Film Review: Cowboys And Aliens

While it has more than its fair share of cowboys and aliens, the movie world isn't exactly rammed with Cowboy AND Aliens. I'm struggling to think of any films, to be honest. Either I've never seen any, or they never made a lasting impression on me.

Sadly, not making a lasting impression of me is exactly what Cowboys And Aliens did. Jon Favreaus first big film since the two fantastic Iron Man films had high hopes from this reviewer, and a pretty interesting trailer only added to the anticipation. But stewing at the back of my mind was what would happen when we got to the plot, why the aliens were here. But I'm getting ahead of myself...

A mysterious loner (Daniel Craig), awakens in the middle of the desert, with no memory of who he is, or how he got there, or how a strange metal device has become attached to his arm. He soon rolls into a nearby town, where he is recognized as outlaw Jake Lonergan and is arrested by the Sherriff (Keith Carradine.)

But when local cattleowner and all around nasty piece of work Woodrow Dolarhyde discovers Lonergan is town, he demands his release over an outstanding beef about a robbery, but before anything can be resolved an alien spacecraft (well, several) attack and the two men must join with the townspeople to fight the alien invaders.

Now I'm fine with a plot like that. And I was fine with the first hour or so, as things were set up, but when we started to get into the why's and explanations the film started to take a serious dip. Even for a film like this, it was pretty bad.

But, let's get the positives out of the way. As I said, it had a fine first hour, with some great action set pieces, and I had a general interest in what was happening. And other than the leads, the film has a fantastic cast. The aforementioned Keith Carradine, Sam Rockwell as a jittery bar owner/doctor, Clancy Brown as a no nonsense preacher, Paul Dano as Dolarhydes cowardly son (not enough screen time for him), and Walton Goggins in a small role as a former associate of Lonergan (Spoiler: he plays a bit of a sleazebag.)

The only downside on the cast side is Olivia Wilde as the mysterious Ella Swenson. And we do get a bit of reasoning behind this later which could explain it, but she's only capable of one facial expression. And I can't really describe what that is. Just a pout maybe? No real emotion seems to get across. She got away with it in  Tron: Legacy, but she can only play a character with no emotions so many times.

I seem to have drifted into the negative already, but there was a lot there. Fords Dolarhyde and his gruff persona gets a bit tired, because you know the old curmudgeon is an old softy and will come good. But it's not just that character (he just has more redemptive moments than anyone.) Everyone seems to have an insanely cliched 'thing' that will be called back in a extremely heavy handed fashion by the films end. I know cliches are right at home in a film called 'Cowboys And Aliens', but they just got worse and worse. There's one at the end that almost defies belief!

I'm not getting to the point where I require a deep, well developed plot in every popcorn blockbuster I see, but Cowboys And Aliens, while having it's moments was too much tosh for my palette. And I guess after the brilliant trio of Captain America, Super 8 and Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes in the last month, these things really do come in threes.

**
A good idea, a great cast, exciting action sequences and a fine first hour, but then the plot rears it's end and things get a bit messy, and includes some of the most cliched moments I have seen in ages. Not exactly the must see film of the Summer.