Guns of the Magnificent Seven (1969)

This has to be the best one of the series, end of story, the plot is bigger and badder than ever before. The characters OMG are cooler than Steve McQueen's Vin, you got Chris the lead again, Keno, Slater, Max, Levi, Cassie and P.J.! When I saw it, I had just moved and this made me love westerns forever! The plot based on the others is completely new the first two and the last one is all about saving towns, in this the stakes are harder, and badder a prison break. It's impossible in the beginning but possible in the end. Even Cassie thinks it's a joke "For money or for laughs?" Then Chris awesomely say's, "Well as much as you'd make in a year a hundred dollars, not very much laughs." Everyone is expendable in this. They might not like each other when they all meat but they all bond, for instance Levi and Emo, Chris and Keno, Slater and Cassie who are both a former confederate and a black man and this is 1969 when Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech aroused true diversity! The only negative about this film was P.J. the guy was just there to be the seventh. He's only got like two lines, we didn't know much about him other than he had tuberculous. If you look up the actor Scott Thomas he's basically an extra. He had no character development. This film will always be forever one of the Magnificent's of '69

I saw from George Kennedy in this pale and inconsequential sequel to The Magnificent Seven? I can't make up my mind on this. Kennedy had a shallow but pleasant repertoire of gimmicks in his acting. He radiated a pensive, pent-up fury that would boil over when he played a good-guy. His words would tumble out when provoked, and you knew the baddie would be taking a light shower when he got in the antagonist's face. I think that made him very believable. Unfortunately, it doesn't (he doesn't) seem to fit in this lazy, quiet Seven Samurai Go to Mexico Again outing. When confronted with one atrocity after another, perpetrated by evil Mexican soldiers against virtuous Mexican peasants, you're waiting for that fire to light. It probably fits the story of the character Chris, but you want some evil-doer to suffer a bit while Kennedy clenches down on his cigar.Director Paul Wendkos is no John Sturges, but he understands the basics of what made the Seven so appealing, and he keeps the movie moseying along to its inevitable shootemup climax.Lots of great old character actors here. Monte Markham does a Steve McQueen impression and fails (but we forgive him). Bernie Casey and Joe Don Baker bring along their respective backstories, and they do their The Defiant Ones shtick (more forgiveness). James Whitmore is an old knife-fighter, and I appreciated his yearning to drop all this killing stuff and go home.Michael Ansara is bad (behavior), Reni Santoni is worse (performance), and I'm sorry, I loved the little part of the worthless bandito leader, Frank Silvera. What a sleezoid!I kept wondering where I had seen him. It dawned on me--Hombre! "I wud like to know hees nay-ame."For all its not-even-a-a-blip-on-the-radar-ness, I liked the movie. Kind of like the way I like Mrs. Freshley's Honey Buns from the Dollar Tree. Totally devoid of anything other than some satisfaction.

Guns Of The Magnificent Seven is the best of the 4 films. It takes a huge leap from the dullness of the 2nd film to an action packed hit! This one has a better storyline from the original 2 and yet do many disagree, they are all wrong. This film is as good as any Western film. There is still the jolly old theme song and the main character whose actor changes in this film. To be honest I think Paul Kennedy is better actor for "CHRIS" than the other one in the 1st 2 films. This one also has a few notable actors in it as well, but none of them can beat Steve McQueen in the first film.So, in my opinion "GUNS OF THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN" is the actual gun of the 4 films...

That's right: a solid dud. Lame story, by and large amateurish acting, moving slowly to a predictable end. Kennedy is a nice guy and an alright actor, but in this case he is a total miscast. Our George is not exactly the type of hero who's going to take violent matters in his own hand; a middle-aged husband with a brood, a neat job and a mortgage is more like it. I can think of a few others who would have been more suited for the job: Clint Eastwood, Steve McQueen, Rod Steiger, Lee van Cleef. Anyway, half-way through I could hardly wait for this thing to finish. This movie is light years removed from the original. The only thing it has in common is the number 7 and the soundtrack. Pfff...yawn.