Russell Crowe and Christian Bale’s 2007 remake of3:10 to Yumais now streaming on Netflix – and it’s even greater than the classic original movie from 1957.3:10 to Yumawas director James Mangold’s follow-up to his Oscar-winning Johnny Cash biopicWalk the Line. It was Mangold’s most action-packed movie up to that point, and the action filmmaking chops he developed on3:10 to Yumawould serve him well when he took on big-budget blockbusters likeLoganandIndiana Jones and the Dial of Destinyin the years that followed.3:10 to Yumaremains one of his finest movies.
Released 50 years after Delmer Daves’ original3:10 to Yuma, Mangold’s remake didn’t make a huge splash at the box office, but it was well-received by critics, and it’s since been re-evaluated as a cult hit. It’s rare that a remake of a classic movie is anywhere near as great as the original, and even rarer that the remake manages to top its predecessor. But the remake of3:10 to Yumais arguably an even better film than the original – and now, it’s streaming on Netflix.
3:10 To Yuma Is Streaming On Netflix – What The Western Is About
A Small-Time Rancher Agrees To House A Notorious Outlaw Who’s Waiting For A Train
Adapted fromthe Elmore Leonard short story “Three-Ten to Yuma,”originally published inDime Western Magazinein 1953,3:10 to Yumais a tense two-hander.Bale plays Dan Evans, a war veteran-turned-rancher, who agrees to house a notorious outlaw – Ben Wade, played by Crowe – while he waits for the train that will take him to his trialin Yuma. During the wait, Wade tries to use manipulative tactics and reverse psychology to trick Evans into letting his guard down and allowing him to escape.
Whereas most Westerns are about gun battles,3:10 to Yumais about a battle of witsbetween these two men. It has plenty of action, but it’s more focused on character. The film also stars Logan Lerman as William Evans, Dan’s eldest son with adventurous ambitions, Dallas Roberts as Southern Pacific Railroad agent Grayson Butterfield, andBen Foster as Wade’s sadistic right-hand man, Charlie Prince. Peter Fonda plays Byron McElroy, an aging bounty hunter who works for the railroad and has a complicated history with Wade.
Why 3:10 To Yuma Is Better Than The Original Movie
The Remake Has sharper Direction And Stronger Performances
The original3:10 to Yumafrom 1957 is a fine film. It’s been selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress and it was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Film. But Mangold’s 2007 remake is arguably an even finer film. Delmer Daves does a serviceable job as the director of the original movie, avoiding any superfluous style to allow the story to speak for itself. ButMangold’s direction is more engaging, balancing the tension of a Hitchcock thriller with the pulpy, high-octane action of a Tarantino Western.
3:10 to Yuma(1957)
94%
3:10 to Yuma(2007)
89%
$7.1 Million
The original movie’s stars, Glenn Ford and Van Heflin, do a terrific job of playing Wade and Evans, respectively, and capturing their dynamic. But it doesn’t compare to the impeccable performances given by Crowe and Bale inthe cast of the3:10 to Yumaremake.Crowe brings a captivating Robert Mitchum-esque menace to the role of Wade, while Bale plays Evans with the endearing vulnerability of his P.O.W. character fromRescue Dawn. With more compelling performances and more involved direction, the remake deftly improves on the original.
3:10 To Yuma Ending Explained
The critically-acclaimed Western starring Russell Crowe and Christian Bale 3:10 to Yuma ends in bullets, blood, and room for interpretation.
What Are Some Other Great Western Remakes & How Does 3:10 To Yuma Stack Up?
3:10 to Yuma Isn’t Quite The Greatest Western Remake Ever Made
3:10 to Yumais undoubtedly one ofthe best western remakes ever made, but it’s not quite the greatest of all time.Gordon Douglas’ 1966 version ofStagecoachhas great performances by Bing Crosby and Mike Connors, and it brings a new dimension to the iconic black-and-white John Ford original by adding a splash of color to the cinematography.Antoine Fuqua’s 2016 redo ofThe Magnificent Sevendoesn’t outdo its predecessor on the whole, but it does have much more exhilarating action sequencesand the riveting final score by James Horner.
Arguablythe greatest Western remake in Hollywood history is the Coen brothers’ 2010 reimagining ofTrue Grit. Whereas the 1969 original by Henry Hathaway retooled the source novel as a starring vehicle for John Wayne, the Coens refocused the story on its true protagonist: Mattie Ross, the teenage girl searching for her father’s killer. The Coens brought an emotionality to the remake that was lacking in the original, and Hailee Steinfeld earned a much-deserved Oscar nomination for playing Mattie. As great as Mangold’s3:10 to Yumaredo is,True Gritis the greatest western remake.
3:10 to Yuma
Cast
A struggling rancher volunteers to escort a notorious outlaw to the train that will take him to prison. As the journey unfolds, both men engage in a psychological battle of wills, testing their morals and resolve while facing relentless danger from the outlaw’s gang and the harsh frontier.
