.

5
Language

Language throughout the film, including several uses of GD, J, S.O.B., possibly the F bomb, and constant other uses of strong language.

4
Violence

A ton of violence, including numerous shootings and killings, some with blood showing on hands and clothes; several men pierced with arrows; several people stabbed; a man is repeatedly kicked and struck, and evil men strike others; a woman is stabbed and killed with an axe; explosions with dynamite, causing death; corpses shown on the ground; people shot in cold blood; a Gatling gun is used to kill a lot of people; man's ear is shot, and part of it is missing and bloody; bullet hole shown in man's head; people killed with thrown darts; the town is shot up; Indian pulls out either a heart or liver from a deer and eats it and offers it to a man who also eats some of it.

2
Drugs

Constant drinking and smoking throughout the film, including the drinking of whiskey; smoking, including cigarettes and cigars; possible opium smoking; the chewing and spitting of tobacco; saloon scenes, and some people are drunk.

2
Nudity

The thighs of saloon girls are visible, as well as cleavage; cleavage in a few other scenes.

2
Other

A man causes problems in church and sets the church on fire; tension between characters; a theme of justice, as well as vengeance, toward murderers; men spitting; a man says, "Oh, great. Now we have a Mexican!" when a Mexican joins the seven.

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