Knee-Jerk Reaction: “3:10 To Yuma”
October 10th, 2007 by NextRound
Sure, “3:10 to Yuma” came out about a month ago, but hey, we’ve never been known for our punctuality (ask any former employer). And since football and fall TV take priority this time of year it’s pretty remarkable we even pay our bills, let alone made it to the theater.
Thank god for the guy who invented Columbus Day.
Now to the movie. “3:10 to Yuma” is really solid fare for anyone who is a fan of Westerns and/or Russell Crowe. And by that we me anyone who is allowed to read our site.
Here’s our analysis.
What Was Cool:
- Russell Crowe. The guy’s just a lead pipe bad ass. There’s no denying it. Crowe as a hardened, cunning outlaw is tremendous. Nobody plays ‘crazy like a fox’ the way Crowe does. Numerous money lines and awesome gun play.
- The scope. We hate when movies get too broad. “3:10″ focused on a simple story with a limited amount of characters. Perfect for the setting and genre.
- The crazy-eyed dude from “Alpha Dog”. Ben Foster is to only be type-cast as hair trigger psychos going forward. He owns that role.
- Watching a throwback Western. You just don’t see many well crafted old school Westerns anymore. Probably because today’s masses look down on character development. “3:10″ is the best true Western to hit the big screen since “Unforgiven”.
What Sucked:
- Not much at all. “3:10″ was really good if not great. Could be considered a little slow at times, largely depending on who you ask.
- We weren’t prepared for Christian Bale’s role as a hard times rancher. We thought his character was going to be a U.S. Marshall or something. Someone who would go toe to toe with Crowe. It didn’t suck as much as we weren’t prepared.
Irrelevant Questions:
- What was the deal with with Russell Crowe’s hat? It was sort of gay. Like a mix between a bowler and a ten gallon. Crowe should have demanded something a little more boss.
- What happened to the career of that chick that plays Bale’s wife? She was in “Rounders” and a couple of other things but she has seriously fallen off since. Sleeping with the wrong people is our best guess.
- Is ‘The Hand of God’ the coolest name for a gun ever?
- If Russell Crowe told you he’d punch you in the face and you’d like it, do you think you’d really like? We think we would.
- Seriously, does Luke Wilson read scripts? He shows up for like five minutes in “3:10″, and you can just picture him having a beer with Crowe and Bale weeks beforehand and them being like, “Hey, wanna do a cameo in this Western we’re in?”
Bowl Picks:
Overall Record: 9-11 (3 Unit), 8-6 (2 Unit), 7-1 (1 Unit), -2.7 Units
October 11th, 2007 at 8:22 am
3:10 to Yuma hasnt been seen by me yet, but is on the list. Problem is that it hasnt been in the only theatre in town that has a bar. As soon as it is, I will see it.
As usual, I will take my limited knowledge and pretend to be an expert and comment.
Some of the cold hard killers prefer the bowler style hat. Dont know why, but I think it is mostly the ones that are trying to shed the pretty boy image. Emilio Estevez in Young Guns for instance.
Christian Bale can do pretty much whatever the hell he wants. I am still scared of him after seeing American Psycho like 10 years ago.
Good Unforgiven reference. What a great movie, although I have to give “Open Range” a special nod as well. Couldnt believe how good that movie was. Robert Duvall, Costner, and Annette Benning? I mean really, it would have been hard to go wrong.
Thank God Hollywood finally has some guys that can play badasses. Costner, Crowe, Gibson? Remember that era when there was just a shortage of guys like that in Hollywood? For instance: Imagine how great a movie like Roadhouse would have been with any of those guys in it as opposed to Swayze. I’m sorry, but I just see Swayze as the type of fella to take the bad guy out for Daquaris and Lambada dancing as opposed to kicking his ass. In spite of that, it was STILL a watchable movie. Oh what might have been.
yes, ‘Hand of God’ is probably the best name for a gun ever. But the best line ever from a Western is and always will be:
“I dont think its nice, you laughin. My mule dont like people laughing. Gets the crazy idea they’re laughing at him.”
October 11th, 2007 at 11:57 am
We liked “Open Range”, but both “Unforgiven” and “3:10″ are undeniably better.
Second the “American Psycho” analysis of Bale. Nice work.
October 11th, 2007 at 4:46 pm
Tombstone was better than both those movies.
October 12th, 2007 at 9:13 am
Well, I found out that 3:10 was playing at my local theater with the bar, so I went last night to check it out. It was a good flick right up to the last part.
Good movie, great acting, very good scenes at times, but no way was it better than Open Range, and cant hold a candle to Unforgiven.
October 12th, 2007 at 11:10 am
Otis, way to step up and give away the ending, good job, I think any movie has more of a dramatic affect when you already know what’s going to happen at the end.
October 12th, 2007 at 11:46 am
Otis… You are banned from posting ever again. Go join a chat room if you want to talk about movie endings….
October 12th, 2007 at 11:55 am
Otis, we erased the part of your comment where you gave away the entire ending. We don’t like to moderate too often, but this time it was necessary.
Way to think it through.
October 12th, 2007 at 12:08 pm
Hey DLow and TR, think of it this way. I just saved you both 8 bucks.
youre welcome