Editorial Review:

Product Description:
Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 09/09/2008 Run time: 122 minutes Rating: R

Amazon.com:
Here's hoping James Mangold's big, raucous, and ultrabloody remake of 3:10 to Yuma leads some moviegoers to check out Delmer Daves's beautifully lean, half-century-old original. That classic Western spun a tale of captured outlaw Ben Wade (Glenn Ford)--deadly but disarmingly affable--and the small-time rancher and family man, Dan Evans (Van Heflin), desperate enough to accept the job of helping escort the badman to Yuma prison. Wade, knowing that his gang will be along at any moment to spring him, works at persuading the ultimately lone deputy to accept a bribe, turn his back on "duty," and go home safe and rich to his family. That the outlaw has come to admire his captor intriguingly complicates the suspense. All of the above applies in the new 3:10, but it takes a lot more huffing and puffing to get Wade (Russell Crowe this time) and Evans (Christian Bale) into position for the showdown. Mostly, more is less. To Mangold's credit, his movie doesn't traffic in facile irony or postmodern detachment; it aims to be a straight-up Western and deliver the excitement and charisma the genre's fans are starved for. But recognizing that contemporary viewers might be out of touch with the bedrock simplicity and strength of the genre--not to mention its code of honor--Mangold has supplied both Evans and Wade with a plethora of backstory and "motivations." At the overblown action climax, the crossfire of personal agendas is almost as frenetic as the copious gunplay. (By that point the movie has killed more people than the Lincoln County War.) Best thing about the remake is Russell Crowe's Ben Wade, a Scripture-quoting career villain with an artist's eye and a curiously principled sense of whom and when to murder. As his second-in-command, Ben Foster fairly pirouettes at every opportunity to commit mayhem, and Peter Fonda contributes a fierce portrait of an old Wade adversary turned bounty hunter for the Pinkerton detective agency. --Richard T. Jameson


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My take on this movie is that some very good performances were devalued by the special effects people sitting in front of computer screens. A tense psychological cat and mouse game begins with the capture of Russell Crowe who plays notorious outlaw Ben Wade. A simple rancher Dan Evans, played by Christian Bale, volunteers to escort Wade to the train to Yuma prison in order to earn badly needed money for his rain-parched ranch.

This is a remake of the 1957 release of the same name starring Glenn Ford as Ben Wade and Van Heflin as Dan Evans. Russell Crowe does his usual outstanding job. Crowe is as excellent as a charming cowboy psychopath as he is as master and commander of a ship, a fearless gladiator, or a police thug turned noble. Ben Foster is perfectly cast as Billy Prince, Wade's wild-eyed loyal to the death sidekick. If you saw a fellow with his demeanor on a city street today you would be inclined to cross to the other side.

It is unfortunate that the makers of the film decided to go with special effects action to the detriment of the psychological in this movie. Action and psychology are not mutually exclusive but they are out of balance in this movie. The earlier version is incredible enough as Van Heflin shoots his way to the train with Ford in tow. Putting Christian Bale's character on a peg leg goes beyond one's willingness to suspend disbelief. The firepower depicted in this version is enough to invade Iraq again.

This version runs one-half hour longer than the 1957 edition in order to accommodate all of the extra violence. There is a scene that was added to this version and not present in the earlier Glenn Ford version. Crowe kills three Indians. Though the script tries to justify the scene by having them take a short cut through dangerous "Indian territory" it is obviously not justifiable since Indians are never seen or discussed again.

"The Unforgiven", the best of the modern cowboy genre, did not need as many (if any) computer-driven effects to tell a good tale of the old West. With such an excellent cast neither did "3:10 to Yuma". Nice try, but computer gimmicks should always be subordinated to good performances.

Average Rating:

Rating: - A Nice Try
My take on this movie is that some very good performances were devalued by the special effects people sitting in front of computer screens. A tense psychological cat and mouse game begins with the capture of Russell Crowe who plays notorious outlaw Ben Wade. A simple rancher Dan Evans, played by Christian Bale, volunteers to escort Wade to the train to Yuma prison in order to earn badly needed money for his rain-parched ranch.

This is a remake of the 1957 release of the same name starring Glenn Ford as Ben Wade and Van Heflin as Dan Evans. Russell Crowe does his usual outstanding job. Crowe is as excellent as a charming cowboy psychopath as he is as master and commander of a ship, a fearless gladiator, or a police thug turned noble. Ben Foster is perfectly cast as Billy Prince, Wade's wild-eyed loyal to the death sidekick. If you saw a fellow with his demeanor on a city street today you would be inclined to cross to the other side.

It is unfortunate that the makers of the film decided to go with special effects action to the detriment of the psychological in this movie. Action and psychology are not mutually exclusive but they are out of balance in this movie. The earlier version is incredible enough as Van Heflin shoots his way to the train with Ford in tow. Putting Christian Bale's character on a peg leg goes beyond one's willingness to suspend disbelief. The firepower depicted in this version is enough to invade Iraq again.

This version runs one-half hour longer than the 1957 edition in order to accommodate all of the extra violence. There is a scene that was added to this version and not present in the earlier Glenn Ford version. Crowe kills three Indians. Though the script tries to justify the scene by having them take a short cut through dangerous "Indian territory" it is obviously not justifiable since Indians are never seen or discussed again.

"The Unforgiven", the best of the modern cowboy genre, did not need as many (if any) computer-driven effects to tell a good tale of the old West. With such an excellent cast neither did "3:10 to Yuma". Nice try, but computer gimmicks should always be subordinated to good performances.

Rating: - Best Since Unforgiven
This is the best Western since Unforgiven, and perhaps better. Top work bu Bale and Crowe

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Rating: - good movie
Good story, good acting. I love the last 20 minutes or so of the movie.

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Rating: - Quality remake
This is a remake of the 1957 film of the same name. Fortunately I saw the original last year, which is a minor classic itself. In general I don't like remakes, however this is well done and Russell Crowe again shows that when he wants to, he can be a terrific actor. Rather surprisingly I thought his performance overshadowed Christian Bale's, who is generally considered a better actor.

The story that Peter Ustinov used to tell of an actor he was working with is never more true than here. Ustinov was in the background in a shot, and the star of the movie turned to him and said "what are you doing?". Ustinov said "I'm doing nothing". The star said "Oh no your not I'M DOING NOTHING". That sort of sums of Russell Crowes performance. He doesn't do a lot, but his not doing a lot is actually very good!

The plot has been told over and over here so to keep it short, Ben Wade (Crowe) is a notorious criminal who has to be put on the 3:10 train to Yuma (where there is a prison). Dan Evans (Bale) is a struggling farmer who being desparate for money volunteers to help, knowing that Wades gang will be on their tail.

The major difference between this film and the original is the inclusion of Dan Evans son as a major character. I didn't think this did any harm, and in places it worked very well.

The single DVD has a few extras on it which are pretty good (commentary/deleted scenes). On the DVD case it says its the best western since Unforgiven. Whilst writing this review I was trying to think of any other westerns since Unforgiven and couldn't remember any... So if I've seen any they obviously didn't have a big impact. This film is by no means perfect but I have no problem recommending it.

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Rating: - Riding the Train Again
This version of the classic western has fine acting by the principals: Russel Crowe and Christian Bale; but over all the original film with Glen Ford and Van Heflin takes the prize. The ambivalence of the two characters was clearer in the original, with both actors playing against type to a certain extent. Still the new version was worth the ride.

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