Wow. Finally a remake that kicks ass! With so much summer rubbish disgracing the screen this summer, this movie is of a quality that we just don't see often anymore. There is really nothing bad I can say about this film. The performances by Crowe and Bale are spot on. And dare I say Bale is becoming my new favorite actor. Yuma is a remake of the Glen Ford classic of the same name. I know I have seen bits of the original growing up in a western film fanatics household, but my memory of it is pretty bare bones. The films premise is quite simple, but emotionally complex at the same time. Bale's character is one-legged ex solider who can never seem to catch a break on his ranch in Arizona. Even his sons and wife doubt his will to care for them. And that is what the heart of the film is. Meanwhile Crowe, a ruthless outlaw is captured in a nearby town and Bale enlists as one of the men to escort him to a nearby town to board the 3:1o to Yuma, AZ. He will be payed enough money to help his family see the season through.
Crowe's posse follows and the action flows from there. This western in RAW. Its not the romantic west, its the hard edged fend for yourself West. And PLEASE go see this at the movies. Westerns can't truly be appreciated on a computer screen or on a TV. They need to breath, and the big screen is only place that can happen. The score by Marco Beltrami is also great here. As soon as I got home I got it on itunes. But for me what I loved most about this movie is that Bale didn't need to do this job for the money, he did it so his sons could look him in the eye and be proud of their father. That's what drives his character through all the madness and hardship of bringing Crowe to justice. Crowe is also really good, but by far the actor that steal pretty much the whole movie from everyone is Ben Foster as Crowe's second in command. This is what a bad guy should be. Nasty and mean. You really hate the guy, and that's such a huge issue now in action movies. The bad guys are either so over the top that you see through it or they just simply are not interesting enough to care about one way or another. Foster is really powerful in his role and he captures your attention as a villain.
Enough praise, GO SEE THIS!!!!! NOW!
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