Rob Taylor

24 May 2012

Not what I expected and not in a good way.

I'm not really sure what I expected from this film. Maybe Unforgivenmeets Aliens, perhaps? But the reality is more like Maverick meetsIndependence Day, with none of the charm of either.Cowboys and Aliens is not a bad film, but it is a little more popcornyand action-oriented than I was expecting and less grim and dark than Ihoped.I don't really have a problem with it not being what I expected.Sometimes the best movies are ones I completely had the wrong ideaabout going into them. But here, the popcorn movie-fest that Cowboysturns into sits uncomfortably with its darker, Western beginning.As always, I take exception to the illogicality of certain scenes,included for no other reason than they are mandated by some Hollywoodscript-writers bible.As a result, we get many clichéd characters and stereotypical scenes.It actually becomes funny when you watch a movie and can identifyfuture scenes almost the moment the foreshadowing is done.So you get the boy who is given a knife and told a story about how itmade the giver a man etc. Gee! I wonder if the boy will use the knifeat some point in the film in a similar rite of passage scene? Or, the hero flashes back to the death of his loved one, and escapes,maiming the alien that did it in a particularly obvious way.Hmmm..wonder if we'll see that alien again so that there can be apersonal reckoning between the two? Yep! And the above examples are what makes this movie rather tiresomelypredictable. As a result, the movie it could have been is lost infavour of appeasing the great god Formulaic! In a movie with cowboys and aliens, it's hard for me to nitpick much.But there is one scene, right at the end that made me go Huh? The alienmother ship, replete with smaller vessels that appear to use some formof advanced engine technology such as gravitics, and who use the samegravity-defying technology to mine for gold (don't ask), is itselfpowered by a massive chemical fuel rocket? Wait...what? The finalscene, which involves the alien ship attempting to take off and escape,then being blown to pieces, was uncomfortably similar to certain actualfootage of things like the Challenger disaster. I'm not saying it wasright or wrong, just that they might have wanted to rethink that one alittle.At that point, I half expected the cowboys, townsfolk, bandits andindians (yes, they left no Western cliché stone unturned) to end up ina celebration a la Return of the Jedi, so cheesy had it all become.They really tried to cram too much into this one (even a small bout ofIndian mysticism at two points) and it comes across as too busy, tryingtoo hard to be good.As I say, it's not bad. But it could have been a lot better.

pc95

23 May 2012

A Little Better than Expected

I had read some poor headline reviews of this movie and decided to takethe dive despite them, and to my pleasant surprise, I was happy to havewatched the film. Granted there's nothing of strong content ororiginality really. (Major Spoiler) The Aliens are after gold (?), andthey're more-or-less like lots of other cheesy creature flicks - justkilling machines. But the creators and S/EFX department have done acompetent job with the Aliens look. Despite that, the movie is riddledwith Western Clichés - Cowboys and Indians, bar-scenes, adopted Indiansons and the like. And You know, Harrison Ford should probably justhang it up from the action genre as hard as it is to write that. Fordin his heyday has made plenty of better movies anyway. If you'rewilling to let all the clichés slip by and the plot devices that werethe Aliens be, you might have a good time too.

PWNYCNY

23 May 2012

Combines two genres with mixed results.

When two genres are combined on one movie, in this case the western andsci-fi genres the results can be mushy. This movie combines these twogenres with mixed results. First, once again Harrison Ford proves thathe is a great actor. His presence in the movie practically guaranteesthat the movie will be at least watchable, regardless of the story.How, regarding the story itself, it is clever and keeps the audience'sinterest. Daniel Craig gives a strong performance and the Olivia Wildeis stunning in the female lead. The one aspect of the movie that bringsthis movie down are the aliens themselves. Their portrayal as beinglittle more than hysterical brutes is completely inconsistent with thesophistication of their technology, which suggests a level of socialand intellectual development much more complex than than thatportrayed. There is no reason why the aliens should be portrayed asmonsters. Just because they are marauders and thieves does not meanthat they are necessarily brutish or ugly. Nevertheless, the movie iswatchable, primarily because of Harrison Ford whose presence saves thismovie from being jettisoned into space, and to DVD land.

treynolds57

22 May 2012

Aliens Meets She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, with a little Independence Day Thrown in...

I liked this movie. I think the people that didn't are either analyzingit too much or trying to be self important.I didn't like "Aliens", and generally don't go for those kind ofmovies, but found this one to be a good flick, despite some of theclichés.I watched it without trying to analyze it too much, and think thathelped. I know what some of the criticisms are and I agree, to a point.It's been said that Daniel Craig isn't the best "cowboy type" for thefilm, but to me that's the point. He wakes up in the middle of thedesert with a weird bracelet on. I think casting Craig for this rolekeeps you guessing. Is he one of the aliens in the title? You have towatch the whole thing almost to discover the answer through flashbacks.Craig plays a great western tough.As for Ford, I found his performance somewhat stiff, but frankly, he'salways that way and this is no "Regarding Henry" or "Witness". To me,Ford's performance in any of the "Indiana Jones" movies were no better.But they were fun, and that's the point. He's made better movies. Thatsaid, I like Harrison Ford and give him the benefit of the doubt. Hisis a supporting role.As for Olivia Wilde, you get the idea she's "not one of us" fairlyearly on, but it's just an inkling, you don't know for sure untillater. I'm really not that familiar with her. What is she supposed todo? She plays an alien in human form. They could have made her partmore interesting, but it's only a two hour flick.We rented the movie from Blockbuster, so I couldn't see the extendedversion, but I liked "Cowboys and Aliens" enough to want to buy theblu-ray in order to do that, so either that means I liked the movie orI'm stupid. Perhaps a little of both...

22 May 2012

Great cast, weak script.

This is a mildly entertaining rental but not even the high caliber actors can make the dismal script work. It may have a place in the cult-classic genre however.

cestvrai

21 May 2012

Not sure what movie everyone else saw.....

....but I just returned from Cowboys & Aliens. Having read all thesenegative reviews, I was expecting it to be a sad waste of time. Imaginemy surprise. I guess I can thank all the high-handed reviewers forgiving me such unexpectedly enjoyable afternoon.This is a good, fun, well-made movie. I kept expecting it to get bad,but it never did. I enjoyed every minute of it.I am an educated person and a Mensa member, and I appreciate a finelywrought, intellectually challenging period piece as much as or morethan anyone, but I also loved the heck outta this film.Good grief, people. This movie is about COWBOYS and ALIENS. Not surewhat you could reasonably expect other than the fun it delivers.For nuanced plot points and refined character development, please dolook elsewhere. For a couple of hours of genuine fun, just relax and gosee Cowboys and Aliens.Loved it.

ashcrda

20 May 2012

Got what I expected

It was a cowboy movie with aliens thrown in for fun. I recognized allthe plot lines and thoroughly enjoyed some mindless cinemaentertainment. Didn't expect an indie film or a classic. Clearly not aJohn Ford production. Really enjoyed the corporate cinema as it hadtrue stadium seating and super-great sound that made your seat shake.If I'd had french fries and a chocolate shake it would have beenperfect. I first experienced stadium seating in LA near that mall with350 stores and this is the first theatre in Ohio that measured up tothat one. Our local cinema has so-so stadium seating but they insist onshowing frothy Hollywood trash that numbs the brain. Every time adecent movie shows up they put it on one of the small screens thataren't stadium equipped.

maawolfe36

20 May 2012

Great effects, mediocre plot.

Acting: 4/5 Effects: 5/5 Music: 5/5 Plot: 3/5 Ending: 3/5Total: 20/25 Rating: 80%With an all-star cast and great directors, this movie can't help beinggood. However, it falls short of great. The plot is pretty much thesame as any other alien invasion movie: aliens move in and screw upeverything, humans get taken, other humans kick alien butt.Interestingly enough, this is pretty much the same plot as Avatarexcept we invaded the aliens' land, not vice versa. Beyond the clichéplot, this movie looks great. The aliens are creepy and believable, andthe ending is pretty much predictable. If you want a movie with goodeffects and a predictable plot, this is a winner. If you want somethingoriginal, you might try someplace else. 

milenanunes77

20 May 2012

And i thought i had seen it all!!!

After watching the last "Indiana Jones" (OMG!!), and lets not forget"Drive Angry", starring Nicholas Cage, I sincerely thought I hadwitnessed the worst of what can be done in cinema. Well, turns out iwas wrong... I confess that I am not a big fan of films where aliensare involved, but i don't jugde a movie without watching it for myself,and even though i might not like the premise, I can give credit to thedirection and acting. After seeing this movie, I had to put aside myoath of not giving bad reviews, because the constant yelling of OMG'sin my head just couldn,t remain there anymore. The cast seemed great,starting with a the awesome blue eyed Daniel Craig in the middle ofnowhere, with no recollection of how he got there, and why a strangedevice is locked on his wrist. Arriving at a small town, he finds outhe is wanted for theft and murder. Captured and while waiting to betransported, the aliens arrive in these futuristic space crafts,shooting everything and pulling humans for whatever purpose theyneeded. Sadly only the aliens know why they want humans, as we audiencecan only imagine!Oh, something about our weakness. Why??? If theirpurpose is to then destroy everything! The device on Craig's wristsuddenly begins to function, and as it seems, is the only weapon thatcan kill them more effectively. We have a curious Olivia Wilde, and agrumpy Harrison Ford, while others gather around one of the spacecrafts that has been shot down. These people are cowboys, never seenanything fly other than a bird, yet alone seen an alien, but do theyquestion its origin??? Are they amazed by the unknown, and try tofigure out just what happened?? Do they question the device on Craig'sarm and how he got it??? No!!! Lets all gather supplies and gun downthese unknown demons that have stollen our people! Hell Yeah!!!! DanielCraig is disappointing. Always with that cocky bad ass look, andclinched lips that just worked fine for me, but only when he wasplaying James Bond. Olivia Wilde turns out to be from another planet,explaining that the aliens want gold. For what? Do you know? Neither doI! Harrison Ford is OK, but the script doesn't help him. Then comes thebattle, nothing new. The aliens are nothing original, and the fightingscenes are boring. There was no story here, why waste their money!!!The movie lacks character! It is boring and sometimes dumb andridiculous. Olivia Wilde's character is pointless, as she knows muchabout the aliens and fails to help. Oh, sorry she does give DanielCraig a kiss for the device to fall off his arm, (his mind had to befree from thought- just saying this sounds ridiculous), so she coulduse it to blow up their layer!! That for me was the last straw. Stupid,stupid scene! Poor acting, poor story, waste of time people! Oh, butthe aliens were pretty ugly, does that count for something??

helluvvangel

19 May 2012

Worst Western and Sci Fi ever

I expected so much more. The concept was a total run away that couldhave been an award winner BUT the overall concept failed. This is oneof the most boring movies i have seen in forever. My mind can think ofmany ways this movie could have really blown you away. It seems theyhad a great idea but didn't know how to make it work. There's manythings that are never answered in the movie as if it didn't matter.Great actors with a bad script. Im surprised they wanted to be a partof this disaster. It seems they had a very low budget with most of itshot in a prop town and the dessert. Not much was spent on the aliensnor their spacecraft and ships. It just irratates me that it could havebeen so much better. I woulnt classify this as sci-fi it was morewestern althugh I've seen way better westerns. Some movies i say don'tpay to see but this one is don't waste you time watching it. Im notsure even kids would like this movie. Im glad there was no opening forpart 2.

Terrell Howell

18 May 2012

Fun, but doesnt have much to offer

Cowboys and Aliens. What a strange title, right? It doesn't get a lotmore blatant than that. You read that title and you know that therewill surely be cowboys, and most definitely there will be aliens. Andthat is basically all that Cowboys and Aliens is. It's cowboys fightingaliens and aliens fighting cowboys. It begins with a man waking up inthe desert, having no idea who he is or where he came from. There isalso a strange metal bracelet attached to his wrist. He finds his wayto a small town where he meets the great cast of characters this moviehas to offer, such as Sam Rockwell as the town doctor, Olivia Wilde asa mysterious girl who's past is unknown, and the great Harrison Ford asthe grumpy old Civil War veteran who doesn't smile once throughout thewhole film. Shortly after the meet and greet, aliens attack the townand abduct many of the citizens. This initiates a journey to find thecreatures who attacked the town and return the stolen people to theirhomes. It's a special effects laden adventure with every scenedelivering more cowboys and more aliens going head to head in an ironicbattle royale.As much as I want to love and cherish a film about cowboys fightingaliens, I have to be realistic. Cowboys and Aliens disappoints. It isno doubt fun, but it doesn't go much further than that. The charactersaren't all that interesting, despite being portrayed by a plethora ofgreat actors. The script leaves a lot to be desired and the story,overall, is pretty forgettable. All we are really given by this film iswhat the title alone promises us. There are cowboys, and there arealiens. Everything else is just sort of there. I wouldn't call thisfilm's plot awful or nonexistent, just weak. It's nothing special andwith a premise as bizarre and ironically brilliant as this, there couldhave been a lot more going on. There's nothing in this film that Ioutright hate, but I couldn't fall in love with anything either. Ican't think of any other movie that pits cowboys against aliens, yet Ifeel like I have seen the movie Cowboys and Aliens before. It is justtoo bland and too much of a generic Summer blockbuster to be anythingtruly special.But, as I said earlier, the film does deliver two things. Cowboys...and aliens. The action scenes are a lot of fun and this film really isentertaining. It's nothing that will bewilder you or make you go, "Wow.That was amazing," but it's exciting enough to be a great popcornflick. The film's special effects are great and the creature design isfantastic. The movie gives us a great look at every detail of thealiens the special effects team of this film came up with. They aregrotesque and amphibian like and the film's action utilizes the designof the creatures excellently. The ships are also designed very wellwith a strange scorpion-like look to them, a design which looks greatagainst the desert. And, with that in mind, everything is more funagainst an ironically strange backdrop such as the wild west. But greatcreature design and wildly explosive special effects will only take amovie so far, and there's not much more that Cowboys and Aliens has todeliver.It's a shame to see a movie so endlessly hyped, being advertised to theextreme, miss its goals, entirely. But that's what happens when youdon't deliver the masterpiece you had made the film out to be. Sadly,Cowboys and Aliens isn't that incredible of a film at all. It's fun,sure. There are some great things about it and I don't regret seeingthe film, but for the long exciting expectation game that the marketingteam played, it just didn't deliver.

digitalbeachbum

18 May 2012

Hmmm. Its been done.

This story isn't any thing new, but then again I'm betting that no oneever played Boot Hill during the 1980's? The movie really isn't too bad, but it isn't a landslide movie. It'sone of those movies which they will play over and over, likeIndependence Day, during the summer months. It won't win any awards andit will make enough money to give some executives a smile on theirface.Over all the plot was OK. Acting saves the movie along with the specialeffects. The actors in the movie are actually some of my favorites.But I couldn't stand to sit through the entire movie because it was toopredictable. I actually left about 2/3rd through and went to go see TheSmurfs in an attempt to cleanse my mind.I figured seeing an even worse movie would enable me to view this moviein a better light and it sort of worked.3 out of 10.

krishi101

16 May 2012

Epectation fails..

This movie could be awesome if they have added real fight between Aleinand Humans.. When i watched this movie, i thought that there are moreaction series on TV Channel rather than this movie.. Daniel Craig isHandsome guy, but story is so limited.. sometime it was comedy showingaliens flying over the village, and to see them in their typical Aleinbase, Movie Doesn't have more locations,less Fantasy Realism, and manyloop holes, and many things which are easily can be seen by an AleinMovie Lover.. This is just a sci-fi TV serial not a Bigscreen movie..While watching movie we can see that also, that they didn't wastedmoney and time in building this movie, then why should we also wasteour time and money..

jdkraus

16 May 2012

Solid Story+Deep Characters=Blockbuster Success!

"Cowboys and Aliens." Really? Has Hollywood run out of ideas? Sounds asterrible as "Aliens Vs. Predator" or even "Snakes on a Plane." Only animmature adolescent would come up with such an idea. Believe it or notthough, "Cowboys and Aliens" is an excellent film. The film opens with John Lonergan (Daniel Craig), who is stranded inthe Wild West. He has a mysterious bracelet attached to his wrist andhas no recollection of who he is or what has happened to him. After aseries of run-ins with unsavory characters, he comes to a town calledAbsolution. He encounters the mysterious and sexy Elle (Olivia Wilde)and the tough, no-nonsense Colonel Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford). Withinminutes, the town is savagely attacked by flying machines that captureand kill several of the town's citizens. The trio makes an unlikelyalliance, and ride out to find their townspeople. Unlike many pictures nowadays, the screenwriters and actors are able tomake the viewers suspend their disbelief and engulf them with a solidstory and deep characters. We know the story is absurd and unrealistic,but it is pretty straightforward and even plausible. My eyes were gluedto the screen for the whole two hours. And when characters die (inwhich several do), the actors are able to emote the sorrow and remorseand the viewers want them to be avenged. There are also plenty of jumpmoments to keep the suspense going throughout the feature.Having mentioned that the actors are great, they are perfect. Eachembodies a character of the old west. Craig is like Clint's the "Manwith no Name". He's a mystery and we don't know his whole story (untillater in the film). What we do know early on is that he can handle bothhis fists and his weapons well. Ford is the gruff, tough hero, similarto the old John Wayne. He's not only a rough fighter, but he has to dothings his way and does not tolerate others. There is even a pistolwielding drunk, a man with gold teeth, a bartender who can't shootworth a darn, Indians, including one who know how to track, and apreacher who is not afraid to carry a rifle. Olivia Wilde, however, isnot the typical damsel in distress. There is a twist about hercharacter in the middle of the feature that I did not see coming. Thisfits flawlessly into the story's structure. The cinematography is a real treat. Many of the shot compositions thatare used is a throwback to the old westerns—beautiful wide shots ofepic landscapes. I also like how careful the angles and shots were usedwhen the aliens were first introduced; it holds their physical identityas a mystery for the first 40 minutes or so of the movie. It's worthnoting though that the lighting in the attack of the town Absolution isvery dim, which makes it difficult to see what's happening on screen.Then again, it would be hard to see at night, specifically when underattack by aliens in spaceships. The animation is pretty good, but I waslittle disappointed in the creature design of the aliens. They remindedme too much of the alien in J.J. Abrams "Super 8". It works though, forthe aliens look monstrous and are huge— this makes them perfect badguys.The choreography of the fight scenes between humans and humans againstaliens are very impressive. The director does not shy away from bloodyinjuries and wounds that both humans and aliens sustain from fighting.There are even scenes where aliens eat and beat humans to death rightin front of the camera. Though a PG-13, this is not a kid's movie. Ifit were any worse, this movie would have been a hard R. It is a rare feat for a big-budget movie to have both a good story andcharacters worth caring for. "Cowboys and Aliens" pulls this off withfinesse and brings a new look of the western genre to the table. It'snot about men in white hats squaring off with men in black hats, butmen on horses up against the monstrous beyond.

reelscreenreviews

16 May 2012

Not Bad

"Cowboys & Aliens"A Movie ReviewByNick Iacobucci "Independence Day" meets "Tombstone" in this big budgetsummer popcorn movie. Hello there everyone I'm movie critic NickIacobucci as always for ReelScreenReviews.com and our next movie reviewis the adventure "Cowboys & Aliens". This special effects westernfantasy, 4 words I thought I'd never say in a row, opened in the middleof the summer movie season on Friday July 29th, 2011, and it starsDaniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, WaltonGoggins, and Clancy Brown. "Cowboys & Aliens" comes to us from the veryversatile and talented writer/producer/actor/director Jon Favreau,writer and star of "Swingers" with Vince Vaughn, and the director of"Elf", "Zathura", and the "Ironman" movies. This time out he combines agood old fashioned western with the high tech effects of Hollywood, inan attempt to turn out something as fun and entertaining as RobertDowney Jr. in a suit of armor.This tale tells us of the town of Absolution in the Arizona Territorycirca 1873. Daniel Craig stars as a secretive cowboy suffering fromamnesia that stumbles into this rough town known for its fair share oftrouble. Harrison Ford's Colonel Dolarhyde seems to rule this town ofAbsolution with a very tight grip, and he doesn't like strangers andneither do the townspeople. They must however learn to put theirdifferences aside when unidentified and mysterious crafts begin toinvade our world, and they haven't come to make nice. As the taleprogresses not only will our hero begin to recall who he is, that seemsto be directly related with how these creatures can be bested. Nowadding to the mystery and fun is Ella portrayed by Olivia Wilde, andshe too brings adventure to a tale that builds and builds to a climaxthat will see all involved standing together against 1 common nemesis.Well people this film is better than average and it is better thanaverage for 1 main reason, and that would be the natural intensity oflead Daniel Craig. His eyes and his stare seem to pierce right throughyou, and I couldn't believe how much he reminded me of the great YulBrenner. In the cowboy hat he even kind of resembled him from "TheMagnificent Seven". Daniel Craig so radiates the strong and silent typeand it really seems to me that the less the man says, the more he getshis point across.Also Harrison Ford picks up right where he left off in the wonderful"Morning Glory" once again bringing a mean, grumpy, and difficultpersonality to the big screen. Even though his Col. Dolarhyde isn'tvery nice, what is nice is seeing him still actively challenge himselfas an actor instead playing the same old part again and again. ThenOlivia Wilde is not only one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood,I have always thought her to be much more than a pretty face. Nowunfortunately I think that she was only in the film to have a femalecharacter in there, but with her, Sam Rockwell, Keith Carradine, and aslew of quality talent in front of the camera…well that didn't hurtthis film in any way.Why not the old west? No reason. Aliens could just as easily attackpresent day as 13th century England or France, or even the caveman erafor that matter. One of the better compliments that I can pay "Cowboys& Aliens" is that it is completely original. The first half completelyfeels like a true and authentic western, and then when the aliens showup the action and effects seem to accompany the movie without so muchas the blink of an eye. Then director Jon Favreau stepped up the dramaand seriousness from the 2 previous "Ironman" films. The movie Ithought was graphic in spots for a PG-13 feature, and not only did Ireally think he was restraining the violence in the first place; manyof the film's characters meet their demise of the tale progresses.The only part of the movie that feels like a retread is the sameoverlooked back story of these aliens that are here for no other reasonthan to soak up our planet's natural resources. Also, you know the "UsAgainst Them" theory will come into play right after all of thedifferences are cast aside so that we can stand together as one tofight.At just shy of 2 hours "Cowboys & Aliens" isn't a great film, but it isone of the more fun times that I have had watching a movie this summer.I could've used a little more of the alien background among otherthings, however the first time that I looked at my watch there was onlyabout 15 minutes left in the feature…and that is always a good sign. Inthe end I think that the scenes with Daniel Craig are worth the priceof admission alone.The effects are good, the story is original, and the movie isentertaining.A generous….3 stars out of 4.And remember people, I'm not always right, only when it comes to themovies. And thank you for your attention.

TheHrunting

15 May 2012

Truth in the title

A memory impaired man (Daniel Craig) awakes with a strange metalshackle on his wrist and a wound on his side. After showcasing hiddenskills like a 19th century Jason Bourne on some rough and tough dudes,he heads to the nearest town of Absolution only to find more hassles.He deals with a spoiled, troublemaker named Percy Dolarhyde (PaulDano), who's father is a not-to-be-messed-with head honcho of sorts.Percy lands in jail and soon enough the man with no memory ends up inthe cell next door, as he turns out to be the infamous Jake Lonerganwho has a rap sheet longer than the Oregon Trail. When WoodrowDolarhyde (Harrison Ford) gets word of his incarcerated son, he stormsthe streets with his cowboys. Right before a tense showdown, the alienpart of the equation shows to make things go boom and people disappear.Jake's bracelet suddenly turns into Mega Man status and he blasts oneof the ships down with an energy beam. The creature that operated thevessel flees and they round up a posse to track it back to where theirkidnapped loved ones are."Cowboys & Aliens" is more about the journey to the final showdowninvolving various characters that it never fully scratches below theintroductory surface on, which at times makes them more plot devicethan natural. Along tags a bartender who's more business than brawn; amysterious woman who eyes Jake; a practical preacher who knows how topray and shoot; a young boy who's not yet a man; a loyal Indian wholooks at his boss as a father figure; and the former colonel Dolarhydewho's got a thing or two to teach the youngins about battle. Now, wherewesterns in the past had everybody out for their ruthless selves, thisuses the enslaving extraterrestrials as a means to get along for thegreater good of humanity, including fierce outlaws and warrior Indianswho are in the same dire straits. In the meantime, no one ever claimedthe abominable aliens didn't have punctuality as they make a fewwell-timed appearances to the point of predictably just before a humanvs human conflict is about to get all gun crazy. Though like throwing arock at a tank, these basic, booze-drinkin', boot-wearin' westernerslook to be completely overrun and overwhelmed. That is until they haveto get sneaky and use strength in numbers to put a stop to the aliens,which at this point are so one-dimensional the movie plays out like aneasily sold good vs evil template with nothing left over to put in thebank to accumulate interest.This is more the former than the latter of the title. The westernportion on its own isn't groundbreaking to the genre, and the sci-fiside isn't inventive enough to blow the lid off a long time fan, evenif the combination is definitely original. Other aspects to fall backon like the pacing can feel like it revs the engine, then levels at alower gear. This wouldn't be such an issue but it's not thatcontemplative of a film to hit the locker room in between for a break,and as a result creates a building list of questions from the viewerthat never end up answered about certain plays. It's a film that treadsmore on mystery when it comes to its antagonists, by at first seeing ashadow, a claw and then a quick full frontal, as well as it only giveslittle snippets of information for the viewer. Problem is, it doesn'tcreate that intriguing enough of creatures to pull the enigma off--nocommunication, no interaction with each other, very few distinguishingelements with behavior or appearance--or even go further into whythey're on Earth other than laying out a questionable reason atface-value.Daniel Craig played a simple but commanding presence, as he said littlebut when it came time for action delivered with full force as if hemeant it, and then some. It causes you to focus in on him to not misshis next move, despite getting knocked about with a lesser blow or two.Clancy Brown plays a memorable role as a tough holy man that adds humorto the situations, but Chris Browning includes cartoon flavor with hiscrusty chompers and oafish demeanor. Paul Dano, as much as he tried andhas the most range, his performance felt misplaced as if he's atortured man rather than just a fearful kid with no perspective fromgrowing up safe and spoiled. Harrison Ford's character is built up andbuilt up, with other people making not only a legend of him but a powernot to be reckoned with, though by the time it comes for him to showhis stuff, he falls somewhat short on punch. It's a shame that some ofhis gruff lines come off as unflattering imitations rather than trulycompelling. On an entertainment level, you get massive explosions, O.K.Corral-thumping gun fights, built up thrills, mystery, situationalhumor, potential love, tragedy, resolution and you get to see twoseparate genres at the same time. It sounds like a lot, but it didn'talways come one after the other or always in a smooth,edge-of-your-seat transition together. The mentioned certainly madethis enjoyable and an interesting concept to see but unfortunately itwasn't capable of thoroughly traveling beyond expectations for such acool premise. (Also submitted on Cinema Freaks,http://docuniverse.blogspot.com)

acf9

14 May 2012

wild adventure

rarely does a film come along that allows people to purely have fun.cowboys and aliens is one of those films, the romance of the west, themystery of aliens, what more is there to ask for? attractive leadingroles? well yes, Daniel Craig Harrison Ford and Olivia Wilde provideall the attractiveness one of any generation and sexual orientationcould ask for. It has all the allure of a western with all theexcitement of a Sci- FY movie. it's rare that a movie comes out thatlets the audience have fun and escape for two hours without demandingthought and judgment of the acting and quality, cowboys and aliens isone of those films. sit back, relax and enjoy the ride, because it'sgonna be a good one!

kdnor2011

13 May 2012

Not really my thing.

First let me get this out of the way, I'm not really a fan of westerns.I haven't really seen any, the only one that I think I've seen is Backto the Future part 3, and even though I like it, that's my leastfavorite of the trilogy. So I went into this movie pretty much hopingthe sci fi would keep my attention.Well the sci fi was by far the best part of this movie, but I stilldidn't really like it. For me it's way too slow and focuses much moreon the western stuff than the sci fi stuff. It also took itself alittle too seriously, there were some times where they lightened up,but most of the time they just seemed so down.The acting is good, even young Noah Ringer who's improved a lot sinceLast Airbender. But the movie just wasn't made for me, it didn't mixwestern and sci fi well, I didn't really care for the characters, andonly some of the action scenes were exiting. If you love both sci fiand Westerns, you might really like this movie. Just not really mything.

13 May 2012

Good movie BUT some things weve seen before TOO MUCH CRAIG

I have been a fan & collector of Harrison's for over 30 years.I USED to be first in the door opening day for his films. I did want to be there for this one but could not make it.Now, we see latest Bond Craig throughout this movie & he got top billing. Why, the current in the long list of this character. No other hit movies. Now, Harrison. Let's see. Oscar nominated for Witness. Played two famous movie characters Han Solo & Indiana Jones. Long time biggest movie money maker. The film is good. You have seen the ending a million times. The Wilde character, I won't do spoilers here, you could guess. Could hardly see a lot of the night action. Took forever to see the aliens. Stole part of that idea from "Alien".Normal special effects. One of the talk shows Harrison appeared on to promote the film mention how 3 films in a row he played a grouchy guy.Too many shots of Craig making that touch guy face.A few extras on the DVD-nothing special. No chapter search list. AND, COMCAST COME ON. We now get Comcast advertisements with DVD's. TACKY!!So, a good movie. Pick out the seen before parts from other movies.

ProfessionalEvelyn

13 May 2012

Dont take it to seriously, and you wont be disappointed.

I walked into Cowboys & Aliens expecting it to be a hastily puttogether film aiming to bring in big summer box office bucks. You know,one of the same old flicks that places explosions, all knowing heroesand hot chicks over a good plot and characters with substance.Fortunately, Cowboys & Aliens proved to be a couple steps above thatformula, by entertainingly weaving the sci-fi and western genrestogether into a relatively enjoyable film. Daniel Craig delivers a supremely bad ass performance as Jake Lonergan,a wanted man who finds himself struck with memory loss in middle of thedesert-in addition to having a mysterious mechanical bracelet bound tohis wrist. Craig is so good in the role that I found myself wishingthat the whole movie was a western centered on him. He is cool,calculating, and threatening, sending chills down your spine as hesimply stares a character down. Craig's remarkable screen presence iselectrifying, allowing him to carry the film magnificently well. Harrison Ford also stars as Colonel Woodrow Dolarhyde,a tough cattlemanwith a brat of a son. As gruff and impersonal as he seems, viewerscan't help but love him. From the moment Ford appears on screen,turning towards the camera in a closeup, you can't help being struckwith a feeling of nostalgia, seeing the man who played Indiana Jonesand Han Solo still having the same affect on viewers today-that is,making you root for a seemingly unlikeable character. Ford brings heartto the role, combining rough cowboy with secretly loving fatherperfectly. In the last main role is Olivia Wilde as Ella Swensen, a cryptic womanwho accompanies the men on their quest. Anything but a damsel indistress, Wilde holds her own on screen next to her two commandingco-stars. Obviously she is strikingly beautiful, but Wilde shies awayaway from being the annoying sidekick girl and instead flourishes as acaptivating counterpart to Craig. Wilde is able to take the somewhatgeneric role of Ella and transform her into a believable, mesmerizingcharacter capable of holding attention just as well as her co stars. The movie's three stars worked together incredibly well, and kept meentertained the whole way. The subplots with the other characters(Preacher, Doc, boy) where somewhat lost in the overall story, butnonetheless I am glad that they were included to show how these 1800'sfolk would have reacted to the alien invasion, referring to them as"Demons". The plot, while somewhat thin and unoriginal, was saved bythe genre mixing concept, which gave Favreau lots of room to playaround. It allowed me to overlook certain elements that would otherwisebe deemed as far-fetched and unbelievable. Additionally, if you letyourself get into the movie, there are a couple genuinely suspensefulmoments, as well as some jump-out-of-your-seat moments. All in all, Cowboys & Aliens is a a fun summer flick. There's not a lotof depth to it, but that is really not something to look for in a movielike this anyway. It's about taking two fun genres and combining themto create a lively, amusing experience for viewers. With the rightbalance of character development and straightforward plot pacing,Favreau delivers an energetic film that never tries to be more than itis. Don't take it to seriously, and you won't be disappointed. Thismovie is pure fun. P.s. If you enjoyed this mix of genres, check outJoss Whedon's TV series Firefly