# The best Seven Samurai rip-off? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [January 24, 2021, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-seven-samurai-rip-off/931395 "2021-01-24T22:32:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2021, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-seven-samurai-rip-off/931395/1 "2021-01-24T22:32:35Z")
_Poll ([view on site](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-seven-samurai-rip-off/931395/1))_ Your heart-felt views and bitter arguments. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2021, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-seven-samurai-rip-off/931395/2 "2021-01-24T22:37:15Z")
Mag7 by far. Sturges at his peak. ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2021, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-seven-samurai-rip-off/931395/3 "2021-01-24T23:25:15Z")
> **[Samurai 7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samurai_7)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > Samurai 7 (stylized as SAMURAI 7) is a 2004 anime television series produced by Gonzo and based on the 1954 Akira Kurosawa film Seven Samurai. The seven samurai have the same names and similar characteristics to their counterparts from the original. The series was directed by Toshifumi Takizawa, and its music was composed by Kaoru Wada and Eitetsu Hayashi. There are 26 episodes. > The series premiered across Japan on the anime satellite television ... ---
**Author:** ![Chingon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chingon/32/17645_2.png) [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2021, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-seven-samurai-rip-off/931395/4 "2021-01-24T23:40:46Z")
Are they really rip offs? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2021, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-seven-samurai-rip-off/931395/5 "2021-01-24T23:44:21Z")
Magnificent Seven for me, but mostly because of the ones listed, it’s the only one I’ve seen other than Seven Samuri. And I do love Yul Brynner. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2021, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-seven-samurai-rip-off/931395/6 "2021-01-24T23:46:09Z")
Shouldn’t there be two choices for _The Magnificent Seven_? 1960 and 2016. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2021, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-seven-samurai-rip-off/931395/7 "2021-01-24T23:53:01Z")
“Other,” as clearly the best _Seven Samurai_ rip-off is _Xena: Warrior Princess_. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2021, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-seven-samurai-rip-off/931395/8 "2021-01-24T23:54:15Z")
No, no there shouldn’t. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2021, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-seven-samurai-rip-off/931395/9 "2021-01-25T00:02:19Z")
_Galaxy Quest!_ ---
**Author:** ![bmoak1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@bmoak1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bmoak1)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2021, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-seven-samurai-rip-off/931395/10 "2021-01-25T02:33:34Z")
It wasn’t Battle Beyond The Stars. Hoo boy. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2021, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-seven-samurai-rip-off/931395/11 "2021-01-25T02:39:44Z")
That was a Magnificent Seven pastiche. None of these were _rip-offs_, maybe homage, maybe pastiche. Well, maybe Samurai 7 is. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2021, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-seven-samurai-rip-off/931395/12 "2021-01-25T02:56:15Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/KnoTSlCzAuM/maxresdefault.jpg "Ironclad (2011) - Official Trailer [HD]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnoTSlCzAuM) The best? Maybe not, but def the goriest, and a better movie than you would think. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2021, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-seven-samurai-rip-off/931395/13 "2021-01-25T03:15:46Z")
> [@bmoak1](#): > > It wasn’t Battle Beyond The Stars. Hoo boy. Just rewatched it last night, for the _n_th time. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2021, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-seven-samurai-rip-off/931395/14 "2021-01-25T03:46:24Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > No, no there shouldn’t. 😃 I prefer the 1960 movie but the 2016 remake was a good movie. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2021, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-seven-samurai-rip-off/931395/15 "2021-01-25T03:59:14Z")
I don’t think all of the examples that have been given qualify as _Seven Samurai_ rip-off/homages. Yes, there’s the element of a group being recruited to help a small defenseless community. But I feel an important element of the story is that it’s not an existing group; the members were recruited separately and had not previously worked together. So a major portion of the story is the members of the group learning to trust each other so they can work as a team. Another element of the story is that the people who are recruited are all legitimate fighters, although their skills may be varied. So I don’t feel _The Three Amigos_, _A Bug’s Life_, and _Galaxy Quest_ qualify. Yes, these are stories about a group being recruited to help a community. But all of these stories are about a group that was recruited under mistaken apprehension; the groups are not as capable as they appear. So while the Seven Samurai story is about a group of competent individuals having to learn how to be a team, these stories are about a group which is already a team but has to learn how to be competent. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2021, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-seven-samurai-rip-off/931395/16 "2021-01-25T04:34:03Z")
It is kind of arbitrary to choose that as a required element. What I see as basic: Poor and/or peaceful group. Resources being stolen by outlaws. Deadline for outlaws return. Recruitment of heros on a budget. Heros train poor group to defend themselves. Climactic battle where outlaws are defeated. All the movies I mention have all of the elements. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2021, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-seven-samurai-rip-off/931395/17 "2021-01-25T04:51:16Z")
It’s a matter of interpretation. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2021, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-seven-samurai-rip-off/931395/18 "2021-01-25T05:14:13Z")
I agree with **Little\_Nemo** about assembling a killer team as a major theme, though I haven’t seen _The Three Amigos_ or _Battle Beyond the Stars_ and therefore abstain from the poll. ~Max ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2021, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-seven-samurai-rip-off/931395/19 "2021-01-25T07:00:20Z")
_Three Amigos_ not getting enough love. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2021, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-seven-samurai-rip-off/931395/20 "2021-01-25T11:12:02Z")
1960 Magnificent Seven. The cast … the music … unbeatable in my opinion. 🕶 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-seven-samurai-rip-off/931395.md?page=2)