Routine Remake

Rating: 7/10 (9 April 2010)

In this remake of the 1957 Western, a rancher escorts an outlaw to a train so he can collect a bounty. Bale is pretty good as the rancher determined to complete his mission. Crowe is OK if underwhelming as the outlaw, never quite believable as a man of the West. Fonda is fine as a crusty old bounty hunter. The original was well made but was marred by an unsatisfying ending. The good news is that this remake changes the ending. The bad news is that it is even more unsatisfying. In fact the ending is nonsensical. The plot has also been expanded from the original, losing some of the tension in the process. If nothing else, the filmmakers should be applauded for keeping the genre alive.