Excellent

Rating: 9/10 (2 September 2007)

I just got home from a preview of this movie. I have been very excited about this film for quite some time now for a few reasons. One being that it is a western, a genre that hardly ever lights up the silver screen in the modern movie age. I was ready for a change of pace from the CGI/Michael Bay blowemup popcorn flicks, and this nostalgic western seemed like it had the muscle to bring a pure, vintage old west film.
Secondly, the cast. Russel Crowe and Christian Bale working together is a movie goers dream; two of the most versatile and consistent front men sharing leading roles on the same big screen. Of course, it seemed almost like too much star power for one film, a mistake that many directors make that usually leads to overacting and unconvincing characters.
Apart from the actors and the potential originality of this movie, I had a gut feeling that this movie was special. The first film of 2007 that we could see appearing in several categories for Oscar nominations. It had come to my attention that this film was a remake of the 1957 Glenn Ford classic. Some people shy away from remakes, claiming that they ruin the original movie. I personally did not feel as if this was a movie that would butcher Ford's "3:10 to Yuma." It was in the hands of "Walk the Line's" James Mangold, Academy Award winner Russel Crowe and Christian Bale, the most talented actor in Hollywood. This movie was not set up to be a modern garbage remake of a classic; 2007's "3:10 to Yuma" was destined to merge fifty-year-old classic film-making with what purity is left in present Hollywood.
After seeing this film, I have decided that it is indeed my favorite film thus far of 2007. The Old West is recreated vividly with ranches, old railroad towns and the vast frontier. Mangold's attention to detail is prevalent throughout the entirety of the movie, and it pays off immensely with his flawless sets (the railroad construction site was a favorite of mine).
Bale and Russel Crowe. It goes without saying  they were fantastic. Crowe plays a perfect Ben Wade, the meanest, most diabolical outlaw in the west. I particularly loved the character of Wade for his multidimensional persona. Crowe's Wade was chillingly evil while subliminally always having an aura of virtuosity looming about him. It was a beautifully developed character, and don't be surprised to see Crowe getting an Oscar nod for him performance.
I didn't think the Bale's Dan Evan was up to par with his Dieter Dengler, but he is (as always) great. A stand out performance came from the young Ben Foster as Charlie Prince, Ben Wade's right hand man. His character was menacing, funny and bad-ass. It was probably my favorite character in the film, and I am expecting great things in the future from Foster.
This film may be a remake of '57 Glenn Ford classic, but I believe that it has solidified itself as a modern display of classic film-making. The plot line does not drag, the dialogue is smart, the sets are incredible and the acting is first class. Do not shy away from this film over the fact that it is a remake. "3:10 to Yuma" is a brilliant film, and deserves a viewing from even the most skeptical of remake-haters. 9/10.