REVIEW: 3:10 To Yuma

I hate westerns.

There, I said it. Now you know the dirty truth... that I didn't go for the movie, I went for the eye candy provided by Mr. Crowe and Mr. Bale. They didn't disappoint. In fact, they went above and beyond the call of duty and reminded me that generalizations like "I hate westerns" are dangerous. Had I followed my initial instinct and stayed away, I would have missed one of my favorite movies of 2007.

3:10 to Yuma stars Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, and Peter Fonda. It's not so much the story of a good guy bringing down a bad guy as it is a study of human character. There are no absolutes here. These men are what they are, but time and circumstance peel back the layers to reveal facets of each to the other, fostering something akin to respect.

The ending is superb.

The supporting cast is inspired. You'll see excellent performances by young Logan Lerman (think Jack And Bobby and The Butterfly Effect), Ben Foster (think X-Men: The Last Stand and The Punisher), and Kevin Durand (think TV, specifically Andromeda, Touching Evil, and Stargate SG-1).

Durand's character is particularly convincing, the worst kind of no-good bully / thug. I wanted to kill him myself.

I was thrilled to see Alan Tudyk (think Serenity) make an appearance, but I was less than inspired by his performance here. If you want to see him at his best try to catch Death At A Funeral while it's still in theaters. He is at his best in Death At A Funeral, and proves that he has excellent comic timing. And let me tell you, comic timing is HARD to pull off!

3:10 To Yuma is rated R in the States and weighs in at a respectable run time of 1:57. I give it 4.5 (of a possible 5) stars, and I highly recommend that you see it in the theater.

Even, or especially if, like me, you "hate" westerns.

Official Web Site

IMDB Page

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 83% Fresh!

Katie Rating: 4.5 Jaffas