good story driven by 2 good lead actors

Rating: 7/10 (15 March 2009)

This movie was pretty good. I wouldn't call it a typical western; it was more about the relationship between cattle rancher, Dan, and outlaw, Ben Wade. Christian Bale and Russell Crowe are both good in this and what make the movie better than average. I liked the way they made Ben seem like this cold blooded killer, but for some reason he had some respect for Dan. Maybe he envied Dan for what he had.
There were a few things I didn't quite get. Like, why did Ben Wade just let himself be captured? Was he tired of running or was it because he liked a challenge? Maybe he wanted to escape from Yuma a third time. And at the end, why did he decide to try to help Dan succeed in getting him on the train. Did he really not want his gang to rescue him? And why was his gang just shooting randomly when trying to save Ben. They could have just as easily shot him.
FINAL VERDICT: I suggest watching it if you like Bale or Crowe. But I'm sure some will find this movie boring. I didn't.