Cowboys & Aliens

Cowboys & Aliens is a western that delivers all the action and fun that one would definitely expect from a western movie. Of course the unique aspect of this western is the thrown in villains of aliens. While initially I was unsure about what I would think of a western with a science fiction twist, but the aspect of this movie having Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig made me not disregard this movie from the first teaser trailer. While I am not familiar with the comic book that Cowboys & Aliens is based on but the film provides us exactly what the title suggests. While this movie does not provide anything that is mind blowing, it provides Sci-Fi action with western violence.

Cowboys & Aliens is nothing but to entertain you. The only thing that is unique here is the Western & Sci-Fi collaboration. The film is just your typical Western movie but instead of Indians or some sadistic bandit, the aliens are the antagonist of the film. The aliens are pretty intriguing but we don't see them that much until the third act. It's disappointing if you are expecting too much aliens. Yet for me they did not overkill the aliens to us which really made them seem more mysterious. The only things we see them do are ride their ships, stab people, shoot with their weapons, and jump scare the audiences. It's also your typical alien invasion film.

Daniel Craig in the role of Jake Lonergan is stupendous. It is definitely a strong aspect of a film and shows Craig's skills acting with his ability to command the screen with the fact that he is on the screen a lot but has relatively few lines. And with those few lines he gives a pretty good American accent. Harrison Ford plays the old grumpy man to perfection. Although Ford in his last few roles has played the old grumpy man makes one wonder how much acting he is actually doing. Olivia Wilde commands the screen herself and really does a great job at not being overshadowed by the veteran actors.

Jon Favreau's directing is precisely what is to be expected of the Iron man director. He surely knows how to make the action sequences exciting, with some great explosions. It is easy to recognize the CGI effects were done by Industrial Light & Magic, since the aliens look just like any monster in a J.J. Abrams film. The score for this movie follows exactly what is expected in a western movie.

The best part of the movie: The fights mean something. You care what happens to Lonerman, Dolarhyde, Elle, Doc, and Emmett. When characters die, the persons close to them emote. The characters who die are characters you grow attached to. You want their deaths avenged. You are made known in none-uncertain-terms that the situation is dire. And that's what makes Cowboys & Aliens a very strong movie.

Cowboys & Aliens is a fun Sci-Fi/Western that definitely met my expectations. Ford, Craig and Wilde give strong performances, with a strong supporting cast. Cowboys & Aliens provides the action, explosion and fun that audiences want and expect in summer movie blockbusters. I am giving Cowboys & Aliens three and a half buckets of popcorn out of five. This is definitely a movie that allows you to simply enjoy being at the movies and not have to worry about the stresses of everyday life. This is a movie that I found to be well worth the price of admission.

-The Movie Man