COWBOYS AND ALIENS (Jon Favreau)

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For me, COWBOYS AND ALIENS is pure mindless fun, a shameless popcorn flick that since it was executive produced by Spielberg, it's a mix of his alien films and Indiana Jones (oh look, Harrison Ford's in this movie!). Daniel Craig is brash and brutish as the mysterious drifter Jake Lonergan. Channeling inner angst of James Bond he previously showcased in his two 007 movies, Craig is down and dirty- exactly the character we enjoy seeing him in. Olivia Wilde is devilishly beautiful (still), but her turn in that wig and fluorescent suit in TRON LEGACY will still be my favorite.

Favreau achieves a lot blending western elements with Science Fiction, and at the center of COWBOYS AND ALIENS really is a human heart waiting at the end. This is a nice vehicle for Ford, whom we haven't seen onscreen recently. Think INDIANA JONES, way much older and filled with unstoppable cynicism. 

It is not a perfect Western, or Sci-Fi per se, since there's not much exploration on the aliens, and why they need gold so badly. Greedy buggers perhaps? Wanting to trade it at a parallel universe? However, there's much fun to be had. That arm weapon Craig stole from the alien ship (whoa spoiler there!) is kickass. 

Don't worry there's plenty more surprises hidden in the film. And just to see these cowboys shoot alien gliders made out of metal, with pistols?! That's just priceless. 

RATING: 4/5





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