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3:10 to Yuma

The heyday of westerns is dead. Back when John Wayne was strutting around and Gary Cooper, you don’t see that anymore. Clint Eastwood got his start by earning the title of “The Man with No Name” by starting in Sergio Leone’s spaghetti westerns and following those with just regular American ones. Not since Eastwood’s Unforgiven has there been a western that good, until now. Directed by James Mangold, 3:10 to Yuma sweeps in and takes the coveted title of being the best western in the last 15 years.

Dan Evans (Christian Bale) is a small time rancher who is on the brink of losing his land and home on the account of not being able to generate a steady income. To remedy his situation and better his family’s life, he agrees to not only hold a captured outlaw, Ben Wade (Russell Crowe), but then to help transfer him to Contention, where he will be put on a train to Yuma to go to prison. However, with him and his party, Wade’s henchmen lurk in the shadows to apprehend and free Wade.

I am a big fan of westerns, so I’ve seen the classics and can accurately compare this to its predecessors. For one, this remake was explosive, literally. There was a lot of action in this movie for a period film. The gunfights were exciting as chases ensued for minutes on end as Evans and Wade evade bullets wizzing by their heads. And you don’t have to be a fan of westerns to enjoy this by any means. It’s applicable for all.

The acting is phenomenal as you have two strong actors who love their craft. You have Bale as the good guy who we sympathize with when his son hates him and he has a bum leg. Already, he’s the underdog in so many respects. Then there’s Crowe, who’s the bad guy, but isn’t as malicious as a heartless blood thirsty archetype of a villain.

With its fast pace, 3:10 to Yuma moves as it has us hooked from the opening barn burning season to the memorable ending. The score is sensational as it may not be as iconic as Ennio Morricone’s from The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly, but it is certainly moving. This movie has everything as it keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Written by: John Berkowitz

Reviewers Rating: 9
Reader's Rating: 9.00
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