Parents' Guide to

3:10 to Yuma (2007)

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Western remake with plenty of shoot-outs and bloodshed.

Movie R 2007 117 minutes
3:10 to Yuma (2007) Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 15+

Based on 6 parent reviews

knightwriter
knightwriter Adult
January 23, 2017
age 15+

See the original!

I can only imagine that the positive reviewers here have not seen the original film. This version has squandered the perfect casting of Russell Crowe by twisting the storyline. Here, Bale's character is a bum dad - falling into that all-too-common trope with today's movies where kids know better than their dads. Completely different from the respectful father/child relationship in the original. Furthermore, they make Dan's son an important character with his own subplot, which is not only unnecessary, but degrading further to the Dan character. I was terribly disappointed. If this is the way to "update" this story, I'll embrace the "outdated" one - it's filled with strong morals and role models unlike this remake. Skip it - and find the original 1957 film with Glenn Ford and Van Heflin.
1 person found this helpful.
sarge123
sarge123 Adult
February 5, 2015
age 15+
See all 6 parent reviews

What's the Story?

After his gang holds up a railroad company's money coach, Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) is captured and told he's being taken to catch the 3:10 train to Yuma prison. But the five-man crew escorting Wade to the train knows that the outlaw's equal-opportunity posse -- which includes a Mexican sharpshooter, an Apache, and cold-blooded second in command Charlie Prince (Ben Foster) -- is sure to follow. If Wade's loyal killers get to him before the train, they'll shoot down anyone who stands in their way. As crippled, put-upon rancher Dan, who's part of the escort crew, Christian Bale is gaunt and hollow-faced. Despite his Civil War-injured leg, he agrees to be part of the crew for the price of $200. He needs the money to salvage his dying farm, mend his broken marriage, and -- for once -- earn some respect from his teenage son (Logan Lerman). The more Wade talks to Dan, the more the odd couple strikes up a strange camaraderie.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (6):
Kids say (17):

The supporting players -- from a barely recognizable Peter Fonda as the haggard bounty hunter leading the way to the train station to Foster's stylized take on a wild-eyed murderer -- are remarkable. Even 15-year-old Lerman holds his own with Bale and Crowe. Like all Westerns, this is a testosterone-driven film, but the psychological tug-of-war between the two leads provides an emotional counterpoint to all the bloodshed.

Director James Mangold (Walk the Line) thrives on characters who are neither purely sinner nor saint, and in this remake of the original 1957 Glenn Ford film, he's revitalized a dying genre with the idea that even bad men in black hats can redeem themselves.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about remakes. Why does Hollywood like to remake (or "re-imagine") old films? Can you think of any remakes that ended up being better than the original? Families can also discuss the two main characters. Is Wade completely rotten? What makes him a "bad guy"?

Movie Details

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