3:10 to Yuma - Crowe Pulls Off A Magnificent Western
3:10 to Yuma A
Starring Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, Ben Foster, and Peter Fonda
Directed by James Mangold (Walk the Line)
Rated R for violence and some language
Appropriate for ages 17+
The Story: This remake of the 1957 original western follows the story of a poor rancher named Dan Evans (Bale) as he helps to escort a notorious stage coach robber named Ben Wade (Crowe) to the feds in order to earn enough money to save his land. With a small group of mercenaries lead by a ridiculously tough old codger (Fonda) to help with the escort to the Yuma train station, they must contend with the fact that Wade's gang wants him back and will kill anyone that gets in their way.
The Good: The acting in this film is just pure dynamite. The cast appeared to be having a party making the movie, and the electricity that comes from having such a great time jumps right off of the screen. Although a villain, Crowe is very playful and charming, and Bale plays the straight man to a very sobering degree. Although the leads are fantastic, many of the best moments of the film involve Fonda and the very flashy Ben Foster as the second in command of Wade's gang.
The directing here is top notch, as is expected from Mangold, and the pacing makes the two hours zip by.
The Bad: While not exactly bad, the story isn't entirely convincing. It's fun, like a good western should be, but there are a few moments where you just want to sit back and say "Oh c'mon!" The dialogue is sharp, and unfortunately far outwits the plot.
The Summary: Yuma helps us remember why we loved westerns in the first place.
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