‘Cowboys & Aliens’ Movie Review

“Cowboys & Aliens” comes out this Friday, July 29th and is a must-see for summer. This Western-style film is brilliantly fused with science fiction and Western ideals as aliens come to invade Earth.

The aliens’ goal: to take over as many mining towns as possible for gold.

“Cowboys & Aliens” is the type of film that makes viewers hesitate before seeing it. Its hard to take in at first the absurdity of the possibility of combining these two genres.

But after beginning to watch the movie, your attention is snared by the film’s great graphics, hilarious humor and fantastic action-packed scenes.

The Western Sci-Fi starts with a strange man (Daniel Craig) who wakes up wounded in the middle of the desert with no memory of his past. He has a picture of a beautiful woman and a strange metal wrist contraption, which he repeatedly tries to break off with a rock.

Three suspicious-looking men see his metal bracelet and, believing that he’s a man with a bounty on his head, accost him. The stranger quickly shows the audience he is not to be messed with as he dispatches the men with brute efficiency.

After putting on the gang’s clothes and equipping himself with their weapons and a horse, he sets out to the nearest town.

There he is healed by the town’s preacher, Meacham (Clancy Brown) and attracts the attention of a lone traveler woman, Ella Swenson (Olivia Wilde).

The town turns out to be Absolution,  run by tough cattle baron Colonel Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford), who rules the town with a tyrannical iron fist.

The stranger discovers he is a wanted man for past crimes and is named Jake Lonergan. Things soon start happening as Jake uncovers glimpses of his past through his dreams and Dolarhyde hears of strange lights blowing up his cattle and men.

Throughout the movie the characters are tested both emotionally and physically as they encounter obstacles of all types. They also come across allies in the most surprising places, including a tribe of Native Americans who believe “White Men” brought the Alien menace.

Throughout the film, Jake slowly recovers bits and pieces of his past and soon comes to a grim realization of what has happened to him and how he acquired the bracelet. Craig does a fantastic job in this role and makes the audience feel strong empathy for his character as he comes across darker and darker pieces of his past. His no-nonsense attitude and silent actions clash beautifully with a variety of comedic characters who create a humorous atmosphere.

Ford also does a superb job as the tough and determined Colonel. He lights up the mood of the film with his comical and clever remarks. Ford also shows Dolarhyde’s true inner self with his tough demeanor.

The cast was great and really keeps the audience laughing and at the edge of their seats.

With such a strong set of actors and actresses well-known for their superb acting skills, the characters really come to life. The film inspires an array of emotions within the audience through both the suspense and dark scenes of the film and the humorous absurdity the characters find in their situations.

The film is best known for its dialogue, the cast, and the scene actions. It is definitely a must see this summer.

It is a true showdown between Cowboys and Aliens.

Photos courtesy of Universal Pictures via Fandango and IMDB and Jacqui Yawn via Comic Con 2010.