4 out of 10 for Yuma two

Rating: 4/10 (23 February 2020)

A remarkable remake of the classic and respected original 50's western b-movie of the same name.
In this second version the sense of desperation which draws Bale's character into the plot to transport Crowe to Yuma prison is potently posited.
The climax allows for a martyrdom which befits the gloom of Bale's character, adding doom to gloom.
The rest of the film is a suspension of belief defying action/adventure with lashings of implausible macho detailings of our leading characters.
Overall the staging of action sequences is athletically but astonishingly unbelievably delivered.
The directing is best when the film is focused on Bale's family interactions and his all round degraded situation. His backstory and exploits, let alone his barmy male bonding is less successfully directed and acted.
Action scenes have flat and unorganized direction and lack coherence and dramatic value as a result.
The writing is probably the main culprit for this however, not the director.
Overall I rate a 4/10 for a film that fails to live up to its name and to its early promise and further to this fails to deliver believability in its macho characters and it's action.