IGN Review: Stax
The rare remake that is as good if not better than the original
film, director James Mangold's version of 3:10 to Yuma is a
thrilling, character-driven movie that ranks as one of the very
best films of the year.
The performances by the top-notch cast and the taut screenplay
penned by Michael Brandt & Derek Haas -- based on Elmore
Leonard's short story and the script for the 1957 film by Halsted
Welles -- make the characters inhabiting Yuma human and utterly
relatable to modern audiences. While the writers alter a few things
from the original film, they also add plenty to make this outing an
even more complex and action-packed tale than its
predecessor.
The film's premise is simple, but effective: After notorious
Arizona outlaw Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) is captured, it's up to a
handful of locals, including down on his luck rancher Dan Evans
(Christian Bale) and bounty hunter Byron McElroy (Peter Fonda), to
bring him to justice. Their mission is to transport Wade to the
town of Contention where he will be put on the 3:10 train to Yuma
prison. While this journey entails a trip through dangerous Apache
territory, the greatest threat to the posse comes from the prisoner
himself and his murderous henchmen.
Wade's gang, run by the fanatically loyal Charlie Prince (Ben
Foster) in his absence, is determined to liberate their leader. In
the end, the only man willing to see the job through is Dan, who
must also win the respect of his surly teenage son Will (Logan
Lerman). The closer Dan gets to bringing Ben to justice, the more
the two men come to find common ground and mutual respect.
Life has not been fair to Dan Evans. He lost his foot in the Civil
War, a drought has ravaged his ranch and hired goons for the
railroad are trying to force him off his land. He hasn't entirely
lost his dignity, but his family keeps looking to him to provide.
Even though it could kill him, the best thing that's happened to
Dan was meeting Ben Wade. Bringing Ben to the Yuma station isn't
just about earning $200, although he certainly needs the money;
it's about redeeming himself as a man and a father. While Dan is
the latest in a series of driven characters played by Bale, he has
never appeared as vulnerable and low in self-esteem as he does
here.
Ben Wade is a keen-eyed student of nature, human and otherwise. He
has an artistic streak, with a knack for uncannily accurate
still-life sketches. He observes not just for his subject's
weaknesses, but also their strengths. And what he observes in Dan
ultimately moves him to consider doing the first kind act he may
have done in ages. The relationship between Dan and Ben isn't
entirely adversarial; both men ultimately tell the truth about who
they are, where they've come from and why they are the way they
are.
Crowe -- who bears a strong resemblance to the late Glenn Ford, who
played Wade in the original film -- certainly has the showier role
of the two main characters, but he does a wonderfully nuanced job
in slowly peeling back the layers to reveal that Ben isn't as bad
as he'd like people to think. The real scene-stealer in the film,
though, is Foster. Crazy-eyed gunslinger Charlie Prince is like a
loyal but wild dog who will maul anyone seeking to hurt his master
and would follow him into hell if need be. There is a glance
between Ben and Charlie near the end that is one of the most moving
and dramatic moments seen in any film this year.
Mangold keeps the film moving from the get-go, starting with an
opening stagecoach robbery and on through the journey to Contention
and then finally the climactic train station shoot-out. 3:10 to
Yuma isn't preoccupied with scenery and majestic vistas of a bygone
era; it's an action-thriller about fascinating people, and that's
what makes it more approachable and fun than other recent
Westerns.
Don't let the fact that it's a "period" film keep you from seeing
3:10 to Yuma. It's a kick-ass action film, as well as a vastly
entertaining movie that proves that popcorn flicks don't have to be
dumb, shallow or contemporary to be enjoyed.
