Review of 3:10 to Yuma

Rating: 4.5 Stars
In a phrase:
Batman vs. Gladiator, set in the Old West to make the weapons unfamiliar to both duelists
Quote:
“Careful boy, there’s a curse on that gun”
Who will like it:
Everyone should like this one, it was a great Western.
People who won’t like it:
People with the attention span of a goldfish may be unwilling to wait 105 minutes for the brilliant last 15 minutes of the film.

I don’t know too much about The Western as a historic film discipline, but of course the few films I have seen have always built up to the final confrontation at high noon, and this Western does not disappoint.
While Christian Bale is always solid (I think he was under-appreciated in The Prestige), Russell Crowe stole the scene. Of course, Bale’s character was a quiet shell of a man and Crowe played a Western Sky Masterson, so it isn’t quite a fair comparison. They were both excellent.
Most importantly, the heroes were noble and the villains evil. I always feel that I want to be drawn into a Western where I can cheer for the good guys like it’s a sports game, and this movie did not disappoint in that aspect.
The movie was solid through and through, with horses kicking up plenty of dust while six shooters fired. The only thing lacking was the soundtrack; I didn't feel drawn in by the sound the way most Westerns call out.