Never thought I'd say this, but...

[ldhenson]

...I walked out of a movie starring both Christian Bale and Russell Crowe. Of my own free will.

I wanted to like 3:10 to Yuma. I really, really did. In fact, I certainly expected I would. A film with Crowe and Bale, plus Alan Tudyk (a great bonus; I hadn't read the cast list), not to mention horses, guns, and the Old West in the late 19th century. Add that to all its good reviews (which I hadn't read, not wanting spoilers), and what could go wrong?

My suspension of disbelief snapping about halfway through was what went wrong. I won't go into detail now, but the first twenty or so minutes seemed to go well, and then I grew increasingly frustrated as it gradually but inevitably became clear that I was watching a group of characters who, collectively, appeared to possess the amount of instinct for self-preservation roughly equivalent to that possessed by a small dried peanut. The entire plot, at least as far as I managed to watch it, consisted of one easily-avoided, forehead-slapping, "duh, this wouldn't have happened if you hadn't been so boneheaded/naive/careless a few scenes earlier" troublesome situation after another. Problem was, according to the script, these were more or less sensible characters who supposedly knew what they were doing, and the troublesome situations they found themselves in were just misfortune and not the direct result of their own utter thick-headedness.

I walked out about an hour twenty in. Everyone else, and it was a pretty decent-sized audience for a dollar theater, seemed to like it fine.

I'm baffled by all the positive reviews. Honestly, completely baffled, despite my love for Bale and Crowe. I must have been watching an entirely different movie.

Comments

[esteven]

You know, it is good to read something else than the positive reviews. I'll probably wait until it is out on DVD (because I can't get to a theatre easily anyway), as I don't lilke movies dubbed. :/

The 1950's original wasn't any better storywise. Sometimes, suspension of disbelief is hard. *sigh*

[ldhenson.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen the original...

I guess I ought to take a look at some of the reviews and see just what people like so much about the remake. Maybe the focus isn't really supposed to be on the plot...but I would disagree. At least the plot holes shouldn't be such a distraction!

But I won't say any more if you haven't seen it yet.

[esteven]

The plot is not the strong point.

But I won't say any more if you haven't seen it yet.
Don't worry. I've read every spoiler, seen photos, think RC looks very good, and thus do not mind spoilers at all. Actually I have never understood other people's fear of them ;D

[ldhenson.livejournal.com]

I avoid spoilers because I love surprises and seeing how the story unfolds. But to each his own. Since I was so disenchanted with this movie, however, I looked up the rest of the plot on Wikipedia, so I know how it ends. And I still don't regret not finishing the movie.

I just couldn't understand most of the characters' motivations, because they kept carelessly putting themselves and others in danger. I can overlook a lousy plot if I like the characters enough (believe me, some of my favorite movies have far from reasonable plots!) but I just lost sympathy for the characters in this one. And if I can't connect with the characters, I can't get into the film. Which is too bad, because I'm such a fan of the cast.

[esteven]

Which is too bad, because I'm such a fan of the cast.
Yes, if one likes the cast one wants to like the movie, but it can't always happen. *shurgs shoulders* At least I can regard the screencaps and still think that Crowe and Bale look very good. ;D

[ldhenson.livejournal.com]

Crowe and Bale look very good. ;D

Yes they do :-)

And who knows? Maybe you'll like it much more than I did. The critics did, after all...

[esteven]

Maybe you'll like it much more than I did
Maybe. :D I'll wait until the DVD is available, and even if I don't like a movie, there will still be some eye candy around. ;D

[loverofkougaiji.livejournal.com]

i actually loved that movie. i was horrified at the end though. i cried. really hard. i love christian bale and watching him get shot four times and die nearly killed me.

[ldhenson.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I had to come back and Wikipedia the movie to find out how it ended. Probably just as well that I didn't watch it...

[loverofkougaiji.livejournal.com]

my sister told me what happened. so i was prepared. but it was still sad. better than when my sister watched the prestige and didn't tell me what happened. i had to find out on my own that christian bale's character in that one got hung for a crime he didn't commit. so i cried.

[ldhenson.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'd forgotten about that. I thought it was a well-done movie with a great cast, but I'm much too squeamish to watch it again.

[loverofkougaiji.livejournal.com]

haha. i had to watch the ending twice. because one of my friends wouldn't believe me when i said christian bale's character had a twin. we had forgotten if it mentioned in the movie that the other guy was his twin or just a look alike so to prove he was a twin i had to watch the ending again. thus seeing him die...again. i liked the movie and would actually watch it again. i loved all the plot twists. it was a mind trip.

[ldhenson.livejournal.com]

Heh, my friend and I went straight to the bookstore after seeing the movie to look up various plot points we'd missed. The twists were great.

I used to have pet birds, so I can't stand it when they die in the movie. (Yes, I know it's just a movie. It's still too awful for me.)

[loverofkougaiji.livejournal.com]

the twists were indeed amazing. i love birds too. me and my friend were sitting there nearly sqeauling when they hurt killed them. so. i totally found christian bale's fan mail address. i'm a goober but i'm gonna write anyway.

[ldhenson.livejournal.com]

I've never tried that, but let me know if you hear anything back!

[loverofkougaiji.livejournal.com]

i will. i'm going to send it soon. after i get my friend to print me off a couple a' pics to send him to autograph. cause the place i got the address from gave a specific address for those wanting autographs. and i need to get the pics i want first. i myself have no printer so it sucks.