The film is a creditable remake - no better than the original but different enough to stand on its considerable merits.
3:10 to Yuma (2007)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:202
Fresh:178
Rotten:24
Average Rating:7.5/10
Consensus: The remake of this classic Western improves on the original, thanks to fiery performances from Russell Crowe and Christian Bale as well as sharp direction from James Mangold.
Australian Theatrical Release:
Jan 31, 2008 Wide
US Box Office: $53,574,088
Synopsis: Based on the Elmore Leonard story, 3:10 TO YUMA is a riveting remake of the 1957 classic Western. It's the story of Dan Evans (Christian Bale), a down-and-out rancher who lost his leg in the Civil... Based on the Elmore Leonard story, 3:10 TO YUMA is a riveting remake of the 1957 classic Western. It's the story of Dan Evans (Christian Bale), a down-and-out rancher who lost his leg in the Civil War. With a wife and two sons, he is struggling to put food on the table, and unable to make payments on his land. When the notorious gunman Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) is apprehended nearby, a few local men are needed to escort him to the town of Contention so he can be put on the 3:10 train to Yuma Prison. Few will volunteer for the job, as they know that Wade's ruthless gang will follow them, but Evans sees an opportunity to make some fast cash, and offers to go in exchange for $200. The small team of men set off, and are later joined by Evans's young son William (Logan Lerman), who has run away from home to join them. What follows is a race against time, as the group tries to get to Yuma without the clever and dangerous Wade outsmarting them. Crowe is fantastic as the smooth-talking gunman, and Bale delivers a moving performance as the weary-eyed Evans. The two men are perfect foils for each other. Wade is the infamous gunman, living the high life on the wrong side of the law, while Evans, who has struggled to lead an honest life, has only faced one hardship after another. It is a classic tale of good vs. evil, right vs. wrong, and yet, by the story's end, it becomes harder to separate the good guys from the bad. As the clock ticks down, the film builds to an emotional nail-biter of an ending, reminiscent of BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID. [More]
Starring: Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, Peter Fonda, Gretchen Mol
Starring: Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, Peter Fonda, Gretchen Mol, Dallas Roberts, Ben Foster, Alan Tudyk, Vinessa Shaw, Logan Lerman
Director: James Mangold
Director: James Mangold
Screenwriter: Halstead Welles, Michael Brandt, Derek Haas
Producer: Cathy Konrad
Composer: Marco Beltrami
Studio: Lions Gate Films
Reviews for 3:10 to Yuma
Cinematic and wonderful on the big screen, this magnificent remake revisits the grandeur of the western, tossing around elements of morality in the melee of good pitted against evil... Russell Crowe is splendid.
An entertaining but generally underwhelming effort that squanders the talents of a great cast and comes with one of the daftest endings in years.
3:10 to Yuma takes too long to decide what kind of movie it's going to be.
3:10 to Yuma rehashes western motifs -- those civilization/wilderness, essence of manhood themes -- but builds up to a poorly plotted, shoddily executed gun battle.
All too often the action will become a bewildering blur of staging rather than an enthralling construct of violence, increasing the already nagging chorus of logic gaps that do their best to undermine the film.
In attempting to moralize the filth of the old West, Mangold sells out the genre's strongest asset.
A preposterous piece of soulless thievery that the understandably ignorant will enjoy.
If the original overplayed its naiveté, the update of 3:10 to Yuma overplays its cynicism only to sell it out at the end.
Decent-enough entertainment, though it's hardly going to breathe new life to a genre whose demise has been reported for at least 30 years.
Having the chutzpah to make a straightforward, unself-aware oater feels downright revolutionary. Whether that’s enough to justify this enterprise, however, is debatable.
There is nothing overwhelmingly bad about the finished product, but there is also nothing, save for a performance or two, that inspires the viewer to sit up and take notice.
The story is no bigger in the new version, which goes on for 117 minutes. And it's certainly not better.
About the best you can say about Mangold's work is that it won't kill off the genre. Nor will it help to revive it.
3:10 to Yuma's sanitized view is flatly middlebrow - even the line readings are delivered to make convenient actor showcase clips on award shows.
Those who have a deeper abiding love for the western genre than I, may love the new Yuma. I liked a good deal of it -- just enough to be frustrated by the clutter.
Mangold never makes his dusty landscape an omnipresent force, but his direction is crisp and the script's good additions more or less counterbalance the awful.
Bears many of the same fatalistic concerns as its 1957 predecessor, but its totally slick execution... polishes the feeling right out of them.
Latest News for 3:10 to Yuma
January 18, 2008:
Down but Not Out, HD DVD Soldiers On
The clock hasn't stopped ticking on the format, but HD DVD consumers can look forward to seeing new films on store shelves -- for at least the next few months, anyway. More...
January 07, 2008:
RT on DVD: 3:10 to Yuma, Sunshine Arrive!
Tasty treats are in store for us this week at the video counter, where you'll find an action-packed Western (3:10 to Yuma), a 2007 space odyssey (Sunshine), new stoner laughs... More...
December 21, 2007:
Awards Mania: Spirits, SAGs Get Waivers, Announce Nominations; Uncertainty Surrounds Golden Globes
Just when you think awards season can't get any awards-ier, here come two more sets of nominations! More...
December 14, 2007:
Atonement, Control Lead London Film Critics Noms
The London Critics Circle has announced the nominees for its year-end awards, with Anton Corbijn's Control and Joe Wright's Atonement leading the pack at eight nominations apiece. More...
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