The Good & Bad Of This Western Remake

Rating: 7/10 (9 January 2008)

For you lovers of classic-era films, make no mistake: this is not the "3:10 From Yuma" that you know: this re-make is a very rough, very violent and profane. It does entertain, however. Its biggest "plus," I think, is that it pulls you in almost immediately and and keeps you involved in the story. It's hard to take your eyes off the screen. So.....the "good news" is the entertainment value; the "bad news" is the ludicrous story and poor moral message.
MORE GOOD NEWS - It's always a pleasure, or usually a pleasure, to watch Russell Crowe and Christain Bale: two very good actors who you can count on to be entertaining. A lesser-known actor, Ben Foster, is extremely effective as "Charlie," the most evil man in the movie. Meanwhile, the cinematography is good and the sets are excellent. You really feel like you are part of the Old West and are witnessing these gunfights as they happen.The story has many twists and turns to keep you guessing.
MORE OF THE BAD - Every time God or the Bible is mentioned, it is done so in negative terms. God doesn't answer prayers; the villain is the only one quoting Scripture. His mother told him to read the Bible, so he did for three straight days and his mother left him, etc., etc. All of it is needless, but obviously the biased writers had to get their atheist agendas into the story. Meanwhile, our intelligence is further insulted in the big action scene at the end when literally hundreds of shots, some from close range, are fired at the two main characters and nobody is killed! In fact, these guys are still running all the way through town to the train: no problem. Neither guy gets hit??! Puh-leeze.
There's more, but you can read other reviews for more pros and cons. I rarely mention another reviewer, but I was impressed with the review written by "robertblanton." It is posted on the first or second page and I recommended reading it.
Overall, suffice to say, I still enjoyed the movie, was entertained, but was not impressed with a lot of the writers' agendas, nor the credibility of the action scenes.
On a final note: if you have the DVD, check out the bonus feature "Outlaws, Gangs and Posses." It has some fascinating material on what these guys, and others, were really like in the Old West.