3:10 to Yuma

Just when it seemed as if the traditional Western had gone the way of the the traditional musical, 3:10 to Yuma comes riding to the rescue with stars Russell Crowe and Christian Bale. Or at least, so several critics suggest. In a four-star review in the Chicago Sun-Times, Roger Ebert writes: "Here the quality of the acting, and the thought behind the film, make it seem like a vanguard of something new, even though it's a remake of a good movie 50 years old." A.O. Scott in the New York Times is less impressed, writing that it is "more likely to be recalled as a moderately satisfying entertainment than remembered as a classic," while also noting that the performances of Crowe and Bale "carry the movie." The film is a remake of a 1957 film that starred Van Heflin and Glenn Ford. Nearly all critics agree that it is an improvement over the original. Writes Kenneth Turan in the Los Angeles Times: "What's most impressive about this new version ... is that James Mangold directs it with such energy and passion that it's as if he didn't know it's all been done before." Lou Lumenick in the New York Post describes it as "handsomely produced" and also praises the performances. "Crowe gives a smooth, relaxed performance that's perfectly offset by Bale's intensity," he comments. But a few critics maintain that the film falls short of the original. In the Chicago Tribune, Michael Phillips writes, "Rare is the remake that meets or exceeds the merits of any film, and while Mangold's 3:10 to Yuma is certainly diverting, it is not quite one of those rarities." Several critics take note of the fact that the quintessentially American Western has been "outsourced" to foreigners -- the New Zealand-born Crowe and the Welsh-born Bale. Jan Stuart of Newsday remarks that "at this stage of their game, they speak American better than you and me."

A very good film. Period. If you're reading this review- just watch it.