Cowboys & Aliens (2011)

Studio: Universal/Dreamworks

Theatrical Release: July 29, 2011

PG-13

Review by James Klein

With a summer movie season filled with superheroes, robots, pirates and some hungover men it is now time to throw in some cowboys and aliens into the mix. Actor/director Jon Favreau has had previous summer hits with the two Iron Man movies and now tries his hand once again at another comic book adaptation simply called Cowboys & Aliens. While I love the premise of mixing the western genre with the science fiction genre, Cowboys & Aliens just doesn't quite live up to ones expectations. With a great cast and capable director, one can only wonder, "What happened?"

Daniel Craig stars as Jake Lonergan, a cowboy who wakes up in the middle of the western plains all beat up with no memory. All he has on his wrist is a metal contraption that turns out to be a laser gun once he learns how to use it. As Craig journeys into town trying to figure what is going on, he meets up with rich proprietor Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford taking on a supporting role for a change) whose spoiled son has been arrested for disturbing the peace and accidentally shooting an innocent bystander. Just as Dolarhyde and the sheriff are about to have it out, the town is quickly attacked by alien spaceships which shoot down these tentacles that pick up various townsfolk and take them away. With flashbacks starting to come back to Jake, he teams up with Dolarhyde and some of the townspeople including the beautiful but mysterious Alice (Abigail Spencer) to get back the missing towns people and put a stop to these aliens.

While I did enjoy the fast moving/action packed film at times, I wondered if the movie was just trying to cover up the mess of a screenplay. This is the sole problem of Cowboys & Aliens. The film was written by seven people! The movie has too many questions that are raised and then yet answered rather simplistically (Why are the aliens taking the towns people? Answer: for revenge because the alien's gold was taken). The film also doesn't take its time to know or care about the characters. With a cast like Craig, Ford, Clancy Brown, Sam Rockwell, Paul Dano and Walter Goggins and then have them wasted by either making them scream, run or get shot just seems like such a waste of talent. When the viewer does get a little peak into the characters (such as Dolarhyde's treatment towards an Indian boy he took under his wing) the drama is quickly stopped for more outlandish action scenes with various CGI effects thrown at the viewer. I still have no idea who or what Alice is. I never quite understood her character. Is she even needed or just a tool to have some sort of female lead in this movie.

Cowboys & Aliens isn't without some merit. I love the western genre and enjoyed all of the non-science fiction scenes with these characters. I liked seeing townsfolk, criminals and Indians all come together to fight against the aliens. Daniel Craig plays Jake like a younger Clint Eastwood, saying very little and being a bad ass. Ford also doesn't look like he's sleepwalking in his role for a change and always plays a good asshole with a heart of gold. The movie also moves along quickly (too quickly at times) and keeps the action and special effects coming at the viewer from beginning to end (however the CGI aliens looked ridiculously bad). With Ron Howard and Steven Spielberg as executive producers, there is just too much talent behind this film that Cowboys & Aliens should have never been this mediocre and unfortunately forgettable. It passes the time by if you're bored and have nothing else to do. Hopefully studios don't shy away from cross-genre films as the premise to Cowboys & Aliens is no doubt original. How about Zombies & Gangsters? Cheerleaders & Robots? Porn Stars & Barbarians?