Bland remake coasts by on star power

Rating: 5/10 (31 December 2007)

Underwhelming western update feels distinctly hollow as it awkwardly stumbles through insufficient plot points to arrive at it's shootout climax. Although the final showdown might be the only thing worth waiting for in this overrated and detached yarn, 3:10 to Yuma manages, in it's own goofy modernized way, to pay tribute to American film's favorite pastime- I can only attribute our country's love for the genre as to why the movie simply was not received as mediocre.
Director James Mangold holds a lot of the blame for failing to build up the inevitable showdown through clumsy, unintuitive direction and a distinct lack of authenticity pervading nearly all sets and performances. Actors like Crowe and Bale will try what they can to rescue some of the film's blatant simplicities, but are given a script with far too little detail to make any true characteristic impressions with roles that both should have provided more depth. Nonetheless, this tragically modern remake will sit well with western fans expecting their yearly genre comeback, only this time you can leave the tension, grit, and nuance at home.