Based on the comic book of the same name, by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, Cowboys & Aliens is an exciting adventure for sci-fi and western fans alike.
The storyline for this movie was expectantly simplistic. The time and place is in the late 1800s of Arizona, and the aliens come down to try to conquer Earth.
To the best of my knowledge, an alien and cowboy confrontation has never been seen before in the cinema. Surely we have seen sort of a hybrid with Star Wars, Serenity, and Star Trek. But, never actually cowboys mixed in with alien lifeforms.
I can totally see the merit in why some critics were displeased by this sci-fi/western. Even with such a robust cast like that of Daniel Craig (James Bond), Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones/Han Solo), Olivia Wilde, and Sam Rockwell, the plot is left open with too many holes. Plot holes occasionally work in films, but this one was just blatantly annoying. You'll know exactly what I mean if you see this movie. And if you're able to ignore those open-ended questions, the movie is surprisingly enjoyable.
Yet another midnight feature for me this summer and the audience is yet again the same! We hear a lot of laughter at the dialogue and Harrison Ford received a tremendous applause upon his character's first appearance. I was in complete agreement with the consensus of the audience.
Harrison Ford reminded me of Han Solo so much. I loved it. I'm a much bigger Star Wars fan than Indiana Jones, so in turn didn't see much of Jones; but I know he was in there somewhere. And, obviously Daniel Craig was your James Bond figure with a Western-twist. Both actors did a splendid job. Olivia Wilde was a delight too. The iconicity of both Ford and Craig was uncanny.
The director was Jon Favreau (Iron Man 1 & 2, actor in Swingers), and I thought he did a valiant job once again. I enjoyed how he approached the physicality of battle between the aliens, American Indians, and cowboys. With the thought of never seeing it done before, it was all very plausible. We usually see confrontation displayed beside abundant amounts of CGI-generated special effects, and for the characters in Cowboys & Aliens, it was not the case.
I was also highly pleased before this movie that it would not be shown in 3-D. Favreau was very specific about how Western films are not meant for 3-D. So awesome! "That would be like filming in black and white and colorizing it" ~Jon Favreau.
I will say that I was hoping for more aliens in this flick. It's about 70% Western and 30% Sci-Fi.
7/10 Stars. (It's 8 Stars if ya completely ignore the plot.)
The storyline for this movie was expectantly simplistic. The time and place is in the late 1800s of Arizona, and the aliens come down to try to conquer Earth.
To the best of my knowledge, an alien and cowboy confrontation has never been seen before in the cinema. Surely we have seen sort of a hybrid with Star Wars, Serenity, and Star Trek. But, never actually cowboys mixed in with alien lifeforms.
I can totally see the merit in why some critics were displeased by this sci-fi/western. Even with such a robust cast like that of Daniel Craig (James Bond), Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones/Han Solo), Olivia Wilde, and Sam Rockwell, the plot is left open with too many holes. Plot holes occasionally work in films, but this one was just blatantly annoying. You'll know exactly what I mean if you see this movie. And if you're able to ignore those open-ended questions, the movie is surprisingly enjoyable.
Yet another midnight feature for me this summer and the audience is yet again the same! We hear a lot of laughter at the dialogue and Harrison Ford received a tremendous applause upon his character's first appearance. I was in complete agreement with the consensus of the audience.
Harrison Ford reminded me of Han Solo so much. I loved it. I'm a much bigger Star Wars fan than Indiana Jones, so in turn didn't see much of Jones; but I know he was in there somewhere. And, obviously Daniel Craig was your James Bond figure with a Western-twist. Both actors did a splendid job. Olivia Wilde was a delight too. The iconicity of both Ford and Craig was uncanny.
The director was Jon Favreau (Iron Man 1 & 2, actor in Swingers), and I thought he did a valiant job once again. I enjoyed how he approached the physicality of battle between the aliens, American Indians, and cowboys. With the thought of never seeing it done before, it was all very plausible. We usually see confrontation displayed beside abundant amounts of CGI-generated special effects, and for the characters in Cowboys & Aliens, it was not the case.
I was also highly pleased before this movie that it would not be shown in 3-D. Favreau was very specific about how Western films are not meant for 3-D. So awesome! "That would be like filming in black and white and colorizing it" ~Jon Favreau.
I will say that I was hoping for more aliens in this flick. It's about 70% Western and 30% Sci-Fi.
7/10 Stars. (It's 8 Stars if ya completely ignore the plot.)