NEW MOVIE OF THE WEEK: 3:10 TO YUMA

3:10 to Yuma (Rated R)

2007

117 Minutes

Widescreen: 2.35:1

Westerns have become lost in the ocean of movie genres and I think I know why. They’re just not cheerful like they used to be. People go to movies to escape, while the new Westerns just drag them down. Look at “The Searchers” from 1956. It’s very suspenseful, but it maintains its’ adventurous and fun aspect. The few Westerns of today are just like gritty crime stories with angry characters, only set in Brisbee instead of Detroit. This year, we have “3:10 to Yuma.” If you don’t know, it’s based on a 1957 movie of the same name, and once again, the former was better, but the new film is pretty darn good too. The reason being, although it’s gritty, it’s tense and exciting too, with a good sense of humor and an amazing finale.
Dan Evans (Christian Bale) is a poor farmer with some problems. His first is money. If he doesn’t pay a loan off quickly, he and his family will have to leave their ranch for good. His other problem is pride. His son has no respect for him, and he’s losing faith in himself as well. Trying to find some extra cash, and maybe an answer or two, he and his boys head for town. But on their way, there’s a stagecoach robbery in the desert, and the outlaw, Ben Wade (Russell Crowe), is the culprit.
Ben is a great character simply because he’s so stinking crafty. Glenn Ford’s portrayal of the character is so legendary, I wasn’t sure if anyone else could pull it off. But Crowe does the part justice with that smart aleck resistance we all know and love. Anyways, Ben and his gang shoot up the coach, leaving one man alive, and it’s Peter Fonda, so you know the character will live for at least another half hour or so into the movie. Dan and his boys witness the events, so the bandits take their horses, and herd their cattle away.
As the gang rides into town, sneaky devils that they are, they tell the sheriff that a stagecoach was robbed and that they should go check it out. And while the authorities are covering that, they head to the saloon. Dan and his sons are dragging the wounded man to town when the sheriff and the group of men run into them, and the truth is finally revealed. And Ben, who just had to stay and hit on the bartender girl, is caught and arrested, but they need a group of men to lead him to the 3:10 to Yuma (Now you know what the title means!). Dan needs the money but everyone else pretty much just wants to see Ben hanged. And so the journey is made. But it won’t be easy, for Ben’s gang of cutthroat cowboys are on their trail.
The suspense fits well in this movie, and fills every minute, as does the spectacular scenery and adventures. There’s something new around every corner but one of my favorite things about the film is Ben Foster’s crazy performance as Ben Wade’s right hand man. This guy has the most trigger happy finger I’ve ever seen (with my own apologies to Martin Sheen in “Badlands”). Christian Bale does a fine job as Dan, and the subplot with his son works better than expected (you’ll see. It seems very clichéd at first). The ending is different from the original, but my job is not to compare between the two, it’s to look for the good of each film. I hope this little movie will help put Westerns back on track. And if they could add a little more joy in the future products, they’ll have it made in the shade.

Grade: B+

And that's why "3:10 to Yuma" is the New Movie of the Week.

P.S. I've included the film's trailer to give you a taste.