About as Good as a Remake Can Get.

Rating: 8/10 (6 June 2010)

"3:10 to Yuma" (2007), directed by James Mangold, is a remake of the classic 1957 Western of the same name, made by the under-appreciated Delmar Daves. Mangold crafts a excellent Western, with fine leading performances from Christian Bale (as Dan Evans, played by Van Heflin in the original) and Russel Crowe (as Ben Wade, played by Glenn Ford in the original) and a charismatic turn from Ben Foster (as Charlie Prince). I like how, while being reasonably faithful to its source, they changed some things so as to render it worthwhile and not simply a pointless retelling of the same story. It benefits from nice photography and editing too. I've noticed some complaints about the ending, but I thought that was one of the highlights, with expertly staged action and the climax is refreshingly different from the 1957 film. Not quite as good as the original (no remake can be truly great, I think, because they lack that crucial element of originality), but still very exciting and enjoyable. I heartily recommended it to anyone who likes Westerns well acted and directed.