Cowboys and Aliens - Movie Review

It seems like summer 2011 is all about fun at the movies. Cowboys and Aliens is yet another, popcorn-munching, special effects extravaganza.

I think a lot of people were on the fence about this one. Seriously, a western involving alien attacks? Even with the star quality of Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig and Jon Favreau in the director’s chair, this still could have been a huge stinker.

Surprisingly, the concept works. Largely, this is because the western storyline is very strong. The aliens didn’t need to show up to make this movie compelling. You have all the right elements of a great western. A struggling town, stranger with a past and an overbearing colonel making the whole town jump to his orders.

Craig and Ford turn in strong performances and play well off of each other. You can always count on Ford to bring a little bit more. His character is not one-sided. His scenes with his son, his assistant and the young boy in town are his strongest moments.

I haven’t seen a Daniel Craig film so I was not familiar with his work. I’m also one of the few women to not find him attractive; he’s a bit rough around the edges for my taste. Frankly, I’ll still take Ford over Craig! I was impressed though and I feel pretty good now about him taking over the lead for the American version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. He was a believable cowboy and tough guy. He played the role straight, as did all the actors, so that even in the midst of alien absurdity, the plot stayed grounded in some form of reality.

We do need to talk about those aliens though don’t we? Well they were pretty cool. They were cringe inducing and made me jump few times. The audience does have to buy into the fact that this is where this movie is going to go. A little crazy and different, yet accepting it fully will guarantee you one fun day at the cinema.

So what are your thoughts? Did you see it? Did the concept work for you?