3:10 to Yuma (2007)

Overall rating from 1 to 100: 94

O Masterpiece (100)
X Excellent (75-99)
O Rental (60-74)
O OK (50-59)
O Mediocrity (30-49)
O Avoid (1-29)

Mini Review by Jason Pyles / November 10, 2007

If “3:10 to Yuma” can’t revive the western genre, nothing can. Another noteworthy attempt at resuscitation was made back in 1992 with Clint Eastwood’s “Unforgiven,” also an exceptional film that won Best Picture. But honestly, I don’t know that I could tell you the better film between the two, unless we had them duel.

This film is actually a remake of an earlier film by the same name (unseen by me), so I couldn’t really tell you how closely this movie follows its predecessor. But if the first film was about “doin’ the right thing” and “cowboying up,” then I’d say it holds true where it counts.

Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) is a bad, bad man, an outlaw and a killer who’s notoriously ruthless and profoundly deadly. (Yes, “profoundly” is the right word. You’ll see.)

When Wade is captured and needs to be on the 3:10 train to Yuma for his court date, the short-handed law men agree to pay poor Dan Evans (Christian Bale) to help transport the prisoner, keeping him from being sprung by his fellow bandits.

“3:10 to Yuma” has excellent dialogue. In fact, it has the best line I’ve ever heard in a western, though I won’t recite it here in case you’re one of the lucky ones who haven’t heard it from the trailers. But I will tell you this: “3:10 to Yuma” proudly ranks among the top five films of 2007.

Directed by James Mangold
Russell Crowe / Christian Bale / Peter Fonda
117 min. Western
MPPA: R (for violence and some language)

Copyright 2007. 187