The original was boring and had acting that included an always-the-same John Wayne. The re-make: Better acting, a more developed plot with timeliness, and some great camera work.
The movie is about a girl, Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld, in her first major role), who is out to avenge her father’s death against his killer, Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin). To do so, she must hire a notorious Marshall, Rooster Cogburn (the amazing Jeff Bridges) and Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (Matt Damon) to help her hunt him down and kill him.
Best Aspects: Acting was phenomenal, though the writing seemed often very texty, especially for dialog. Great shots and camera work and a well-driven plot. The ending was C at best, though.
Bottom Line: B+. Good movie, but it has some hits and some misses. The Coen Brothers have recently let me down at the theaters, but this is one of their best movies of the decade.