This remake of the 1957 Western starring Glenn Ford stars Russell Crowe and Christian Bale, and they are both outstanding. Crowe plays bad-man Ben Wade, a killer and robber of stagecoaches. When he is apprehended after a particularly heinous crime, a down-on-his-luck rancher (Bale) volunteers to escort him to prison for a feeand Wades psycho gang is on his tail. Crowe nails the part, giving Wade a devilish, gentlemanly demeanor that makes him a very confusing man. Bale manages to create a flawed hero that garners sympathy. Director James Mangold, who also made the excellent Walk the Line, does well within the genre, putting together a great-looking movie that never lacks excitement or tension. Its a genuine thrill to see this much talent on the screen. You dont have to like Westerns to like this film.