Somehow a great Western story with solid actors and beautiful sets gets tainted by Austin Powers antics. All we need is Scott Evil to point out to us how Russell Crowe's character Ben Wade is going to escape AGAIN! I mean I get it. It's a movie, but boy, that guy Dan Evans with the wooden leg can motor.And PLEASE, someone tell me how the amulet or lucky charm engraved in the gun handle or carried by Dan empowers them all to mystically pause then, as Dr. Laura would say, "Now go do the right thing!" <br /><br />Yuma ends in something so contrived it's laughable. You know they say movies are made for an eight grade educated audience and even with grade inflation no one in middle school will be insulted by this film.<br /><br />All the killing was great. I mean I love bullets, especially the ones fired at point blank that don't blow the guts out of Peter Fonda's character. Was he wearing body armor or is he just so old and leathery that it stops the molten hot projectile from penetrating his subcutaneous fat and peritoneum. Pretty soon he's 'good to go' and up in the saddle and fighting Ben. And when he gets flung over the cliff his posse pales show great restraint. "OK Mr. Wade, that'll be enough, now get back on your horse, we have a train to catch." <br /><br />When Butch in Butch Cassidy gets mad at his gang but only kicks the big guy in the nuts. Crowe does Butch one better by blowing them all to pieces. A nice parting gesture after they ride 80 hard miles to rescue him. The very last icing on the cake was Roy Roger's horse Trigger doing a cameo and responding to a whistle from Crowe. <br /><br />If you loved this movie don't watch, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Unforgiven, Open Range or Dances with Wolves.<br /><br />Filmmakers: PLEASE SOMEONE SAVE THE WESTERN!