Firstly, I’d like to welcome you to Beware The Creeper, a blog which I will use to talk about my favourite things: Batman, Movies, Comics, DVDs and Music.
Today I finally got the chance to check out “3:10 to Yuma”, James Mangold’s modern take on the classic 1957 western by Elmore Leonard. This new remake features a very talented cast, including Russell Crowe, Peter Fonda, Ben Foster and my favourite actor, Christian Bale. If you’re not aware of the plot of the film, the 3:10 to Yuma Official Website includes the synopsis below:
“In Arizona in the late 1800’s, infamous outlaw Ben Wade (Crowe) and his vicious gang of thieves and murderers have plagued the Southern Railroad. When Wade is captured, Civil War veteran Dan Evans (Christian Bale), struggling to survive on his drought-plagued ranch, volunteers to deliver him alive to the ‘3:10 to Yuma’, a train that will take the killer to trial. On the trail, Evans and Wade, each from very different worlds, begin to earn each other’s respect. But with Wade’s outfit on their trail – and dangers at every turn – the mission soon becomes a violent, impossible journey toward each man’s destiny.”
The choice of New Zealand born Russell Crowe, and Christian Bale who originated from Britain, has been controversial for some viewers. Casting foreign actors in “True American” roles, to them, seems to be a problem for some reason. In my opinion, their background should not be a problem, we’ve seen Anthony Hopkins (who was born in Wales), play Zorro. I’ll leave it at that. Background isn’t what people should focus on, because personally, I believe this film is Crowe’s best performance to date. Ben Foster’s performance is one that must be mentioned, his character was very different to any that I’ve seen him play before, a true villain. Bad to the bone. Christian Bale was (as usual) a pleasure to watch, his accent was great, and his performance was perfect. This film is a great addition to his filmography, he really chooses his roles well.
The film is filled with great action sequences and realistic special effects, but it’s really the actors that keep you interested. A very well made film with a very talented cast of actors. Anyone who loves a good western will really enjoy this movie.
I’m glad we’ve finally got a western back on the silver screen.
I give this film: Four Stars
