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3:10 to Yuma
Director: James Mangold
Cast: Christian Bale, Russell Crowe, Logan Lerman
Rated: R
117 minutes
This version of 3:10 to Yuma is taken from the Elmore Leonard novel which was first made into a feature film in 1957. It’s your standard; rancher hard on his luck, trying to do the right thing for himself and his family. In this case he has to get a charismatic criminal (Crowe) to the train on time.
For those looking strictly for violent gunplay, you might be disappointed. Don’t’ get me wrong there are plenty of guns-a-blazin’ but there is also the signature western film pacing of dirty men riding horses and fixin’ to do dirty things.
While Christian Bale is fantastic in almost everything he touches, and he certainly holds his own here, there’s not enough meat to make it a western that will stand the test of time. In recent times, few have been able to pull off a good western movie. Besides of course, Clint Eastwood. Perhaps if Clint wasn’t so damn good as the steely eyed stranger we wouldn’t scoff at someone saying “a Russell Crowe Western”. Sure Crowe does his best, but there’s only so much that can be done with a story line better suited to a video game.
When you stick to the western theme you need to have slow pacing and stern looks, this will immediately turn people on or off right there. If you don’t like western’s this certainly won’t sway you to the genre. For those looking only for hails of bullets, you want “Shoot em up”
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