Full Movie Reviews
Rating of
3.5/4
Great acting and solid story
Josh C - wrote on 09/19/2007
Not being a huge fan of westerns didn't keep me from thoroughly enjoying this movie. I thought the acting was great, the story was good (I never saw the 50's version so it was new for me), and the action sequences were awesome. The characters reminded me a lot of Tomestone's characters. They were bad-ass and you weren't sure which ones you liked best.
The plot consists of Dan (Christian Bale) an ordinary rancher who was down on his luck rising up to the challenge of bringing the most notorious criminal to justice. The plot was simple enough and I am a sucker for movies where the criminal's character goes into a deeper part of the human character. Kind of like Hannibal Lecter falling in love with Clarice Starling (or at least falling into fascination) these two unlikely characters …
Rating of
2.5/4
Action-packed western with some well-timed laughs
Allison - wrote on 09/06/2007
I'm not a fan of westerns and this movie had many flaws. However, the story was pretty good and it did not disappoint. Even though it was a "remake" I had never heard of the original. I have heard that there is another dimension to the remake: that it focuses on the father/son relationship a little bit more.
Russell Crowe is a mediocre to okay actor in my book, but the delivery of his lines was extraordinary and actually, funny. The whole audience was laughing because of him and it was because of his good delivery.
There were several things that didn't make sense. Several chances that the characters could have taken, but didn't.
Gretchen Mol was really good in her short but sweet role. The child actors were good.
Coming from someone who really did not like The …
Rating of
2/4
Solid Action, Unfortunately By-the-Books
newmans_own - wrote on 09/04/2007
The script is ridden with action/western movie clichés, so obvious that any number of plot twists can be determined a mile ahead of time. The other men assigned to Wade’s escort (which include an aged, seen-it-all bounty hunter, an opportunistic railway businessman and an wide-eyed innocent doctor) are all so predictable, two-dimensional and downright irritating that their fates can be foretold at first glance.
Crowe is completely mesmerizing. His character is far more refined than any other, and Crowe knows it. His character’s cleverness, staying one step ahead in the game while maintaining a sense of detachment is rendered perfectly. Crowe’s performance is easily the standout aspect of the film.
The action sequences are filmed disappointingly, without much inventiveness …
