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It might be the rugged Old West, but Dan Evans (Christian Bale) doesn’t want to be a cowboy or a gunslinger, he’s just trying to hold on to his farm, in spite of the railroad men who are bullying him into selling his place. He owes a small fortune to the bank and they’re aiming to collect. Dan’s oldest son Will (Logan Lerman) isn’t impressed with the way his pa backs down from a fight.
Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) is a notorious bandit. He and his gang of desperados have terrorized the west, robbing anything they’ve a mind to and killing anyone who gets in their way. Ben gets captured during a celebration following a spectacular stagecoach holdup. Pinkerton agent Butterfield (Dallas Roberts) and bounty hunter McElroy (Peter Fonda) round up a posse to bring Ben to justice – it’s a few days ride to a town called Contention where they can put Ben on the 3:10 train bound for Yuma. Doc Potter (Alan Tudyk) comes along to care for the injured McElroy and Dan joins up on this dangerous mission because the reward money will save his farm. Will sneaks along and joins up with the men just in time to save the day.
There are many dangers lurking on the trail – marauding Indians, men willing to fight for the bounty on Ben’s head, and the constant threat that Ben’s gang led by the ruthless Charlie Prince (Ben Foster) is going to catch up and bust Ben loose.
This movie may be a remake, but it feels like it was written for Russell Crowe and Christian Bale – that’s how good these guys are in this movie. Russell fits easily into the period costume and he’s totally convincing as the kind of guy who could be an infamous outlaw - charming and smart one minute and a ruthless killer the next. Christian is his equal as the everyday guy forced into the hero role by circumstance. They both looked good all rugged and scruffy sitting on their horses (we are suckers for good-looking cowboys).
The supporting characters are all terrific – from the effectively scary Ben Foster to the young Logan Lerman – who starts out as a bit of an out-of-control teenager who admires Ben’s wild courage. He comes of age out on the prairie and challenges both Ben and Dan to earn his respect.
When they make a good western like this, it’s easy to see why people miss them. There is such an opportunity for raw conflict - a lawless land trying to be civilized, good guys versus bad buys, and even the bad guys are fascinating.
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