Movie remakes are usually a shadow of the original. But the gritty Western "3:10 to Yuma" (Lionsgate), now on DVD, is an exception to that rule.

Based on an early story by Elmore Leonard, the sagebrush drama was beautifully adapted for film in 1957 with Van Heflin as a cattle rancher who agrees to escort a notorious gunman (Glenn Ford) to Yuma so the bandit can be put on a prison train.

The new version — directed by James Mangold ("Walk the Line"), a longtime admirer of the original — is respectful to the 1957 film but makes it more palatable for contemporary audiences. Christian Bale takes on the Heflin role of Dan Evans, a crippled Civil War vet with a family who volunteers to join a party of men taking the infamous Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) to Yuma. This telling beefs up Evans' relationship to his wife (Gretchen Mol) and two sons — his eldest boy (Logan Lerman) sees Wade as almost a hero — and explores how a bond between Evans and Wade develops during the treacherous journey.

The cast is nominated for a best screen ensemble Screen Actors Guild Award. Included on the DVD are deleted scenes, a well-produced behind-the-scenes documentary, a discussion with historians about "Outlaws, Gangs and Posses" and engrossing, passionate commentary with Mangold.

Director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland collaborated on one of the best zombie films of recent years, "28 Days Later," and now they've put their unique stamp on the sci-fi thriller "Sunshine" (Fox). Though the film unravels in the final reels, there's plenty of suspense to keep fans of the genre interested.

Halfway through the 21st century, the sun has begun to die, so a spaceship armed with a nuclear device was launched to jump-start the sun. But after it disappeared, a second one was sent to complete the job. The film's action starts 16 months into the second ship's journey. Extras include alternate and deleted scenes, sterling audio commentary from Boyle and a commentary track from the film's technical adviser, Brian Cox.

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