3:10 to Yuma
Metascore
76 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 37 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 35 out of 37
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 37
  3. Negative: 0 out of 37
view
per page
  1. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    100
    James Mangold's 3:10 to Yuma restores the wounded heart of the Western and rescues it from the morass of pointless violence.
  2. Miami Herald
    Reviewed by: Connie Ogle
    100
    The new version is a glorious, thrilling throwback that never sacrifices its solid roots in the western genre despite a sharp modern update that actually improves on the original.
  3. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Mick LaSalle
    100
    The finest American Westerns have a characteristic that 3:10 to Yuma shares. In a way that's almost mystical, they suggest a truth beyond the specifics of the tale.
  4. Baltimore Sun
    Reviewed by: Michael Sragow
    91
    The rousing new Western 3:10 to Yuma has the sweep of an epic and the economy of a stopwatch.
  5. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: KJ Doughton
    90
    Mangold has time to build sensational, studied characterizations, brilliant pacing (courtesy Mike McCuster, who also edited the director’s previous effort, the Johnny Cash biopic “Walk the Line”), and blistering action.
  6. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kenneth Turan
    90
    James Mangold directs it with such energy and passion that it's as if he didn't know it's all been done before.
  7. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Jack Mathews
    88
    Unlike Glenn Ford, a soft-spoken studio star who was cast against type as Wade 50 years ago, Crowe is a perfect fit. Not because of his bad boy behavior offscreen, but because he can blend charm and menace better than anyone.
  8. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Carrie Rickey
    88
    A riveting remake of a pretty terrific 1957 western about manhood, fatherhood and honor.
  9. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Ken Fox
    88
    The nerve-racking wait at the Contention hotel is no longer the film's centerpiece, but the deeper characterization gives Bale an opportunity to once again sink his teeth into a complex role, and offers a reminder as to why the notoriously difficult Crowe is sometimes worth the trouble.
  10. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Ty Burr
    88
    Both actors are among the best, most intuitively creative we have, and whatever transpires offscreen in Crowe’s case, onscreen they only serve their characters. Neither man showboats here, and it’s a thrill to watch them work.
  11. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: Shawn Levy
    83
    A fine and sturdy picture, capable of standing alongside the many such films made when Westerns were one of our chief entertainments.
  12. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Tasha Robinson
    83
    Mangold delivers a taut modern take on a lesser classic, preserving the "High Noon" themes about doing the right thing against all odds, and injecting a more modern pacing and urgency without going overboard. His film isn't Leonard's classic, but it's a solid, genre-respecting Western in its own right.
  13. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: Peter Rainer
    83
    What Alfred Hitchcock once said about thrillers also applies to Westerns: The stronger the bad guy, the better the film. By that measure, 3:10 to Yuma is excellent.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.0 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 285 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 80 out of 125
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 125
  3. Negative: 29 out of 125
  1. Hyperbole
    8
    Human fleshed out characters with motives and a history to them, even if imagined off screen (that's how well they are written and played). Excellent performances, quiet moments of reflection, cruelty and understanding, great action sequences and a sly but honest script. You can forgive the somewhat unrealistic ending to quite a large degree if you apply the fore mentioned motivation and understanding.

    Ben Foster deserved best supporting actor for this film.    … Full Review »
  2. TheDailyProphet
    7
    "3:10 to Yuma" is about a group of certain non-criminals delivering a certain captured criminal to a certain place to get a certain reward. Meanwhile, another group, a group of certain allies of that certain captured criminal is trying to save their boss.

    Now judging the movie by it's premise and knowing the fact that it's going to be a western, you probably wouldn't expect this film to be more talking than action most of the time. You probably wouldn't expect it to have an ending that's both socking and emotional. What you probably WOULD expect, is that Russell Crowe is going to be top notch in his role, that his talent is going to be spread all over the screen.    … Full Review »
  3. wololooo
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. James Mangold's remake of the stellar 3:10 to Yuma is a mixed bag - there's some great acting, and beautiful camerawork, but also a fairly implausible script. Christain Bale and Russel Crowe star as a poor ranch owner Dan Evans and the infamous highwayman Ben Wade. Ben Foster and Peter Fonda strengthen the otherwise lacklustre supporting cast, both giving powerful performances. A lot of users have rather harshly critiqued the lack of realism in the script and if it weren't for Bale and Crowe's strong acting the implausibility and holes in the script might have shone through even moreso. For example, the bizarre ending - Crowe suddenly decides to allow himself to be captured, but rather than simply call off his gang he further endangers himself and Bale by being chased by the bloodthirsty gang to the train station. If he was trying to make Bale's character look like a hero, this would make some sense, but then all logic is thrown out the window as he shoots every remaining member of his gang. This really held back the film for me, and I otherwise would have scored it an 8.
    It's a little hard to score 3:10 to Yuma, because there's a lot of conflicting elements holding back the film from legend status, but despite these frustrations it's still a very entertaining watch.    … Full Review »
See all user reviews »