3:10 to Yuma [Blu-ray]
![3:10 to Yuma [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51DEvyMHouL._SL160_.jpg)
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 The classic Old West is Back The Western genre is pretty rare nowadays--the Hollywood of today usually prefers other kinds of films (we feel you Clint Eastwood). Fortunately for the die-hard fans of the classic Spaghetti Western, the waiting is over. 3:10 to Yuma is one of the best Western film in years and probably one of the best films of 2007 overall. Not only we get excellent performances by Crowe and Bale, but the film captures the Western film traditions from the past--everything from a compelling story with a sense of justice and great gun action. Read on and I tell you, even if you're not a fan of Western, why you have to watch this extraordinary film. Brief Intro Story: The Old West is hard place to live, not only you have to deal with criminals and desert weather, but also with creditors who can be just as dangerous. Things are not going well financially for the crippled family guy Dan Evans (Christian Bale) who has to support his wife Alice and two sons--he didn't pay the bills and his creditors burned his barn. As he is going back to town with his kids to complain about what happened, they see the famous outlaw Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) with his vicious gang who just busted a wagon full of cash (killing almost everybody). The gang members see Evans and his kids, but Wade (the boss of the gang) decides to only take their horses and leaves them standing there, but the gang makes a mistake--they left one wounded man. The gang goes to town and while Wade is alone and having fun with a local girl, he gets captured by the authorities while he is talking to Evans--who made it to town anyways. But they need extra help to transport him to catch a train that will take him to prison, and that's where Evans volunteers to help--for $200 dollars. He doesn't know that transporting this infamous bandit will turn his life around. Review: Director James Mangold (Walk the Line) has created an instant Western classic in almost every aspect. Here we find two cowboys, who are on different sides of the law, but at the same time, there is a sense of fellowship, loyalty and understanding between them--Not only their acting is impressive, there is so much chemistry on screen. In one hand, we have the outlaw Ben Wade who is a casual guy, a bit of a playboy, but he can be vicious if you push his buttons. despite all the immorality and his cockiness; he is a likeable character nevertheless. Then we have Evans who is a serious man of integrity, a loving father that will do everything he can to support his family righteously. There is a point in the film where his loyalty is put to the test, as well as the will to continue with the mission--this is the point of no return when it's not even about the money anymore. The two characters blend towards the end, they finally understand each other and create one of the best endings in recent memory. Technically speaking, 3:10 to Yuma is a marvel to behold. We get the classic look and feel of the Old West with excellent cinematography, intense gun battle sequences and good costume design. Perhaps for many, the first act might be a bit slow, but after Wade gets captured, the film picks up with great drama and suspense. With all these great sequences, we also get excellent sound effects--which reminds me a bit of Kevin Costner's Open Range. Some of these sounds effects creates even melancholia--listen carefully, specially during the final battle. The Verdict: We didn't know taking the train could be so difficult back in the Old West. 3:10 to Yuma will not disappoint fans of the genre. It follows the classic Western formula with great performances by Russell Crowe and Christian Bale. Do I see a nomination for any of these vanguard actors? I'd say yes. The classic Old West is Back The Western genre is pretty rare nowadays--the Hollywood of today usually prefers other kinds of films (we feel you Clint Eastwood). Fortunately for the die-hard fans of the classic Spaghetti Western, the waiting is over. 3:10 to Yuma is one of the best Western film in years and probably one of the best films of 2007 overall. Not only we get excellent performances by Crowe and Bale, but the film captures the Western film traditions from the past--everything from a compelling story with a sense of justice and great gun action. Read on and I tell you, even if you're not a fan of Western, why you have to watch this extraordinary film. Brief Intro Story: The Old West is hard place to live, not only you have to deal with criminals and desert weather, but also with creditors who can be just as dangerous. Things are not going well financially for the crippled family guy Dan Evans (Christian Bale) who has to support his wife Alice and two sons--he didn't pay the bills and his creditors burned his barn. As he is going back to town with his kids to complain about what happened, they see the famous outlaw Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) with his vicious gang who just busted a wagon full of cash (killing almost everybody). The gang members see Evans and his kids, but Wade (the boss of the gang) decides to only take their horses and leaves them standing there, but the gang makes a mistake--they left one wounded man. The gang goes to town and while Wade is alone and having fun with a local girl, he gets captured by the authorities while he is talking to Evans--who made it to town anyways. But they need extra help to transport him to catch a train that will take him to prison, and that's where Evans volunteers to help--for $200 dollars. He doesn't know that transporting this infamous bandit will turn his life around. Review: Director James Mangold (Walk the Line) has created an instant Western classic in almost every aspect. Here we find two cowboys, who are on different sides of the law, but at the same time, there is a sense of fellowship, loyalty and understanding between them--Not only their acting is impressive, there is so much chemistry on screen. In one hand, we have the outlaw Ben Wade who is a casual guy, a bit of a playboy, but he can be vicious if you push his buttons. despite all the immorality and his cockiness; he is a likeable character nevertheless. Then we have Evans who is a serious man of integrity, a loving father that will do everything he can to support his family righteously. There is a point in the film where his loyalty is put to the test, as well as the will to continue with the mission--this is the point of no return when it's not even about the money anymore. The two characters blend towards the end, they finally understand each other and create one of the best endings in recent memory. Technically speaking, 3:10 to Yuma is a marvel to behold. We get the classic look and feel of the Old West with excellent cinematography, intense gun battle sequences and good costume design. Perhaps for many, the first act might be a bit slow, but after Wade gets captured, the film picks up with great drama and suspense. With all these great sequences, we also get excellent sound effects--which reminds me a bit of Kevin Costner's Open Range. Some of these sounds effects creates even melancholia--listen carefully, specially during the final battle. The Verdict: We didn't know taking the train could be so difficult back in the Old West. 3:10 to Yuma will not disappoint fans of the genre. It follows the classic Western formula with great performances by Russell Crowe and Christian Bale. Do I see a nomination for any of these vanguard actors? I'd say yes. THANKS RAIDER OF THE ARK!!!!!!!! FIRST OF ALL I WANT TO THANK RAIDER OF THE ARK FOR LET EVERYBODY KNOW ABOUT THE BLURAY PICTURE QUALITY (FINALLY) OF THIS MOVIE.DON'T YOU GUYS GET IT.MOST OF THE PEOPLE HERE ALREADY SEEN THE FILMS AT THE MOVIES AND THEY ALREADY KNOW IS THE MOVIE IS WORTH IT.THAT'S WHY IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU REVIEW A MOVIE BY BOTH PICTURE QUALITY(BLURAY) AND CONTENT. One of the best westerns in recent memory 3:10 to Yuma is an all around good western made great by the acting of Russell Crowe and Christian Bale. This is one of Crowe's best performance in my opinion and Bale never fails to deliver the goods. It has some good action and really earns its R rating. The Blu-ray looks fantastic as many others here have mentioned. Worth adding to your collection, especially of you are a western fan. Marvelous remake of classic western with Crowe and Bale Great westerns are a rarity today much less a remake that's why James Mangold's film "3:10 to Yuma" (adpated from an Elmore Leonard story and previously made as a marvelous film with Glenn Ford) is all the more remarkable. Any film--whether it be a historical western or a science fiction film is truly made more as a commentary on the era it was made in and "3:10 to Yuma" is no exception to this rule. Dan (Christian Bale)struggles with a ranch that just isn't producing putting him and his family further and further into debt. A Civil War veteran, he's still active even though he lost half his foot in the war but because of his experience he's a cautious man who looks out for his family first and as a result his son who is in the thrall of the folk heroes of the time doesn't respect his dad. When Wade (Russell Crowe)storms into town after robbing the payroll for the railroad yet again, Dan becomes a reluctant hero but sees a way past his troubles--he volunteers to escort Wade to the nearest town and get him on the 3:10 train to Yuma and the territorial prison. Wade isn't your typical criminal however--he's intelligent, articulate and an artist to boot which makes him all the more craft and difficult to control. Meanwhile, Dan and a crew of "escorts" must contend with Wade's gang and in particular his unstable Lt. (Ben Watson in a marvelous, and disturbing performance)who is tracking Wade's every move in an effort to spring his boss. The Blu-ray transfer looks stunning with deep, rich blacks and great detail and color. If you aren't a Blu-ray fan (or you're in the HD DVD camp), the regular DVD also looks terrific drawn from the same source. Audio sounds terrific with a lossless audio transfer and nice use of the surround speakers. The extras aren't quite as good as I thought they would be. While the commentary from director Mangold is marvelous, I would have liked to see more time spent on the featurettes and a discussion of what really went on during the time frame of the film. We do however get a nice interactive feature which I haven't honestly had time to investigate yet. A marvelous film filled with strong performances from Crowe, Bale, Peter Fonda and what is essentially an extended cameo by Gretchen Moll, "3:10 to Yuma" isn't "The Unforgiven" but it really doesn't pretend to be. I think what many of the critics are seeing is a serious committment to the type of involving western like the one that Eastwood made. This film about honor, duty and desperation is well worth checking out. Great picture quality, and a good film too The film itself I would probably give 4/5 stars. It's a great film, and easily the best western since the two year Unforgiven/Tombstone/Wyatt Earp time space. Though Open Range was very good, and I would love to see that on Blu-ray too. Either way 3:10 To Yuma is a really good film. But I bought it on Blu-ray for a reason. The amazing picture quality. The day time shots are some of the best I've seen so far in HD. The rocks, the canyons, the horses, the pistols, the dirty clothes. It's jaw dropping sometimes. The only draw back was the fact that I could easily see that lipstick was applied to the young boy in the film. The detail was top notch. You can literally pause the film, walk right up to the TV, and clearly look at the yellow stains on a characters teeth. I watched the film a second time because the first viewing I would look at the small dust particles float by the characters instead of watching them. The detail is simply amazing. If you have a choice to get this on Blu-ray, go for it. Sorry I can't comment on the audio because I don't have surround. But the Blu-ray version has exclusive bonus content that isn't on the standard DVD. Theres a lot of bonus material here, and well worth a look. The film: 8/10 Picture quality: 9.5/10 Bonus material: 8/10 If you're a fan of Blu-ray, or wanting a film to help convince you of HD, 3:10 To Yuma is easily a buy. | |||||||||||||
