3:10 to Yuma (2007) is a remake done right. Especially for a classic 50’s western. The difference was a grittier R rated tone with more realistic depth added to characters. James Mangold has so much western influence in his movies, that I’d be surprised if he never directed one. His direction helps it stand out in an era with far less gun toting cowboy adventures. My initial interest came from my mom. Since she was a big fan of Russell Crowe and wanted to see how a remake would work out.
Although I had the chance to see it on its own, I’m glad I saw the original first. Brilliant non-American Hollywood hotheads Christian Bale and Russell Crowe play Dan Evans and Ben Wade respectively. They’re both perfect choices that play off each other well. Dan’s struggling drought stricken family life is shown in a bit more depth. With the addition of a leg he lost in the war and more of a role for his eldest son played by Logan Lerman. Wade may be a bad man, but he’s still a romantic who loves his momma.
Really it’s his much more ruthless posse lead by a rougher Charlie Prince played by Ben Foster who incites the most violence. 3:10 to Yuma is the destination for Wade and far more men see that he gets there. Most of whom die on the unforgiving trail. When they make it to the hotel, Dan’s son stands in for his wife and helps out a bit on the nail biting path to the train. It’s a much less happy ending, but one with an honorable character turn. 3:10 to Yuma uses its time just as effectively.

Dan Evans (left) escorts Ben Wade (right)
Remake of: 3:10 to Yuma (1957)
Haha, the world sometimes really is small. My mother is a big Russel Crowe fan too! Itโs quite rare to have a good remake, but I definitely really enjoyed this one (as mentioned yesterday Iโve not seen the original so I canโt compare). But it really was a great film, with some terrific performances, and something that I really liked, despite not being a western fan๐
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It really does have that universal appeal.
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Yeah. This is a great one. I liked it better than the original, but the original is very good too. Kind of like True Grit, for me, and The Godfather II, for everybody else. Great review.
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True Grit is a great comparison!
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I’m not the biggest Western fan but this is one of my favorite films! All the performances are so great and I think Bale and Crowe really play off each other well.
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The perfect match in my opinion.
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I gotta admit this wasn’t a bad remake, they should’ve kept the ending like the orginal, but otherwise it was very well made.
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It’s an unfortunate end, but all in the name of gritty realism.
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Bale and Crowe do play off each other so well. I really enjoyed this remake. Nice review!
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Thanks, they’re a fine match.
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Frankly, I’m not a big fan of either actor. However, this is a great remake of a wonderful film. My wife preferred the remake. Anyhow, solid western with excellent performances.
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Bale and Crowe really make the remake as good as it was.
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