Plot: Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) is the most notorious outlaw in the late 1800s. When he is captured, Dan Evans (Christian Bale) is thrust in the position to try and take him into custody, transporting him to the 3:10 train out of Yuma. With Ben’s gang hot on the trail, Dan’s safety will be challenged, especially when his son tags along. Who’s it for: This is a western that gives you a little more shades of grey. The good and the bad have layers; nobody here is wearing all white.
Expectations: I watched “Young Guns II” in the theater, which simply proves that I am a fan of westerns. Plus, Bale and Crowe going at it isn’t bad either.
SCORECARD
Actors: Russell Crowe as Ben Wade: There is really nothing new here, bad guys act like they own the world and have boat loads of charisma. But surprisingly, Crowe comes up a little short. Just because the man draws pictures, doesn’t mean he’s compassionate. Grade: 6
Christian Bale as Dan Evans: He had me in the first few seconds when he started limping toward the window. A man beaten down by the system, on his last leg (no pun intended, seriously) always makes for a compelling story. Grade: 7
Logan Lerman as William Evans: I never seem to enjoy the kid who disobeys, tags along and gets in the way. That’s exactly what William does. He’s seduced by Ben’s power and is frustrated with his dad. Luckily, Lerman is a step up from his performance in “The Number 23” with Jim Carrey, but not by much. Grade: 4
Talking: There isn’t much that seems important. But there are two key moments that the film gets perfect. Ben tells the story of reading the bible as a child, and we finally get a sense of Ben’s childhood and it’s the one moment where Crowe truly shines. And the other moment comes when Dan confesses to how his leg was injured in the Civil War. Grade: 6
Sights and sounds: Guns are blazing, but there’s really no new ground covered in the art of gun-slinging, backstabbing or horse riding — it’s pretty standard western fare. Grade: 6
PLOT SPOILERS
Best Scene: The idea of a bad guy trying to help a good guy get back to respectability is great, and even though they don’t do a good enough job setting up the final scene, it’s great to watch.
Ending: OK, so the ending is exciting, but does it make sense? Ben seems to suddenly have a change of heart and Dan seems a little too quick on his feet.
Random Thoughts: Here’s the main thing that killed me the entire film … Why didn’t Ben just run away? He could have run tons of times, but he only did it once. What would have happened if he ran? I can’t imagine they would have shot him, for fear of killing him or having to drag him if he couldn’t walk. I just needed him to be on a leash.
Rewatchability: I can see the future now … I’m on my couch, it’s in the afternoon, the game just ended and I flip the channel and there’s “Yuma.” If it’s anywhere close to the end, I’m setting the remote down so I can watch the final standoff.
OVERALL
Christian Bale actually outshines Russell Crowe, who is given the juicer role, and I understand the point of “3:10 to Yuma” is to put a bad guy with a good guy and show how they aren’t too far apart. From early on (the title helped) you knew the final scene was the important one. But “Yuma” drags from one mishap to another, slowing killing off the unimportant characters. Once we get to the end though, the film takes off with an exciting climax and you’re satisfied you went along for the ride.
Overall Grade: 6