Review of 3:10 to Yuma (2007) by Jude P — 30 Sep 2016

It is extremely rare that any remake in American cinema is as good as the original but this can be said for this updated version of the classic western from 1957 which starred Glenn Ford and Van Heflin.

Here, Christian Bale gives a very good performance in his role as Dan Evans, a hard-up rancher trying to earn money and his family's respect by escorting an outlaw (Russell Crowe) on his way to jail. Crowe is also good in his role as Ben Wade, the man who terrorizes 1800s Arizona until he is captured.

The direction from James Mangold (his first film since the absolutely superb Walk the Line) is very good because he keeps a tense atmosphere going from start to finish and also allows good action sequences, some of these are well-filmed and there is excellent cinematography to be provided thanks to the glorious sunny weather. The script is well written by Michael Brandt, Derek Haas and Halsted Welles because it makes the story easy to follow.

Some of the violence can be a little uncomfortable to view in places but this is part of the story so therefore it has to be included. Westerns are now quite rare on the screen so it does create anticipation when they appear, unlike the Golden Age of Hollywood.

This western remake is one that is enjoyable as the original because it works very well due to the gripping action sequences and the terrific performances from Bale and Crowe. Mangold can be very proud of himself.