Entertaining enough but as many have stated there isn't enough character development to support the massive pendulum swing of character motivation at the end. Crowe and Bale are ok, it's an average modern western.
Having now seen the 50s Glenn Ford / Van Heflin version it makes this remake even more redundant... in brief Christian Bale is utterly miscast, and the moral message of the film is made total nonsense by the altered downbeat ending. I didn't think much of it when I first saw it, I like it even less now. Watch the original.
Christian Bale is the current dean of the Clint Eastwood School of Overacting Through Understatement, and this is one of his better examples. Scenes that demand emotion are treated with a gesture and a snarl.
Crowe probably goes too in the other direction. it's not exactly a hysterical, performance, but his smirking superiority demands (but doesn't get) a punch in the face.
The film as a whole works way too hard at being mythic, and not hard enough at being entertaining.
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Comments 1 - 15 of 16
DisneyStitch
Entertaining enough but as many have stated there isn't enough character development to support the massive pendulum swing of character motivation at the end. Crowe and Bale are ok, it's an average modern western.dombrewer
Having now seen the 50s Glenn Ford / Van Heflin version it makes this remake even more redundant... in brief Christian Bale is utterly miscast, and the moral message of the film is made total nonsense by the altered downbeat ending. I didn't think much of it when I first saw it, I like it even less now. Watch the original.Ibetolis
A stupidly addictive genre film made by someone high as a kite on the myth of the western. Loved it but felt unclean afterwards.daisyaday
Christian Bale is perfectly cast, as is Russell Crowe.Cinematiamo
Ridiculously unrealistic!Dr. McNinja
My favorite recent Western.Duke of Omnium
Christian Bale is the current dean of the Clint Eastwood School of Overacting Through Understatement, and this is one of his better examples. Scenes that demand emotion are treated with a gesture and a snarl.Crowe probably goes too in the other direction. it's not exactly a hysterical, performance, but his smirking superiority demands (but doesn't get) a punch in the face.
The film as a whole works way too hard at being mythic, and not hard enough at being entertaining.
Joker of Gotham
Good movie, the best of the movie is the lead actors, two awesome actors that were great like always, nice end3.5/5
Cuadie
As many mentionned before: unrealistic.But a great movie nevertheless.
fetzu
Goes beyond the 50's version by (re)visiting some of its themes and all the while furthering motifs pertaining to the acid western.A perfect western, an excellent remake and a damn good movie.
Earring72
Well made western! Good stuff and the cast was great. Really enjoyed it.Very re-watchable and holds up after all those years
sureup
I liked the original a bit better, but both are mediocre.roobin_22
refreshing, but quite unrealistic in my opinionmysteryfan
Good movie, but hope the ending was done differentlynicolaskrizan
entertaining and very very stupid – not in the bookhttps://beyond1001movies.wordpress.com/
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