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Parents' Guide to

The Magnificent Seven (1960)

By Carly Kocurek, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Classic shoot-'em-up not for young viewers.

Movie NR 1960 127 minutes
The Magnificent Seven (1960) Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 11+

Based on 4 parent reviews

doctora
doctora Parent of 6-year-old
October 3, 2022
age 13+

Not sure if it's magnificent, but it is entertaining.

This film condenses the elaborate character work that Kurosawa's Seven Samurai works so hard to establish. The Magnificent Seven adapts it to a Western and it works tonally and narrative wise. Whatever does not work is because some portrayals have not aged well. Bronson, Brenner and McQueen w\all work overtime to make the most of their screen time and it is quite evident. The distance between this film and The Three Amigos feels quite short.
kmos_99
kmos_99 Adult
January 18, 2016
age 9+

OK for kids 9+

The first action in this movie is people taking a stand against racism against native Americans. There's plenty to learn about loyalty, honor, love, family and true/false perceptions of bravery vs cowardice. The script is surprisingly nuanced for a 'simple' story. People get shot, but there's almost no blood and (spoiler alert) the characters that kids most identify with make it through OK, so its not too intense. Great 'gateway' action move for kids.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN tells the tale of a tiny village kept at the brink of poverty by Calvera (Eli Wallach) and his bandits. Apparently, if your Mexican peasant village is being harassed by a band of thieves, the thing to do is to enlist the help of a black hat-wearing cowboy. The villagers enlist Chris Adam (Yul Brynner) and six other gunmen to defend them. The gunmen all choose to help for different reasons, and much of the film is dedicated to characterizing the gunmen as they help the town get ready to fight back against Calvera's gang.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (10 ):

This particularly good example of the Western genre is based on an earlier Japanese film, Akira Kurosawa's 1954 masterpiece Seven Samurai. The Magnificent Seven is steeped in elements of the Western genre, from the pistols to the saloons to the good guy/bad guy plot. The cast does well, and Yul Brynner is especially charismatic on-screen. The film has not aged particularly well, though, and the pacing will feel slow to viewers not used to films of the period.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about race and wild west mythmaking in The Magnificent Seven. Why do the villagers need American cowboys to help save them? Is what the "magnificent seven" do in any way "noble"?

  • The use of white actors wearing make-up to portray the Mexican characters also merits some attention. Why do you think filmmakers did that? Do you find it offensive?

  • Does violence have the same impact in a movie like this as in an action movie like Live Free or Die Hard? Why or why not? Which type of movie violence do you find more affecting and/or upsetting?

Movie Details

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