"A Fistful of Dollars"

DVD, Blu-ray Review

Directed by Sergio Leone, Written by Victor Andres Catena, Jamie Comas Gil and Leone, 100 Minutes, Not Rated

By our guest blogger, Rob Stammitti

As far as Westerns go, you can't do much better than the work of Spaghetti Western pioneer Sergio Leone. And as far as Leone goes, you can't do much better than "A Fistful of Dollars."

Jumpstarting the trilogy that would eventually come to be known as "The Man with No Name" trilogy, "Dollars" follows a stranger (Clint Eastwood) who passes through a Mexican border town ruled by two ruthless families at constant war with each other, the Rojos and the Baxters. Eastwood's character, dubbed "Joe" by a local innkeeper, decides to stick around for a little while under the guise of a hitman looking for work, when in fact the mysterious stranger intends on pitting the groups against each other in an attempt to rid the town of both.

Taking cues from American Western pioneer John Ford as well as Akira Kurosawa (the film itself was loosely and unofficially based on Kurosawa's "Yojimbo"), Leone mixes elements of American, Italian and Japanese film in very intriguing ways, with the operatic romanticism of the American West melding perfectly with the characterization and styles of Japanese cinema.  Further, Leone also uses elements of Italian cinema, particularly retroscripting and dubbing the dialogue after filming, to make it a true homage to the films that inspired the Italian director.

Most of the charm of the film, though, comes from two people--Eastwood, who gives a subtle and simple but perfect performance as his famed man with no name, and Ennio Morricone, the composer whose scores are truly what give Leone's films their scope and power. Every note turns what could have been a simple everyday tale into something truly epic. Say what you will about Leone and his technicians, but he had no collaborator as crucial as Morricone.

The best thing "Dollars" does for Westerns as a whole, though, is to bring them to a more moralistic and mythological place than they had been for quite some time. That's not to discount the pessimistic tone many directors brought to the genre in the '50s--it's all a matter of the time and place, and in the American film landscape of that decade, pessimism was far more appropriate than the typical black-and-white style of the '40s. But Leone manages to take both of them and give them a place in his work. In the beginning of the film, the ambiguity of Eastwood's character makes for a far more interesting and suspenseful story, and when he transforms from a mysterious, violent stranger to a true savior to the town, it allows Leone to flip all previous expectations of Westerns on their head. And even leaving all the analytical stuff aside, it's just plain thrilling to watch Eastwood's deeply moralistic hero manipulate the villains into destroying one another.

While "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" definitely gets the most attention of Leone's three "Dollars" films, one can't deny how much he accomplishes here. Everything that would become typical of his style is as perfect here as ever, and Eastwood? He has no performance more definitive, and even though it's his mainstream debut, he has more power over the screen than most high-profile actors have today.

Perhaps not the very best Leone has to offer--I've always been of the mind that he topped it all with "Once Upon a Time in the West"--but certainly one of the best Westerns of all time and one of several truly perfect Leone efforts.

Grade: A

"A Fistful of Dollars"

DVD, Blu-ray Review

Directed by Sergio Leone, Written by Victor Andres Catena, Jamie Comas Gil and Leone, 100 Minutes, Not Rated

By our guest blogger, Rob Stammitti

As far as Westerns go, you can't do much better than the work of Spaghetti Western pioneer Sergio Leone. And as far as Leone goes, you can't do much better than "A Fistful of Dollars."

Jumpstarting the trilogy that would eventually come to be known as "The Man with No Name" trilogy, "Dollars" follows a stranger (Clint Eastwood) who passes through a Mexican border town ruled by two ruthless families at constant war with each other, the Rojos and the Baxters. Eastwood's character, dubbed "Joe" by a local innkeeper, decides to stick around for a little while under the guise of a hitman looking for work, when in fact the mysterious stranger intends on pitting the groups against each other in an attempt to rid the town of both.

Taking cues from American Western pioneer John Ford as well as Akira Kurosawa (the film itself was loosely and unofficially based on Kurosawa's "Yojimbo"), Leone mixes elements of American, Italian and Japanese film in very intriguing ways, with the operatic romanticism of the American West melding perfectly with the characterization and styles of Japanese cinema.  Further, Leone also uses elements of Italian cinema, particularly retroscripting and dubbing the dialogue after filming, to make it a true homage to the films that inspired the Italian director.

Most of the charm of the film, though, comes from two people--Eastwood, who gives a subtle and simple but perfect performance as his famed man with no name, and Ennio Morricone, the composer whose scores are truly what give Leone's films their scope and power. Every note turns what could have been a simple everyday tale into something truly epic. Say what you will about Leone and his technicians, but he had no collaborator as crucial as Morricone.

The best thing "Dollars" does for Westerns as a whole, though, is to bring them to a more moralistic and mythological place than they had been for quite some time. That's not to discount the pessimistic tone many directors brought to the genre in the '50s--it's all a matter of the time and place, and in the American film landscape of that decade, pessimism was far more appropriate than the typical black-and-white style of the '40s. But Leone manages to take both of them and give them a place in his work. In the beginning of the film, the ambiguity of Eastwood's character makes for a far more interesting and suspenseful story, and when he transforms from a mysterious, violent stranger to a true savior to the town, it allows Leone to flip all previous expectations of Westerns on their head. And even leaving all the analytical stuff aside, it's just plain thrilling to watch Eastwood's deeply moralistic hero manipulate the villains into destroying one another.

While "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" definitely gets the most attention of Leone's three "Dollars" films, one can't deny how much he accomplishes here. Everything that would become typical of his style is as perfect here as ever, and Eastwood? He has no performance more definitive, and even though it's his mainstream debut, he has more power over the screen than most high-profile actors have today.

Perhaps not the very best Leone has to offer--I've always been of the mind that he topped it all with "Once Upon a Time in the West"--but certainly one of the best Westerns of all time and one of several truly perfect Leone efforts.

Grade: A

DVD, Blu-ray Review

"Stagecoach"

Directed by John Ford, Written by Dudley Nichols and Ben Hecht, 96 minutes, Not Rated

By our guest blogger, Rob Stammitti

Basically the definitive Western of its era, "Stagecoach" introduced audiences to many of the genre's biggest motifs--the ensemble, the anti-hero, the final shoot-out, the "cowboys and Indians" conflicts, the epic travel balanced with the small-town feel--"Stagecoach" has it all, and more importantly, it introduced the man who would become the one true Western icon of the '40s and '50s, John Wayne.

Directed by the first true master of the Western, John Ford, "Stagecoach" follows a ragtag group heading on an east-bound Stagecoach for various ends. Dallas (Claire Trevor) has been driven out of town by a local justice group for prostitution. Doc Boone (Thomas Mitchell) is getting run out of town for his alcoholism. He's accompanied by whiskey salesman Samuel Peacock (Donald Meek). Lucy Mallory (Louise Platte), joined by an infamous gambler, Hatfield (John Carradine), is going to meet her cavalry husband. The group is rounded out by the stagecoach driver, Buck (Andy Devine) and the local Marshal, Curly Wilcox (George Bancroft).

The group finds themselves with an extra passenger, however, when they come upon an escaped convict and troublemaker by the name of the Ringo Kid (John Wayne), who has lost his horse and joins the stagecoach despite being told he'll be brought in to the police when they reach their destination.

This large group of actors makes for some really wonderful moments, especially in the less action-based scenes where the group just sits in the stagecoach and polar opposites like Dallas and Mallory are forced to interact. It doesn't hurt that the performances are generally quite solid, aside from Devine, who's mostly there for comedic relief and who is usually more aggravating than funny.

Where the film comes up short occasionally is mostly just due to its age. Though Ford himself stubbornly never admitted to it, his tone and style changed significantly later in his career to a far more pessimistic and violent Western that has probably had more effect on modern Westerns. Looking back at "Stagecoach," one can see the traditional Hollywood take on the genre was a lot more upbeat and more morally black and white than it would become and has remained today. One can't help but see the forced giddiness in the storytelling here, when a tale like this would likely be told with a lot more weight today, or even in the '60s and '70s when Leone took hold of the genre.

That's not really a fault of the film, though, and more just an inevitable consequence of technical and historical progress. It's a fine piece of entertainment, there's no doubt about that. Ford's direction is highly fluid and sophisticated, which is a miracle considering how long it had been since he'd tackled the genre (and this was the first time he'd made a sound Western). He's really an excellent visual storyteller, and everything we need to know about the characters is said through visuals as opposed to dull expository dialogue that a lot of older Westerns would employ. And as an introduction to John Wayne, the film is definitely a success. From the very moment the stagecoach screeches to a halt and the camera pans rapidly into his now iconic visage, you know this is someone to keep your eye out for.

It may not be the Western we all know and love today, but without it, the ones we love wouldn't even exist.

Grade: B-

DVD, Blu-ray Review

"Stagecoach"

Directed by John Ford, Written by Dudley Nichols and Ben Hecht, 96 minutes, Not Rated

By our guest blogger, Rob Stammitti

Basically the definitive Western of its era, "Stagecoach" introduced audiences to many of the genre's biggest motifs--the ensemble, the anti-hero, the final shoot-out, the "cowboys and Indians" conflicts, the epic travel balanced with the small-town feel--"Stagecoach" has it all, and more importantly, it introduced the man who would become the one true Western icon of the '40s and '50s, John Wayne.

Directed by the first true master of the Western, John Ford, "Stagecoach" follows a ragtag group heading on an east-bound Stagecoach for various ends. Dallas (Claire Trevor) has been driven out of town by a local justice group for prostitution. Doc Boone (Thomas Mitchell) is getting run out of town for his alcoholism. He's accompanied by whiskey salesman Samuel Peacock (Donald Meek). Lucy Mallory (Louise Platte), joined by an infamous gambler, Hatfield (John Carradine), is going to meet her cavalry husband. The group is rounded out by the stagecoach driver, Buck (Andy Devine) and the local Marshal, Curly Wilcox (George Bancroft).

The group finds themselves with an extra passenger, however, when they come upon an escaped convict and troublemaker by the name of the Ringo Kid (John Wayne), who has lost his horse and joins the stagecoach despite being told he'll be brought in to the police when they reach their destination.

This large group of actors makes for some really wonderful moments, especially in the less action-based scenes where the group just sits in the stagecoach and polar opposites like Dallas and Mallory are forced to interact. It doesn't hurt that the performances are generally quite solid, aside from Devine, who's mostly there for comedic relief and who is usually more aggravating than funny.

Where the film comes up short occasionally is mostly just due to its age. Though Ford himself stubbornly never admitted to it, his tone and style changed significantly later in his career to a far more pessimistic and violent Western that has probably had more effect on modern Westerns. Looking back at "Stagecoach," one can see the traditional Hollywood take on the genre was a lot more upbeat and more morally black and white than it would become and has remained today. One can't help but see the forced giddiness in the storytelling here, when a tale like this would likely be told with a lot more weight today, or even in the '60s and '70s when Leone took hold of the genre.

That's not really a fault of the film, though, and more just an inevitable consequence of technical and historical progress. It's a fine piece of entertainment, there's no doubt about that. Ford's direction is highly fluid and sophisticated, which is a miracle considering how long it had been since he'd tackled the genre (and this was the first time he'd made a sound Western). He's really an excellent visual storyteller, and everything we need to know about the characters is said through visuals as opposed to dull expository dialogue that a lot of older Westerns would employ. And as an introduction to John Wayne, the film is definitely a success. From the very moment the stagecoach screeches to a halt and the camera pans rapidly into his now iconic visage, you know this is someone to keep your eye out for.

It may not be the Western we all know and love today, but without it, the ones we love wouldn't even exist.

Grade: B-

Directed by Nicholas Ray, written by Philip Yordan, 105 minutes, unrated.

Nicholas Ray’s great camp movie, “Johnny Guitar," stars Joan Crawford as Vienna, a swanky saloon-casino owner in the Old West who knows the value of cutting cards, employing men to spin her roulette wheel, and who at one point is called “a railroad tramp not fit to live among decent people.”

Sounds harsh, but Vienna can take it.

Crawford plays Vienna as nobody’s fool. Back straight, hair pulled into a vice grip of brown curls, lips as red as a stop sign, gun at the ready, she’s a force, this one. As one of her employees remarks, “Never seen a woman who was more a man. She thinks like one, acts like one, and sometimes makes me feel like I’m not one.” And yet Vienna has a softer, more feminine side, such as when she closes the bar, puts on an elaborate white gown, and plays the piano with festive pluck.

Philip Yordan wrote the script (under the influence?) and what he conceived is a story that involves how a mean, ferocious woman named Emma (Mercedes McCambridge, unforgettable) is determined to see Vienna hang because she believes that Vienna was involved in her brother’s murder.

When Vienna’s long-ago lover, Johnny Guitar (Sterling Hayden), rides back into her life, the movie heaves and sighs as the Dancin’ Kid (Scott Brady) and his gang (including Ernest Borgnine) also storm the saloon and start to cause trouble. Were they also involved in the death of Emma’s brother? Since Emma is certain of it--and because she wields absolute control over the men in this movie--soon the kid gloves are off, guns are drawn, and accusations are hurled.

About those accusations--the dialogue in this movie is beyond comprehension. Consider, for example, this exchange between a gun-wielding Vienna, the law men who have come to get her, and Emma, who wants her dead.

Vienna: “Get out! Get out all of you!”

Emma, in a low voice: “That’s big talk for a little gun. You can’t shoot all of us.”

Vienna, bemused: “Two of you will do.”

Emma, challenging: “You don’t have the nerve.”

Vienna: “Try me.”

The men around them: “Put down that gun, Vienna. Put down the gun.”

Vienna: “Down there I sell whiskey and cards. All you can buy up these stairs is a bullet in the head.” She swaggers. She smirks. “Now…which do you want?”

As the men scramble away, Emma approaches like a pint-sized version of the Black Death in a green elf’s uniform: “I’m going to kill you.”

Vienna, towering over her: “I know--if I don’t kill you first.”

Here’s what’s certain--the movie will kill audiences, but in the best way. Just watching the sparring between Crawford and McCambridge is enough to send you over the moon. As for the movie, it’s an absurdist’s dream--in one scene in which guns are drawn and tensions are high, the strapping Hayden enters the bar with a delicate tea cup in his hand. You watch the scene thinking, “Oh, no he didn’t.” But he did. And that’s just the start of it in what’s easily a must film for your Netflix queue.

Grade: A

Directed by Nicholas Ray, written by Philip Yordan, 105 minutes, unrated.

Nicholas Ray’s great camp movie, “Johnny Guitar," stars Joan Crawford as Vienna, a swanky saloon-casino owner in the Old West who knows the value of cutting cards, employing men to spin her roulette wheel, and who at one point is called “a railroad tramp not fit to live among decent people.”

Sounds harsh, but Vienna can take it.

Crawford plays Vienna as nobody’s fool. Back straight, hair pulled into a vice grip of brown curls, lips as red as a stop sign, gun at the ready, she’s a force, this one. As one of her employees remarks, “Never seen a woman who was more a man. She thinks like one, acts like one, and sometimes makes me feel like I’m not one.” And yet Vienna has a softer, more feminine side, such as when she closes the bar, puts on an elaborate white gown, and plays the piano with festive pluck.

Philip Yordan wrote the script (under the influence?) and what he conceived is a story that involves how a mean, ferocious woman named Emma (Mercedes McCambridge, unforgettable) is determined to see Vienna hang because she believes that Vienna was involved in her brother’s murder.

When Vienna’s long-ago lover, Johnny Guitar (Sterling Hayden), rides back into her life, the movie heaves and sighs as the Dancin’ Kid (Scott Brady) and his gang (including Ernest Borgnine) also storm the saloon and start to cause trouble. Were they also involved in the death of Emma’s brother? Since Emma is certain of it--and because she wields absolute control over the men in this movie--soon the kid gloves are off, guns are drawn, and accusations are hurled.

About those accusations--the dialogue in this movie is beyond comprehension. Consider, for example, this exchange between a gun-wielding Vienna, the law men who have come to get her, and Emma, who wants her dead.

Vienna: “Get out! Get out all of you!”

Emma, in a low voice: “That’s big talk for a little gun. You can’t shoot all of us.”

Vienna, bemused: “Two of you will do.”

Emma, challenging: “You don’t have the nerve.”

Vienna: “Try me.”

The men around them: “Put down that gun, Vienna. Put down the gun.”

Vienna: “Down there I sell whiskey and cards. All you can buy up these stairs is a bullet in the head.” She swaggers. She smirks. “Now…which do you want?”

As the men scramble away, Emma approaches like a pint-sized version of the Black Death in a green elf’s uniform: “I’m going to kill you.”

Vienna, towering over her: “I know--if I don’t kill you first.”

Here’s what’s certain--the movie will kill audiences, but in the best way. Just watching the sparring between Crawford and McCambridge is enough to send you over the moon. As for the movie, it’s an absurdist’s dream--in one scene in which guns are drawn and tensions are high, the strapping Hayden enters the bar with a delicate tea cup in his hand. You watch the scene thinking, “Oh, no he didn’t.” But he did. And that’s just the start of it in what’s easily a must film for your Netflix queue.

Grade: A

Directed by Ed Harris, written by Robert Knott and Harris, 115 minutes, rated R.

The new Ed Harris movie, “Appaloosa,” is being billed as a Western, which it is, but mostly, it’s a movie about the friendship between two men, which in this case helps it to transcend the genre and deepen the movie’s appeal.

Robert Knott and Harris based their script on Robert B. Parker’s novel, and what they have created is a film that says more in its long stretches of silence than most movies say with a motherlode of dialogue.

How they pull this off comes down to the cast, with Harris and his co-star, a pitch-perfect Viggo Mortensen, creating a bond onscreen that resonates in a critical way--their chemistry generates the sort of interest that holds the film together during those stretches when it isn’t as action-driven as you might have hoped.

In fact, “Appaloosa” isn’t really driven by action at all. It’s driven by its characters and its subtle comedic undertone. Peppered with sidelong glances, the occasional shootout and double-cross, the movie places its importance on loyalties, the undoing of a villain armed with vicious connections, and how one woman, fighting to make it in the Old West, complicates the proceedings in an effort to survive.

In the movie, Harris is Virgil Cole, Appaloosa’s marshal-for-hire, who along with his best friend and second hand, Everett Hitch (Mortensen), is trying to bring one man to justice. That would be Randall Bragg (Jeremy Irons), who has been charged with murder and is about to be hanged for the crime. Bragg, a striking man who has the gift of eloquence, is having none of it. He does, after all, have power, money and the sort of friends who can intervene on his behalf--for a price.

As the above story unfolds, another ties a noose around it--Cole must deal with his affections for Allison French (Renee Zellweger), a widow of questionable intent who “chews her food good,” looks pretty when she pinches her cheeks and does up her hair, and who can be a knockout in the right dress. Although Cole knows Allison is a drifter willing to fall into any man’s arms if it means keeping a roof over her head, he nevertheless becomes smitten with her, which becomes a cornerstone for the story as its more satisfying second half takes root.

Zellweger is the film’s weakest link--she has difficulty losing herself in the role. To be fair to her, the script doesn’t offer her many opportunities to do so. It’s a shallow part, slightly written, with the actress left stranded amid material that would rather focus on the dynamics between Cole and Hitch.

To that end, the movie is solid--it rides on a backbone of cliches, occasionally kicks them up and makes the genre its own. Harris is excellent, nicely recalling elements of Clint Eastwood at his coolest, but he also generously steps aside and allows Mortensen to reveal just how good he can be, which is pretty terrific, as fans of “Eastern Promises,” “The Lord of the Rings” movies and “A History of Violence” will attest.

Grade: B

Directed by Ed Harris, written by Robert Knott and Harris, 115 minutes, rated R.

The new Ed Harris movie, “Appaloosa,” is being billed as a Western, which it is, but mostly, it’s a movie about the friendship between two men, which in this case helps it to transcend the genre and deepen the movie’s appeal.

Robert Knott and Harris based their script on Robert B. Parker’s novel, and what they have created is a film that says more in its long stretches of silence than most movies say with a motherlode of dialogue.

How they pull this off comes down to the cast, with Harris and his co-star, a pitch-perfect Viggo Mortensen, creating a bond onscreen that resonates in a critical way--their chemistry generates the sort of interest that holds the film together during those stretches when it isn’t as action-driven as you might have hoped.

In fact, “Appaloosa” isn’t really driven by action at all. It’s driven by its characters and its subtle comedic undertone. Peppered with sidelong glances, the occasional shootout and double-cross, the movie places its importance on loyalties, the undoing of a villain armed with vicious connections, and how one woman, fighting to make it in the Old West, complicates the proceedings in an effort to survive.

In the movie, Harris is Virgil Cole, Appaloosa’s marshal-for-hire, who along with his best friend and second hand, Everett Hitch (Mortensen), is trying to bring one man to justice. That would be Randall Bragg (Jeremy Irons), who has been charged with murder and is about to be hanged for the crime. Bragg, a striking man who has the gift of eloquence, is having none of it. He does, after all, have power, money and the sort of friends who can intervene on his behalf--for a price.

As the above story unfolds, another ties a noose around it--Cole must deal with his affections for Allison French (Renee Zellweger), a widow of questionable intent who “chews her food good,” looks pretty when she pinches her cheeks and does up her hair, and who can be a knockout in the right dress. Although Cole knows Allison is a drifter willing to fall into any man’s arms if it means keeping a roof over her head, he nevertheless becomes smitten with her, which becomes a cornerstone for the story as its more satisfying second half takes root.

Zellweger is the film’s weakest link--she has difficulty losing herself in the role. To be fair to her, the script doesn’t offer her many opportunities to do so. It’s a shallow part, slightly written, with the actress left stranded amid material that would rather focus on the dynamics between Cole and Hitch.

To that end, the movie is solid--it rides on a backbone of cliches, occasionally kicks them up and makes the genre its own. Harris is excellent, nicely recalling elements of Clint Eastwood at his coolest, but he also generously steps aside and allows Mortensen to reveal just how good he can be, which is pretty terrific, as fans of “Eastern Promises,” “The Lord of the Rings” movies and “A History of Violence” will attest.

Grade: B

“Batman: The Complete Animated Series”
The Dark Knight continues his resurgence, which began in July with the release of Christopher Nolan's outstanding movie "The Dark Knight," and which now extends with "Batman: The Complete Animated Series" from Warner Home Video. The series, which originally ran on Saturday mornings on the WB network before being cancelled in 1995, gives Batman, his friends (Robin, Batgirl) and enemies (The Joker, The Riddler, the Penguin, Mr. Freeze, among others) a makeover that hints at Japanese anime. Purists might balk at the animation, but for a time slot that's normally a toss off, the stories are unusually strong and the voice work follows suit. The set includes a 40-page collector’s book, the documentary “Shades of the Bat: Batman’s Animated Evolution,” eight featurettes, 12 commentaries, and all four seasons of the show on 17 discs. Grade: B+

“The Bourne Trilogy”
A tense, satisfying collection of thrillers that began in 2002 with "The Bourne Identity," continued in 2004 with "The Bourne Supremacy” and ended in 2007 with “The Bourne Ultimatum.” Each is a travelogue of espionage that takes audiences around the globe as the amnesiac CIA assassin Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) seeks his true identity while taking down thugs and government agents along the way. Adapted from Robert Ludlum's best-sellers, the movies shrewdly pull in the reins on the author's iron-horse prose and update the gadgetry without sacrificing the hysterical mood. As Bourne, Damon is just right--he’s confident and brooding, all inward confliction assailed by an outside world trying to undo him. Solid supporting turns by Franka Potente, Chris Cooper, Joan Allen, Julia Stiles, Brian Cox, Clive Owen, and David Strathairn lift the franchise. Grade: B+

“Flintstones: Complete Series”
The week’s best new release, with all 166 episodes featured on 24 discs. The series’ creators, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, are what Chuck Jones and Tex Avery would have been without an edge. Hanna and Barbera were of and for the times, whereas Jones and Avery seemed beyond them--and still do. As such, “The Flintstones” always will be more of a throwback, but nevertheless a welcome one. Puns and spoofs abound in each episode, whether it's in the show that features a character named Stoney Curtis or in the send-up of "My Fair Lady" in "My Fair Freddy." Fred, Wilma, Pebbles, Bamm-Bamm, Bette, Barney and Dino all create their share of chaos (or try to fix it). As for the later introduction of the Great Gazoo, he had one thing going for him--he was voiced by the indispensable Harvey Korman. Grade: A-

“Hellboy II: The Golden Army” DVD, Blu-ray
From Guillermo del Toro, a rare sequel that doesn’t feel as if it came only to cash in. Back in the red suit is Ron Perlman as Hellboy, a crimson beast with blunted horns, a right arm the size of a semi, and a big, swinging tail meant to underscore Hellboy’s virility, which apparently is substantial. At 58, Perlman is perfect for the role. It isn’t every actor who has the necessary wit and charm that can punch through the thickest layers of latex and makeup, but that’s the case here. Selma Blair returns as his girlfriend, Liz Sherman, who has the ability to turn herself in a raging inferno of fire (helpful!). Also back are the fishy Abe Sapien (Doug Jones), Johann Krauss (voice of Seth MacFarlane), and their bumbling director, Tom Manning (Jeffrey Tambor). For a villain, the movie offers Prince Nuada (Luke Goss), who wants to fight to save the planet from the humans actively destroying it. For this reason, his character is charged with unexpected depth--how can audiences fully despise somebody with such noble intentions? It’s difficult, and it’s that which offers the movie its satisfying twist. Rated PG-13. Grade: B+

“Scrubs: Seventh Season”
Smart, well-balanced lunacy with an undercurrent of romantic and dramatic tension that cuts through the laughs. In the halls of Sacred Heart Hospital, where the series takes place, the joke is that nothing is as sacred as it should be. Everything here is free to be lampooned--hypochondriacs, love, cancer, you name it--but the writers know that there are consequences to such behavior, and they deliver the fallout. What's admirable about the show is that it consistently is trying for something new, and while it doesn't always succeed in its leaps of faith, it does try, which on television is becoming something of a rarity. With Zack Braff, Donald Faison and Sarah Chalke, the characters and the show play like a bizarro version of "E.R." It courts the genre, appreciates its elements, and then turns all of it on its side. Grade: B+

Also on DVD:
New this week on DVD are several recommended boxed sets, beginning with “The Gregory Peck Film Collection,” which includes six of Peck’s more noteworthy films, including his Academy Award-winning performance in “To Kill a Mockingbird” and the thrilling, nightmarish noir, “Cape Fear.” Extras abound, the best of which are the documentaries “A Conversation with Gregory Peck” and “Fearful Symmetry: The Making of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird.’”

KOCH Entertainment comes through with their comprehensive “Studio One Anthology,” which includes 17 restored dramas, such as “Twelve Angry Men,” “Wuthering Heights” and “June Moon,” all of which ran on CBS and are featured here with their original commercials. Their inclusion isn’t an intrusion--it’s actually a nice touch.

From Sony comes “The Budd Boetticher Box Set,” an excellent collection of five films (“The Tall T,” “Decision at Sundown,” “Buchanan Rides Alone,” “Ride Lonesome,” “Comanche Station”) that at last gives Boetticher his due as one of the great directors of Westerns. Beyond the films, a highlight is Bruce Ricker’s insightful documentary “A Man Can Do That,” which firmly establishes Boetticher place in the canon.

Available Tuesday is “Warner Bros. and the Homefront Collection,” which includes three World War II musicals--Irving Berlin’s Academy Award-winning “This is the Army,” with Ronald Reagan and Joan Leslie; “Thank Your Lucky Stars,” in which Bette Davis sings horrendously (it’s undiluted camp--and she knows it) and does the jitterbug (so frenetic, it must be seen to be believed); and Davis again in the vaudevillian “Hollywood Canteen,” where she’s joined by John Garfield, Barbara Stanwyck and others. Not bad company. Not a bad collection.

“Batman: The Complete Animated Series”
The Dark Knight continues his resurgence, which began in July with the release of Christopher Nolan's outstanding movie "The Dark Knight," and which now extends with "Batman: The Complete Animated Series" from Warner Home Video. The series, which originally ran on Saturday mornings on the WB network before being cancelled in 1995, gives Batman, his friends (Robin, Batgirl) and enemies (The Joker, The Riddler, the Penguin, Mr. Freeze, among others) a makeover that hints at Japanese anime. Purists might balk at the animation, but for a time slot that's normally a toss off, the stories are unusually strong and the voice work follows suit. The set includes a 40-page collector’s book, the documentary “Shades of the Bat: Batman’s Animated Evolution,” eight featurettes, 12 commentaries, and all four seasons of the show on 17 discs. Grade: B+

“The Bourne Trilogy”
A tense, satisfying collection of thrillers that began in 2002 with "The Bourne Identity," continued in 2004 with "The Bourne Supremacy” and ended in 2007 with “The Bourne Ultimatum.” Each is a travelogue of espionage that takes audiences around the globe as the amnesiac CIA assassin Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) seeks his true identity while taking down thugs and government agents along the way. Adapted from Robert Ludlum's best-sellers, the movies shrewdly pull in the reins on the author's iron-horse prose and update the gadgetry without sacrificing the hysterical mood. As Bourne, Damon is just right--he’s confident and brooding, all inward confliction assailed by an outside world trying to undo him. Solid supporting turns by Franka Potente, Chris Cooper, Joan Allen, Julia Stiles, Brian Cox, Clive Owen, and David Strathairn lift the franchise. Grade: B+

“Flintstones: Complete Series”
The week’s best new release, with all 166 episodes featured on 24 discs. The series’ creators, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, are what Chuck Jones and Tex Avery would have been without an edge. Hanna and Barbera were of and for the times, whereas Jones and Avery seemed beyond them--and still do. As such, “The Flintstones” always will be more of a throwback, but nevertheless a welcome one. Puns and spoofs abound in each episode, whether it's in the show that features a character named Stoney Curtis or in the send-up of "My Fair Lady" in "My Fair Freddy." Fred, Wilma, Pebbles, Bamm-Bamm, Bette, Barney and Dino all create their share of chaos (or try to fix it). As for the later introduction of the Great Gazoo, he had one thing going for him--he was voiced by the indispensable Harvey Korman. Grade: A-

“Hellboy II: The Golden Army” DVD, Blu-ray
From Guillermo del Toro, a rare sequel that doesn’t feel as if it came only to cash in. Back in the red suit is Ron Perlman as Hellboy, a crimson beast with blunted horns, a right arm the size of a semi, and a big, swinging tail meant to underscore Hellboy’s virility, which apparently is substantial. At 58, Perlman is perfect for the role. It isn’t every actor who has the necessary wit and charm that can punch through the thickest layers of latex and makeup, but that’s the case here. Selma Blair returns as his girlfriend, Liz Sherman, who has the ability to turn herself in a raging inferno of fire (helpful!). Also back are the fishy Abe Sapien (Doug Jones), Johann Krauss (voice of Seth MacFarlane), and their bumbling director, Tom Manning (Jeffrey Tambor). For a villain, the movie offers Prince Nuada (Luke Goss), who wants to fight to save the planet from the humans actively destroying it. For this reason, his character is charged with unexpected depth--how can audiences fully despise somebody with such noble intentions? It’s difficult, and it’s that which offers the movie its satisfying twist. Rated PG-13. Grade: B+

“Scrubs: Seventh Season”
Smart, well-balanced lunacy with an undercurrent of romantic and dramatic tension that cuts through the laughs. In the halls of Sacred Heart Hospital, where the series takes place, the joke is that nothing is as sacred as it should be. Everything here is free to be lampooned--hypochondriacs, love, cancer, you name it--but the writers know that there are consequences to such behavior, and they deliver the fallout. What's admirable about the show is that it consistently is trying for something new, and while it doesn't always succeed in its leaps of faith, it does try, which on television is becoming something of a rarity. With Zack Braff, Donald Faison and Sarah Chalke, the characters and the show play like a bizarro version of "E.R." It courts the genre, appreciates its elements, and then turns all of it on its side. Grade: B+

Also on DVD:
New this week on DVD are several recommended boxed sets, beginning with “The Gregory Peck Film Collection,” which includes six of Peck’s more noteworthy films, including his Academy Award-winning performance in “To Kill a Mockingbird” and the thrilling, nightmarish noir, “Cape Fear.” Extras abound, the best of which are the documentaries “A Conversation with Gregory Peck” and “Fearful Symmetry: The Making of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird.’”

KOCH Entertainment comes through with their comprehensive “Studio One Anthology,” which includes 17 restored dramas, such as “Twelve Angry Men,” “Wuthering Heights” and “June Moon,” all of which ran on CBS and are featured here with their original commercials. Their inclusion isn’t an intrusion--it’s actually a nice touch.

From Sony comes “The Budd Boetticher Box Set,” an excellent collection of five films (“The Tall T,” “Decision at Sundown,” “Buchanan Rides Alone,” “Ride Lonesome,” “Comanche Station”) that at last gives Boetticher his due as one of the great directors of Westerns. Beyond the films, a highlight is Bruce Ricker’s insightful documentary “A Man Can Do That,” which firmly establishes Boetticher place in the canon.

Available Tuesday is “Warner Bros. and the Homefront Collection,” which includes three World War II musicals--Irving Berlin’s Academy Award-winning “This is the Army,” with Ronald Reagan and Joan Leslie; “Thank Your Lucky Stars,” in which Bette Davis sings horrendously (it’s undiluted camp--and she knows it) and does the jitterbug (so frenetic, it must be seen to be believed); and Davis again in the vaudevillian “Hollywood Canteen,” where she’s joined by John Garfield, Barbara Stanwyck and others. Not bad company. Not a bad collection.

In Dodge City, Kansas, where smoking guns and shootouts are the order of the day, U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness, superb) is up to his arms in the chaos brimming along the new frontier.

This second season of the show, which appeared during the 1956 television season, isn’t as dark as what came before it, but within it, you nevertheless can see its influence reflected in other television shows, from “The Big Valley” straight up through “Deadwood.”

The series is an appealing throwback, with Dennis Weaver as Dillon’s sidekick Chester and Amanda Blake as the formidable Miss Kitty, owner of the lively Longbranch Saloon.

Blake is very good here--she’s tough and she's pretty--but once you’ve seen Joan Crawford’s saloonkeeper in the camp classic “Johnny Guitar” (add it to your Netflix queue), all others come second.

Grade: B+

In Dodge City, Kansas, where smoking guns and shootouts are the order of the day, U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness, superb) is up to his arms in the chaos brimming along the new frontier.

This second season of the show, which appeared during the 1956 television season, isn’t as dark as what came before it, but within it, you nevertheless can see its influence reflected in other television shows, from “The Big Valley” straight up through “Deadwood.”

The series is an appealing throwback, with Dennis Weaver as Dillon’s sidekick Chester and Amanda Blake as the formidable Miss Kitty, owner of the lively Longbranch Saloon.

Blake is very good here--she’s tough and she's pretty--but once you’ve seen Joan Crawford’s saloonkeeper in the camp classic “Johnny Guitar” (add it to your Netflix queue), all others come second.

Grade: B+

Four films--1930’s “The Big Trail,” the 1960 Western-comedy “North to Alaska,” 1961’s “The Comancheros” and 1969’s “The Undefeated.”

The standout is Raoul Walsh’s “Trail,” one of Wayne’s best and earliest films, in which he looks ridiculously young, but don’t let his baby face fool you.

When it comes to romancing Marguerite Churchill, he’s all Duke. Beyond the value (find it online for under $25), the set finds Wayne once again capturing the isolation of the cowboy, turning him into a kind of comic hero, and all while offering a valentine to the masculine aesthetic.

Grade: B+

Four films--1930’s “The Big Trail,” the 1960 Western-comedy “North to Alaska,” 1961’s “The Comancheros” and 1969’s “The Undefeated.”

The standout is Raoul Walsh’s “Trail,” one of Wayne’s best and earliest films, in which he looks ridiculously young, but don’t let his baby face fool you.

When it comes to romancing Marguerite Churchill, he’s all Duke. Beyond the value (find it online for under $25), the set finds Wayne once again capturing the isolation of the cowboy, turning him into a kind of comic hero, and all while offering a valentine to the masculine aesthetic.

Grade: B+

If for some reason you didn't find time to jet to the film festivals at Cannes, Berlin, Los Angeles and Tribeca, not to worry. Currently, 50 theaters in 50 cities around the U.S. are offering a rare opportunity to see the range of amazing work being done in the short-film format, both animated and live action, which is so frequently and unjustly ignored in the hype over big-budget films.

Because these films must be condensed to their essence, they often are more entertaining minute-for-minute than any other films.

This year's animated nominees are especially rich, with Josh Raskin's "I Met the Walrus" offering a brief, trippy account of the day 14-year-old Jerry Levitan interviewed John Lennon on the sly. A riff on cheating death is found in Samuel Tourneux's "Even Pigeons Go To Heaven," though that cheat doesn't exactly go as one man plans, and one woman's haunting journey by train is the focus of Chris Lavis' anxiety-ridden "Madame Tutli-Putli." Also here is "My Love," a beautifully impressionistic piece from Russia's Alexander Petrov that follows one young man's love affair with two women (as with some of the films in this collection, this one is best suited for children).

As for the live-action films, look for Andrea Jublin's bizarre Italian offering "The Substitute," which is dedicated to those who have difficulties with conduct (for reasons that immediately become clear); the funny French comedy "The Mozart of Pickpockets," with director Philippe Pollet-Villard following two bumbling pickpockets whose luck is lifted thanks to a deaf boy; and Belgium's funnier "Tanghi Argentini."

That film is from Guido Thys, and in it is a man who promises the Internet love of his life the fire of the tango, a dance he doesn't know. It's up to the help of a reluctant male co-worker to get him up to speed within two weeks, all of which makes for a hugely entertaining movie that, in the end, literally is a gift. Also in the mix is Daniel Barber's "The Tonto Woman," which comes by way of Elmore Leonard's deceptively spare short story. It's an intense, nicely mounted Western romance that's so compelling, you almost wish its characters could be explored in a feature-length film.

All of the films are special, but one in each category is remarkable. First is Christian E. Christiansen's harrowing and heart-breaking live-action Denmark film, "At Night," in which three women struggle to cope with cancer and their own mortality at a cancer ward. The results are powerful. Second is the standout in the animated category, "Peter and The Wolf," a fantastic entry from the United Kingdom and Poland that sometimes puts a lump in your throat before forcing it out with a laugh.

What this film observes about cats alone is reason enough to seek out these movies.

Grade: A

If for some reason you didn't find time to jet to the film festivals at Cannes, Berlin, Los Angeles and Tribeca, not to worry. Currently, 50 theaters in 50 cities around the U.S. are offering a rare opportunity to see the range of amazing work being done in the short-film format, both animated and live action, which is so frequently and unjustly ignored in the hype over big-budget films.

Because these films must be condensed to their essence, they often are more entertaining minute-for-minute than any other films.

This year's animated nominees are especially rich, with Josh Raskin's "I Met the Walrus" offering a brief, trippy account of the day 14-year-old Jerry Levitan interviewed John Lennon on the sly. A riff on cheating death is found in Samuel Tourneux's "Even Pigeons Go To Heaven," though that cheat doesn't exactly go as one man plans, and one woman's haunting journey by train is the focus of Chris Lavis' anxiety-ridden "Madame Tutli-Putli." Also here is "My Love," a beautifully impressionistic piece from Russia's Alexander Petrov that follows one young man's love affair with two women (as with some of the films in this collection, this one is best suited for children).

As for the live-action films, look for Andrea Jublin's bizarre Italian offering "The Substitute," which is dedicated to those who have difficulties with conduct (for reasons that immediately become clear); the funny French comedy "The Mozart of Pickpockets," with director Philippe Pollet-Villard following two bumbling pickpockets whose luck is lifted thanks to a deaf boy; and Belgium's funnier "Tanghi Argentini."

That film is from Guido Thys, and in it is a man who promises the Internet love of his life the fire of the tango, a dance he doesn't know. It's up to the help of a reluctant male co-worker to get him up to speed within two weeks, all of which makes for a hugely entertaining movie that, in the end, literally is a gift. Also in the mix is Daniel Barber's "The Tonto Woman," which comes by way of Elmore Leonard's deceptively spare short story. It's an intense, nicely mounted Western romance that's so compelling, you almost wish its characters could be explored in a feature-length film.

All of the films are special, but one in each category is remarkable. First is Christian E. Christiansen's harrowing and heart-breaking live-action Denmark film, "At Night," in which three women struggle to cope with cancer and their own mortality at a cancer ward. The results are powerful. Second is the standout in the animated category, "Peter and The Wolf," a fantastic entry from the United Kingdom and Poland that sometimes puts a lump in your throat before forcing it out with a laugh.

What this film observes about cats alone is reason enough to seek out these movies.

Grade: A

(Originally published 2003)

Directed by Ron Howard, written by Ken Kaufman, 135 minutes, rated R.

In the opening scene of Ron Howard's western “The Missing,” Cate Blanchett, in full period drag, straddles a writhing Mexican woman, holds her down and pulls the last rotten tooth from her head.

It’s 1885 and times are tough in New Mexico, particularly for a beleaguered healer like Blanchett’s Maggie Gilkeson, a single woman raising two daughters with the help of Brake Baldwin (Aaron Eckhart), the scruffy cowpoke she loves, albeit secretly.

Like novelist Willa Cather’s great character, Antonia, Maggie is a product of the frontier.

She’s bold and spirited, tough and unshrinking. As played by Blanchett in one of her most rewarding and challenging roles since her breakout performance in “Elizabeth,” Maggie is a force to be reckoned with, which is a good thing since her teenage daughter, Lilly (Evan Rachel Wood), has recently been kidnapped by a band of Apaches determined to sell her and other women into sexual slavery in Mexico.

Reminiscent of John Ford’s 1956 classic, “The Searchers,” in which John Wayne gave one of the best, most memorable performances of his career, “The Missing” conspires to reconnect Maggie with her father Samuel (Tommy Lee Jones), who abandoned Maggie as a child and who has since re-entered her life to make amends.

In spite of the cold fist of hatred Maggie feels toward him, she soon realizes she has no choice but to seek his help. Indeed, rather conveniently, Samuel has lived among the Apaches for years; he knows their customs, their language, how they think. And so, along with Maggie’s young daughter, Dot (Jenna Boyd), the three go in search of Lilly, a perilous journey that often proves uncomfortably violent.

The film, which screenwriter Ken Kaufman based on Thomas Eidson’s novel, “The Last Ride,” is more claustrophobic than this year’s other western, “Open Range,” and it never achieves the scenic greatness of the films of Sam Peckinpah, Howard Hawks and Ford. But it does have energy, comedy and passion, rising above the contrivances that drive it because Howard’s heart is in it so completely.

There are moments in this movie that are unshakable, such as the harrowing, beautifully shot scene in which Maggie and Dot race through the woods on horseback; the look that wavers across Maggie’s face when it occurs to her that she might have lost her daughter for good to the evil Chidin (Eric Schweig); the scores of fiery arrows hurtling through the air and sinking still ablaze into the bellies and necks of unsuspecting horses.

Howard doesn’t hold back in “The Missing,” and neither does his cast. Together, they’re a force, lifting the movie above its unnecessary lapses into mysticism and mythmaking with superlative action and acting.

Grade: B+

(Originally published 2003)

Directed by Ron Howard, written by Ken Kaufman, 135 minutes, rated R.

In the opening scene of Ron Howard's western “The Missing,” Cate Blanchett, in full period drag, straddles a writhing Mexican woman, holds her down and pulls the last rotten tooth from her head.

It’s 1885 and times are tough in New Mexico, particularly for a beleaguered healer like Blanchett’s Maggie Gilkeson, a single woman raising two daughters with the help of Brake Baldwin (Aaron Eckhart), the scruffy cowpoke she loves, albeit secretly.

Like novelist Willa Cather’s great character, Antonia, Maggie is a product of the frontier.

She’s bold and spirited, tough and unshrinking. As played by Blanchett in one of her most rewarding and challenging roles since her breakout performance in “Elizabeth,” Maggie is a force to be reckoned with, which is a good thing since her teenage daughter, Lilly (Evan Rachel Wood), has recently been kidnapped by a band of Apaches determined to sell her and other women into sexual slavery in Mexico.

Reminiscent of John Ford’s 1956 classic, “The Searchers,” in which John Wayne gave one of the best, most memorable performances of his career, “The Missing” conspires to reconnect Maggie with her father Samuel (Tommy Lee Jones), who abandoned Maggie as a child and who has since re-entered her life to make amends.

In spite of the cold fist of hatred Maggie feels toward him, she soon realizes she has no choice but to seek his help. Indeed, rather conveniently, Samuel has lived among the Apaches for years; he knows their customs, their language, how they think. And so, along with Maggie’s young daughter, Dot (Jenna Boyd), the three go in search of Lilly, a perilous journey that often proves uncomfortably violent.

The film, which screenwriter Ken Kaufman based on Thomas Eidson’s novel, “The Last Ride,” is more claustrophobic than this year’s other western, “Open Range,” and it never achieves the scenic greatness of the films of Sam Peckinpah, Howard Hawks and Ford. But it does have energy, comedy and passion, rising above the contrivances that drive it because Howard’s heart is in it so completely.

There are moments in this movie that are unshakable, such as the harrowing, beautifully shot scene in which Maggie and Dot race through the woods on horseback; the look that wavers across Maggie’s face when it occurs to her that she might have lost her daughter for good to the evil Chidin (Eric Schweig); the scores of fiery arrows hurtling through the air and sinking still ablaze into the bellies and necks of unsuspecting horses.

Howard doesn’t hold back in “The Missing,” and neither does his cast. Together, they’re a force, lifting the movie above its unnecessary lapses into mysticism and mythmaking with superlative action and acting.

Grade: B+

(Originally published 2007)

Directed by James Mangold, written by Halsted Welles, Michael Brandt and Derek Haas, 117 minutes, rated R.

The new James Mangold movie, "3:10 to Yuma," follows Kevin Costner's "Open Range" and Clint Eastwood's "Unforgiven" in that it comes to the genre having learned plenty from all that came before it. In Mangold's case, that also meant studying the 1957 original on which his film is based, which happens to be a plus since the movie is a classic.

This beautifully acted, expertly staged film is infused with the sense that there still is more to be discovered in the Old West.

Given the enthusiasm with which he directs, it's clear that Mangold (“Walk the Line”) came to the material charged with the sense that he could manipulate familiar stock Western conventions and make them appear fresh again so long as he had the story, the characters and the cast to back up his bravado.

That he does is an understatement. "3:10 to Yuma" is one of the more exciting, engrossing movies to come along in awhile.

Based on Elmore Leonard's short story, itself inspired by the 1952 movie "High Noon," the film’s plot is as lean and as simple as you’d expect from Leonard, but none of that simplicity translates to the characters, who are complex and human in ways that make for a satisfying, emotionally rich narrative.

Christian Bale is Dan Evans, a down-on-his-luck rancher with a bum leg and a bum life who is trying to keep it together in Bisbee, Ariz., in the late 1800s. Thanks to a drought, his cattle are dying off, which is fueling an already tense situation at home.

Though his youngest boy adores him, his eldest son, Will (Logan Lerman), and Dan's wife, Alice (Gretchen Mol), have lost faith in him--Will looks at him in disgust, Alice with pity, neither of which exactly makes Dan feel like the man he longs to be.

When into his life comes Russell Crowe's Ben Wade, an infamous outlaw with a string of robberies and murders behind him, Dan is faced with an opportunity to regain the respect he has lost when Wade is captured. A railroad official (Dallas Roberts) offers him $200 to help bring Wade to justice.

Given the viciousness of Wade's posse, which is led by the chilling Charlie Prince (Ben Foster in an Academy Award-worthy supporting performance), it's a risky proposition, but Dan’s desperation to turn his life around is so great, he nevertheless accepts it. Against his wife's wishes, he joins the railroad official and his men (including Peter Fonda and Alan Tudyk) on a 2-day trip to Contention City, where Wade will be placed on the 3:10 train to Yuma and meet his maker when he arrives there at the prison.

What ensues is just as action-packed and as disastrous as you'd expect--Wade's men want their leader back and they're skilled enough to do it--but what you might not expect is the odd bond that grows between Dan and Ben. With Dan choosing a life of good and Ben a life of evil, each becomes fascinated by the other, which allows Mangold to mine unexpected depths from a movie that, in the wrong hands, could have relied solely on action and thus wouldn’t have allowed for the terrific performances Mangold pulls from Crowe and Bale.

In the end, if "3:10 to Yuma" doesn't find itself on the short list of Academy Award contenders, this film itself has been robbed.

Grade: A

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(Originally published 2007)

Directed by James Mangold, written by Halsted Welles, Michael Brandt and Derek Haas, 117 minutes, rated R.

The new James Mangold movie, "3:10 to Yuma," follows Kevin Costner's "Open Range" and Clint Eastwood's "Unforgiven" in that it comes to the genre having learned plenty from all that came before it. In Mangold's case, that also meant studying the 1957 original on which his film is based, which happens to be a plus since the movie is a classic.

This beautifully acted, expertly staged film is infused with the sense that there still is more to be discovered in the Old West.

Given the enthusiasm with which he directs, it's clear that Mangold (“Walk the Line”) came to the material charged with the sense that he could manipulate familiar stock Western conventions and make them appear fresh again so long as he had the story, the characters and the cast to back up his bravado.

That he does is an understatement. "3:10 to Yuma" is one of the more exciting, engrossing movies to come along in awhile.

Based on Elmore Leonard's short story, itself inspired by the 1952 movie "High Noon," the film’s plot is as lean and as simple as you’d expect from Leonard, but none of that simplicity translates to the characters, who are complex and human in ways that make for a satisfying, emotionally rich narrative.

Christian Bale is Dan Evans, a down-on-his-luck rancher with a bum leg and a bum life who is trying to keep it together in Bisbee, Ariz., in the late 1800s. Thanks to a drought, his cattle are dying off, which is fueling an already tense situation at home.

Though his youngest boy adores him, his eldest son, Will (Logan Lerman), and Dan's wife, Alice (Gretchen Mol), have lost faith in him--Will looks at him in disgust, Alice with pity, neither of which exactly makes Dan feel like the man he longs to be.

When into his life comes Russell Crowe's Ben Wade, an infamous outlaw with a string of robberies and murders behind him, Dan is faced with an opportunity to regain the respect he has lost when Wade is captured. A railroad official (Dallas Roberts) offers him $200 to help bring Wade to justice.

Given the viciousness of Wade's posse, which is led by the chilling Charlie Prince (Ben Foster in an Academy Award-worthy supporting performance), it's a risky proposition, but Dan’s desperation to turn his life around is so great, he nevertheless accepts it. Against his wife's wishes, he joins the railroad official and his men (including Peter Fonda and Alan Tudyk) on a 2-day trip to Contention City, where Wade will be placed on the 3:10 train to Yuma and meet his maker when he arrives there at the prison.

What ensues is just as action-packed and as disastrous as you'd expect--Wade's men want their leader back and they're skilled enough to do it--but what you might not expect is the odd bond that grows between Dan and Ben. With Dan choosing a life of good and Ben a life of evil, each becomes fascinated by the other, which allows Mangold to mine unexpected depths from a movie that, in the wrong hands, could have relied solely on action and thus wouldn’t have allowed for the terrific performances Mangold pulls from Crowe and Bale.

In the end, if "3:10 to Yuma" doesn't find itself on the short list of Academy Award contenders, this film itself has been robbed.

Grade: A

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(Originally published 2003)

Directed by Kevin Costner, written by Craig Storper, based on the novel “The Open Range Men” by Lauran Paine, 135 minutes, rated R.

In the Western “Open Range,” director, producer and star Kevin Costner casts himself in a variation of the role that has defined so much of his career, that of a troubled loner whose reluctance to become romantically involved is exactly the quality that makes him so irresistible to strong-willed women.

He’s Charley Waite, a quiet, brooding man guiding cattle across the wild West with three other free rangers—the patriarch of the group, Boss Spearman (Robert Duvall), gentle giant Mose (Abraham Benrubi) and the immature Button (Diego Luna).

After a leisurely opening that drags in spite of the welcome diversion of cinematographer James Muro’s stunning, wide-open landscapes (the film was shot in Alberta and its look is pure John Ford), the movie gets under your skin.

Working against the men as they move along the outskirts of Harmonville is a powerful, insidious rancher named Baxter (Michael Gambon), who detests free rangers so much, he employs several men to find Charley, Boss and the others with the intent to kill them.

What ensues is a gathering storm, one that culminates in a vicious, beautifully conceived gunfight that matches anything in “High Noon” or “Unforgiven,” along with a stiff romantic undercurrent that pulls the film together as Charley falls for Sue Barlow (Annette Bening), the local doctor’s handsome, headstrong sister.

Time and failure have turned Costner into a generous actor and director. Throughout “Open Range,” he literally hands his movie to Duvall, who runs with the film, doing some of his best work in years, walking a fine line between grounding the movie as Charley’s moral compass while offering several much-needed moments of comic relief. He’s terrific here, one of the best reasons to see the movie.

Some of the film’s dialogue is unfortunate (“I’ve been holdin’ my love a long time, Charley”; “Let’s go rustle up some grub”), and Costner remains the sort of cornball softy who can’t resist forcibly tugging at our hearts. Still, for the most part, he’s more sure-footed than ever, mining a memorable posthumous performance from Michael Jeter, delivering a solid turn himself, and finding in the Western something grand, familiar and new within a genre that clearly has some life in it yet.

Grade: B+

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(Originally published 2003)

Directed by Kevin Costner, written by Craig Storper, based on the novel “The Open Range Men” by Lauran Paine, 135 minutes, rated R.

In the Western “Open Range,” director, producer and star Kevin Costner casts himself in a variation of the role that has defined so much of his career, that of a troubled loner whose reluctance to become romantically involved is exactly the quality that makes him so irresistible to strong-willed women.

He’s Charley Waite, a quiet, brooding man guiding cattle across the wild West with three other free rangers—the patriarch of the group, Boss Spearman (Robert Duvall), gentle giant Mose (Abraham Benrubi) and the immature Button (Diego Luna).

After a leisurely opening that drags in spite of the welcome diversion of cinematographer James Muro’s stunning, wide-open landscapes (the film was shot in Alberta and its look is pure John Ford), the movie gets under your skin.

Working against the men as they move along the outskirts of Harmonville is a powerful, insidious rancher named Baxter (Michael Gambon), who detests free rangers so much, he employs several men to find Charley, Boss and the others with the intent to kill them.

What ensues is a gathering storm, one that culminates in a vicious, beautifully conceived gunfight that matches anything in “High Noon” or “Unforgiven,” along with a stiff romantic undercurrent that pulls the film together as Charley falls for Sue Barlow (Annette Bening), the local doctor’s handsome, headstrong sister.

Time and failure have turned Costner into a generous actor and director. Throughout “Open Range,” he literally hands his movie to Duvall, who runs with the film, doing some of his best work in years, walking a fine line between grounding the movie as Charley’s moral compass while offering several much-needed moments of comic relief. He’s terrific here, one of the best reasons to see the movie.

Some of the film’s dialogue is unfortunate (“I’ve been holdin’ my love a long time, Charley”; “Let’s go rustle up some grub”), and Costner remains the sort of cornball softy who can’t resist forcibly tugging at our hearts. Still, for the most part, he’s more sure-footed than ever, mining a memorable posthumous performance from Michael Jeter, delivering a solid turn himself, and finding in the Western something grand, familiar and new within a genre that clearly has some life in it yet.

Grade: B+

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