3:10 To Yuma: Now and Then

The ending to the original 3:10 To Yuma makes a lot more sense than the remake. And is 30 minutes shorter.

They are, however, surprisingly close.

And, am I imagining it, or was Crowe actually channeling Glenn Ford in the original. I'm not much of a Glenn Ford fan, even if he was in Gilda, but he was damn charming in this. Van Heflin basically reprises his Shane role (and I wonder if he got tired of playing the steadfast, dull husband whose wives were a little too interested in the bad boy gunfighter), but he made more sense than having Christian Bale in that part. (Originally cast as Tom Cruise and Eric Bana, I'm told, which still doesn't really work.)

For story, and for just hanging together sensibly, the old one wins. For style, though, I think I gotta hand it to the remake.