In a cruel, futuristic society ravaged by war, where the masses know only fundamental need rather than superfluous compassion, Akira Kurosawa's classic film, Seven Samurai, is retold. While all too often remakes are of dubious merit, Samurai 7 manages to avoid this blunder, providing the audience a chronicle worthy of its namesake.

As the time of harvest approaches, villages across the countryside fill with terror in anticipation of the appearance of their tormentors: hulking metal giants that will steal the fruits of their labor, leaving them only enough to survive. To make matters worse, the rice once sufficient to satiate the appetites of the collectors is no longer enough, and now the most beautiful women in each village are being taken as well. The plight of the meager suffering the oppression of these Nobuseri bandits falls on the deaf ears of the aristocracy, for it is they who the brigands secretly serve.

In the village of Kanna, the stalks of rice will soon change color and bend. While the majority of its inhabitants ponder the fee to be extracted from them this season, not everyone is content in accepting their doom. A young water priestess named Kirara resolves to enlist the aid of samurai, the only ones capable of halting their extortion by defeating the Nobuseri. Having nothing to offer as payment but the very rice they subsist on, Kirara travels to a city in search of any who are noble enough to risk their lives for a just cause.

The world outside of her village was previously known to Kirara only through books, but such delusions are quickly dispelled when confronted by the harsh reality of the situation. Most ronin prove to be interested only in a free meal and mock the village's predicament. Slowly, though, fate intervenes and heroes begin to gather.

Few series have managed to assemble a cast as engaging as the title characters of Samurai 7. From the stoic veteran Kambei, to the impressionable Katsushiro, each individual has a memorable personality and skill set that are integral to the story. While some seek redemption, others are driven to prove that they are worthy to be called samurai, and each man's actions attest to the valor of his motivation to help those in need.

Regarded with fear and distrust by the very peasants they endeavor to save, the samurai persevere in preparing their wards for the battle to come. Soon, word of their gallantry spreads and villages across the land begin hosting ronin to defend against the Nobuseri, leading to the revelation of the true villain of the story.

As a challenge to the established authority is made, a decisive confrontation ensues from which no one escapes unscathed. Whether destined to be a casualty or survivor of the conflict, the fate of each of the seven wrenches at the heart of the viewer.

Not just an account of war, Samurai 7 intertwines stories of romance, friendship and betrayal into a charming narrative that is sure to please audiences of all kinds.