3:10 To Yuma

brokeback mountain had tougher cowboys than this film

1 not a western

2 badly acted

3 russel crowe played a soft outlaw who was sensitive and caring.

4 any action was overcome by the strange story line

[Highly rated reviewer]

Great stuff

A very well crafted western with two brilliant central performances - Christian Bale's downtrodden family man vs Russel Crowe's roguish and dangerous thief - and a host of memorable supports - from Ben Foster's unhinged gangmember, Peter Fonda's grizzled bounty huner and Alan Tudyk's vet turned doctor.

The set up is simple - Bale and a poorly organised group, that also includes his rebellious son, must get Crowe to the eponymous jailbound train, all the while avoiding his vengeful gang and surviving Crowe's own dangerous charm and midnight attacks. What follows is a breezy ride with brilliantly staged setpieces - from the opening stagecoach robbery to the final bloody-shootout - and themes including justice, coming-of-age, and honour among thieves.

It's nothing particularly groundbreaking but it's solid, character-driven stuff that's well worth your time, and further proof that the western genre is far from dead.