Sep 6, 2007 2:08 pm US/Eastern
'3:10 to Yuma'
Christy Lemire, AP Movie Critic
(AP)
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A scene from "3:10 to Yuma."
Lionsgate
You hear that a movie like "3:10 to Yuma" is being remade and the immediate reaction is, "Why?"
The original 1957 Western, about an intellectual outlaw and the indebted rancher who's volunteered to help deliver him to prison, was solid and still holds up well today. So it's a wonderful surprise to discover that this new version, starring Russell Crowe and Christian Bale and directed by James Mangold, not only remains true to its roots but expands on them in ways that are thrilling and thoroughly entertaining. Moviegoers aren't exactly clamoring for the Western these days, and a master work of the genre hasn't come along since "Unforgiven," but the acting is so powerful and the craftsmanship is so superb, it's bound to draw fans both old and new, and deservedly so. Based on the short story by Elmore Leonard and maintaining his flair for compelling, complicated bad guys, the film follows the unlikely alliance that forms between the dangerous Ben Wade (Crowe) and the damaged Dan Evans (Bale) over the course of a couple of days in the craggy Arizona desert. Peter Fonda and Ben Foster lead the strong supporting cast, with the wiry Foster nearly upstaging his more famous co-stars as Wade's loyal but volatile right-hand man.
R for violence and some language. 117 min. Three and a half stars out of four.
(© 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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