Fresh on 4K Ultra HD: ‘3:10 TO YUMA’ goes high-res for 10th anniversary

Connor Bynum // Film Critic

3:10 TO YUMA (2007)
Rated R, 122 minutes.
Director: James Mangold
Cast: Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, Ben Foster, Logan Lerman, Vinessa Shaw, Alan Tudyk, Gretchen Mol, Kevin Durand, Luke Wilson and Peter Fonda

Movie Quality: A
It’s hard not to enjoy a good Western. Even more so when it comes to a great Western, and 3:10 TO YUMA is a damn good one.

Christian Bale plays Dan Evans, a struggling rancher with one leg who will stop at nothing to prove just how far he’ll go to provide for his family. Evans must escort a notorious outlaw, Ben Wade (a subtle, but moving Russell Crowe), to the next town over and get him on a train to Yuma prison with Wade’s gang hot on his heels.

Video Quality: B
10 years after its theatrical release, we are treated to a mostly stellar 4K re-release of this spectacular remake, courtesy of Lionsgate Pictures. Interestingly enough, a good number of 4K UHD Blu-ray titles are derived from a 2K Digital Intermediate that have been digitally upscaled to 4K.

3:10 TO YUMA joins this roster of upscaled discs, offering a fairly mixed bag of results. Most of the daytime scenes and frantic shoot-outs look truly stunning. Beads of sweat, pores of skin, and fine details of Wade’s drawings certainly stand out in their 4K beauty. Yet, the film is weighed down by its frequent night-time scenes, often lit only by a single campfire. These moments look downright messy, with grainy darks that range from a blue to purple hue. (An exception can be made for the opening night raid sequence which looks spectacular.) The transfer does maintain a fair amount of film grain. While this can often become distracting, it does compliment the western aesthetic, so it’s pretty easy to let that slide.

Audio Quality: A+
Fortunately, I have only great things to say about the Oscar-nominated sound mixing in this film. Gun shots, dynamite, and horse hooves balance beautifully with crackling fires, gentle breezes, and whispered dialogue. This is definitely a disc worth purchasing for those eager to show off their fancy home audio setups.

Overal Score: A-

4K ULTRA HD/BLU-RAY/DIGITAL HD SPECIAL FEATURES
• “Destination 3:10 TO YUMA” Making-Of Documentary 
• “Outlaws, Gangs, and Posses” Featurette
• “An Epic Explored” Featurette
• “3:10 to Score” Featurette
• “Sea to Shining Sea” Documentary
• “A Conversation with Elmore Leonard” Featurette
• “The Guns of Yuma” Featurette
• Deleted Scenes
• Audio Commentary with Director James Mangold
• Historical Timeline of the West (Blu-ray™ Only)
• Inside Yuma: An Exclusive Blu-ray Disc™ Interactive Experience

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Saddle up for one of the most thrilling Westerns of the last decade when 3:10 TO YUMA arrives on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack (plus Blu-ray™ and Digital HD) May 2 from Lionsgate. From the directing and producing team behind Walk the Line, revisit the Oscar®-nominated feature in stunning Full HD resolution and High Dynamic Range (HDR) to experience the Old West in a more vibrant presentation than ever before. With a star-studded cast, including Russell Crowe and Christian Bale, and a Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes score, the 3:10 TO YUMA 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack will be available for the suggested retail price of $22.99.