3:10 to Yuma (2007)

3:10 to Yuma is a drama first and a western second which gives it an appeal to a wide audience. It follows Dan Evans, a not-so-successful rancher played earnestly by Christian Bale, as part of a group taking Rusell Crowe's notorious criminal Ben Wade to the jail train. The focus here isn't on ranchers versus farmers or who can sling a gun the fastest, which makes it all the more refreshing.

The good guys and the bad guys aren't as polarized as your typical western either. And it is that shared humanity, those attempts to make a life out in the early Western US, that give this film depth. Ben Foster gives a particularly creepy performance as Ben's incredibly devoted number two, Charlie Prince. And it being a western, of course there is violence. But this film did a good job of it not seeming gratuitous regardless of how graphic, as it provides the harsh reality of the characters' situation.

I can't speak for the 1957 original, but with the exception of some out of place CGI pulling you out of the story for a few minutes, this film's increasingly frenetic pace with keep you glued through the end.

Rating: 4/5
Recommended for: Adults who enjoy rooting for a character no matter what obstacles come his way.

The Dark Knight (2008)

Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight is hands down the deepest and darkest of all the Batman films. The Nolan men weaved a clever and visually intriguing tale. In this one Batman and Lieutenant Gordon are pitted against the manic Joker, whom the crime bosses have called in a bid to regain their power. It's difficult to say much more about the plot without giving too much away, so let's just say it'll have plenty of twists and turns (and an awesome in camera flipping semi-truck) to keep your interest. This may even be one action film that'll be nominated for more than special effects or make-up come awards time.

Heath Ledger gives a thoughtful and committed performance as the Joker. It's always nice to see someone on the screen who has really developed a character, even if he is a bad guy. I read somewhere that he even put on his own clown make-up every day because The Joker would have done it himself. It's a mess but it's a commitment. The best part is with that make-up and that intense of a character, it's easy to forget that's Heath Ledger in there - keeping you rooted in the story.

Christian Bale continues his conflicted Bruce Wayne performance from Batman Begins, although someone decided it was a good idea for his Batman voice to be a much lower, raspy whisper-yell. It wasn't. Maggie Gyllenhaal does an admirable job taking over the Rachel Dawes role, even though the character only exists to give other characters someone to chase after. Gary Oldman puts on his good guy boots and gives it his scrappy all as Lt. Gordon. And shaking his head at them all is the ever-wise Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox.

Rating: 5/5
Recommended for: Everyone who is not a little kid.