3:10 To Yuma Is Suspense-filled Action Packed and Gloriously Western
Written: Sep 08 '07 (Updated Sep 08 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Entertainment at its best, just sit down and lose yourself in the story.
Cons: Someone had to die.
The Bottom Line: The only thing you need to enjoy this film is the price of admission. It really is that good and I am going to see it again.
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| karoli's Full Review: 3:10 to Yuma (2007) |
I believe westerns are America’s answer to Europe’s tales of white knights and chargers. I have never been able to resist a good fairy tale or a good western. This is one of the best westerns I have seen in years. Director James Mangold can be proud of his efforts in this version of 3:10 To Yuma.
Dan Evans (Christian Bale) is a man with nothing left to lose. A deep drought and deeper debts are about to cost him his small Arizona ranch and his family as well. To drive the point home that he only has one week left to pay his debts, his debtors burn his barn to the ground in the middle of the night. His eldest son, Will (Logan Lerman) has a low opinion of his one legged father and tries to shoot the marauders as they make their escape after setting fire to the barn. Dan forces the gun barrel down and tells his son he will take care of the problem. “No, you won’t,” returns Will, with a sneer of contempt for his father.
Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) is about as ruthless a killer as you ever encountered in a Western. He and his band of outlaws have made a tidy little fortune robbing the railroads and stages that serve the post civil war west, The Pinkerton Company, represented by Byron McElroy (Peter Fonda) have been hired as security on an armored stagecoach by the railroad to transport a fortune in gold. When Wade and his gang catch up to the Pinkerton coach, an explosively deadly battle leaves McElroy as the lone survivor of the security company. Wade does not hesitate to dispatch one of his own in an agonizingly slow manner, thereby ensuring the miscreant time to consider the error of his ways.
Dan Evans and his sons chance upon the scene; before they can retreat, the outlaws surround them. Evans and Wade stare, each taking the others measure, something unsaid passes between them and Wade, after taking their horses, lets the Evans family go. The outlaws head for town to taunt the local sheriff. Dan and his sons make for town as well, pulling a stretcher bearing the wounded McElroy.
There follows the outlaws arrival in town and a ruse thrown to the sheriff to lead him down a false trail, the ensuing pursuit of the outlaws by the sheriff and his posse, and the arrival of Dan Evans in town. The culminating event is the capture of Ben Wade and the decision to transport him to Yuma and put him on the prison train. Dan volunteers to help escort the prisoner in exchange for the money needed to pay his debts.
When Alice Evans (Gretchen Mol) asks her husband what he is thinking, why he is doing this, Dan replies, “I have been standing on one damned leg for three damn years waiting for God to do me a favor, and He aint listening.”
3:10 To Yuma is suspense-filled action packed and gloriously western. Crowe and Bale fill the screen with quiet malice and resigned courage. Of note is the fine performance by Logan Lermar. He held his own against the more experienced actors and had me at the edge of my seat near the end of the film. Alan Todyk as Doc Potter was heartbreakingly courageous and Peter Fonda as Byron McElroy was crusty grit personified. Ben Foster played outlaw Charlie Prince so well I cringed every time his came into view. He was truly vile.
All said I think it was a very good movie experience. I have not seen the original 3:10 To Yuma and I am glad of it. In my estimation, this film needs to be evaluated on its own merit. One last thought, I usually tune my senses to the music soundtrack when seeing a new film, surprisingly I cannot comment on the music in this film. I am sure there must have been music but I cannot recall one note.
Recommended:
Yes
Movie Mood: Serious Movie
Viewing Method: Other
Film Completeness: Looked complete to me.
Worst Part of this Film: Nothing
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Epinions.com ID:
karoli
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Member: Karoli Teeter
Location: Perrysville, OH, USA
Reviews written: 4
Trusted by: 0 members
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