Difference in Opinion

What could be better than a character-driven Western in which Christian Bale (Batman Begins) and Russell Crowe (Cinderella Man) spend more time matching wits and swapping philosophies than firing pistols or punching each other? This is precisely what this movie is all about, a remake of the 1957 classic based on a short story by Elmore Leonard.

This surprisingly-absorbing movie remake is devoted to contrasting wholesome family man Dan (Christian Bale) with freewheeling bad-boy Ben (Russel Crowe). This intriguing psychological drama does unfold against the genre’s familiar staples, and sets itself apart from your typical spaghetti Western.

I’m not much of a Western flick fan but 3:10 to Yuma definitely sparked my interest. Throughout the film, the viewer in constantly tugged back and worth between the side of good and evil. You instinctually want to root for the family man with a big heart, but you find yourself giving in to temptation and beginning to like the villain, Russel Crowe.

3:10 to Yuma is not your typical western, but does have enough tumbleweeds and pistol flipping to attract fans of that genre. It will also appeal to people that like movies with more drama and thought. There are some great dialog scenes between the protagonist and antagonist that are very simple and calm, yet invoke a lot of thought and emotion. Christian Bale is good as always and Russel Crowe does a great job at his first time playing the bad boy in a film.

Final Score: 9 out of 10