3:10 to Yuma

2007 western remake

Rating: 15/20

Plot: A one-legged-veteran-turned-struggling-farmer-barely-succeeding-in-keeping-his-family-alive volunteers to help escort a dangerous criminal and leader of the Bad Nasty Boiz to a train that will take him to prison and his inevitable execution. Following closely behind are the aforementioned heartless Bad Nasty Boiz, more than one of them flamboyant and all of them great shots. The dangerous criminal, Ben Wade, plays mind games with farmer Dan Evans when he's not too busy killing off the others escorting him.

This manages to end in an interesting way--it's obvious what happens with all of the characters, but in some way it's still an interdeterminate ending. Old-school western is very good if not great. The biggest problem with 3:10 to Yuma (and I realize that this is the silliest problem to have with a movie) is that it is too much like a movie. I liked the performances. I liked the characters even if there was nothing new and they fit molds. I liked the action even though a lot of it was implausible. I liked the sets and beautiful scenery. And I liked the story. But I wasn't sucked in enough; I was completely aware that what I was watching was a Hollywood creation. Things were too slick, too glossy, and the resolution was probably a bit too tidy. I also could have done without the guy's son even though that would have changed the story considerably.

Romans 3:10: "There is no one righteous, not even one."

The exception to the above Bible verse: