Review of Return of the Seven

If the 'Godfather II' was THE example of why a gifted director might consider making a sequel to a great film, this turkey is the classic counter-example of why no-one should make one (leaving aside the obvious point about wanting to milk a very successful cash cow a second time around). The only actor from the first (truly magnificent) film to appear is Yul Brynner in the lead role and all of the others who appear are decidedly 'B list' (if that) character actors who simply do not have the charisma to awaken much interest in their 'stories' or fates amongst the audience. Some attempts are made at repeating the original film's reflections on life and the transitoriness of glory/earthly admiration but in comparison with, say, Robert Vaughan's nightmares in the original film, these are stilted and unconvincing, whilst also being delivered (like most of the dialogue in the film) in a wooden, unenthusiastic manner. Even the gun fights/action scenes are poorly composed and almost totally 'flat'. The only things the film has going for it really are Bernstein's music (identical to the original) and the presence of Brynner, who could always carry a scene or, as in this case, even a whole film. I doubt if anyone would want to sit through a viewing of it more than once, though. I also suppose that one should be charitable, given what was to follow in the form of the two subsequent 'sequels' after this (by which time even Brynner had jumped ship), both of which were absolutely and totally dire, leaving the original template of a truly immortal Japanese film which underlay the whole enterprise entirely (and mercifully) forgotten.