Cowboys & Aliens (2011) User Reviews (609)

Cowboys, Indians and Aliens

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 19 February 2012]

In the Old West, an amnesic stranger awakes in the middle of the desert wounded in the belly with a bracelet in one of his wrists. He is attacked by thieves but defeats them. He rides a horse of one outlaw and heads to a former mining town, where the local preacher treats him.

Then he sees the youth Percy Dolarhyde (Paul Dano), who is the son of the powerful farmer Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford), bullying with the bar owner Doc (Sam Rockwell) and the other locals. When Percy provokes the stranger, he reacts and beats up on Percy. The local Sheriff John Taggart (Keith Carradine) arrests Percy and he finds that the stranger is the wanted Jake Lonergan (Daniel Craig). The sheriff returns to the bar with his deputies to arrest Jake, but he subdues the men. However he is hit on his back by the mysterious Ella Swenson (Olivia Wilde) and he faints. Jake is arrested and when Sheriff Taggart is ready to take Jake and Percy in a coach to deliver them to a Federal Marshall, Woodrow arrives with his men ready to protect his son. But they are attacked by spacecrafts that abducts several dwellers, including Percy, Doc's wife and the sheriff. Woodrow organizes a posse to seek out the kidnapped people in a dangerous journey against an advanced race of aliens. Meanwhile Jake Lonergan has glimpses of his past life and they learn that someone among them may help them in the fight against the invaders.

"Cowboys & Aliens" is a very entertaining film with a battle between cowboys and Indians against alien invaders. The result is a funny adventure that blends western with sci-fi. Unfortunately Harrison Ford is histrionic and cliché in the role of the ambiguous Colonel. Daniel Craig is great, as usual and Olivia Wilde is very beautiful and charming. I had low expectations with "Cowboys & Aliens" and in the end I had lots of fun. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Cowboys & Aliens"

Note: On 18 June 2015, I saw this movie again.

Title Says It All

[TourettesPersonal · 6/10 · 13 August 2011]

It's easy to figure out what Cowboys & Aliens is going to be. I'm not familiar with the comic book that it's based on but the film is definitely what the title has promised us. There are cowboys, then there are aliens. If you are fond to Western movies then you'll be entertained but if you are expecting too much aliens then you might get disappointed. You won't be seeing anything mind blowing in this film. If you want to see Sci-Fi action plus Western Violence then this film is just for you.

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. The only things we see them do are ride their ships, stab people, shoot with their weapons, & jump scare the audiences. It's also your typical alien invasion film.

At least the action is full of explosions. Jon Favreau sure knows how to make the action scenes exciting no matter how flawed they are. The performances saved most of the film. Daniel Craig's character is actually bland in the script so does Olivia Wilde's, but Craig's performance gives a little more character to the role. I don't know what to say about Olivia Wilde's, she is just hot. Harrison Ford & Sam Rockwell do what they do best. Paul Dano can be both fun to watch and annoying at the same time.

It's easy to recognize that the CGI effects were made by Industrial Light & Magic, since the CGI aliens looks just like any monster from J.J. Abram's films. No doubt, it's good. The score is true to its western themes. The production design is pretty decent enough for a western film.

In the end, Cowboys & Aliens is just another blockbuster released to our cinemas. I don't know if this film is going to be remembered years from now but I think the only purpose of this film is to show its gritty western violence and some sci-fi action. If you're expecting more than the title then you will be disappointed. If you are expecting more aliens than the cowboys then you'll be disappointed. Cowboys are the focus and the aliens end up being the jump scare of the movie. It's not bad nor good though. If you are careless about the story and the character development, & you're just seeking for some sheer action and huge explosions then I can recommended this. But not quite.

What Iron Man director Jon Favreau brings to this comic book adaptation is texture

[Likes_Ninjas90 · 7/10 · 11 August 2011]

In the Old West, a mysterious man (Daniel Craig) wakes up not knowing who or where he is. He's been wounded in the stomach and has a mysterious metal bracelet attached to his arm that he can't break off. After he escapes a group of bandits he rides back into town to heal up. But he brings attention to himself by taking out a thug named Percy (Paul Dano). Suddenly, people recognise the man as an outlaw named Jake Lonergan and he is knocked out by the mysterious Ella Swenson (Olivia Wilde) and winds up in a cell right next to Percy. When army Colonel Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford) learns that his son Percy has been locked up, he rides into town with his men to free him. But the town is attacked by alien spaceships, which capture by people by roping them up into their crafts. One of the people taken is the wife of bartender Doc (Sam Rockwell). When it's noted that Jack's bracelet can shoot down the ships, Woodrow insists that he comes with the group including Ella, Doc and Nat (Adam Beach), an Indian, to try and get their friends back.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy Cowboys and Aliens. It's a ridiculous concept, melding the Western with science fiction and not one with any recent or memorable comparison. But importantly, what Iron Man (2008) director Jon Favreau brings to this comic book adaptation is texture. It surprised me what a violent and grubby film this is. That means that it's not appropriate for small children but it does make for a more grounded Western. Out of all the ways to describe a movie called Cowboys and Aliens, I never imagined I'd be using the word 'realistic'. But believe it or not, the characters in this film look and feel like real cowboys, hardened battlers of the frontier. Many of them are unshaven; they drink too much and engage briefly in torture. In one scene a man is tied to two horses as his limbs are pulled in two different directions. Even the early brawls in this film are more involving and intense than we usually expect from films like this because they're shot cohesively and with some gravity. The cuts and the bruises here look real. I appreciated the attention to detail that Favreau decided to bring to this movie, instead of easy self- referencing. Any humour in this film arrives in just the right amount of doses. It never becomes a winking parody because the mood of this film and the performances play the concept straight. This allows the deadpan humour to come through more naturally, mostly thanks to some fun supporting roles by Sam Rockwell and briefly Paul Dano. They seem to be having great fun with some of their dialogue and they're really enjoyable to watch and listen to.

But the casting of Craig is particularly interesting. Robert Downey Jr. was originally was attached to the film because of the success he and Favreau shared with Iron Man. But Craig is, I think, a better fit for the movie. His weathered face and constant grimace evokes Clint Eastwood's Man with No Name. He doesn't bring any of the smugness that Downey Jr. would have. That means that there's less jabs and winking at the source material. Instead, Craig makes himself effortlessly cool by snarling lines like: "Demons took your gold. When you get to hell, you can ask for it back". Harrison Ford is in grizzled form here and really chews the scenery as the battle hardened Colonel. There is a little more depth and warmth to his character, because of his interactions with Nat, while thankfully avoiding much of the schmaltz of Super 8 from earlier this year. Olivia Wilde is merely serviceable but at least slightly more active than most female roles in movies like this. These characters aren't as rich or romantic as the ones from Iron Man but they're tough and humorous enough to be a lot of fun. The aliens are the least interesting part of the movie. This is where the film loses a lot of its gravity. There's nothing particularly unique or interesting about the aliens. They have few weaknesses and not much personality. They're just after gold. And not having read the comic book, I don't know if the aliens are meant to be symbolic or allegorical. Favreau is not interested in that aspect. Some of their sequences have a few jumpy scares, which does add to the fun but others are just overdone or too far-fetched. If you think the aliens are a stretch, wait till you reach the Indian campfire ceremony. There's also a silly scene on top of a spacecraft and the last battle, like so many of these films, goes on far too long. That said, the action is very slickly handled and violent and the actors are engaging. I think a lot of comic book and video game fans are going to love this film.

I don't understand the bad reviews.

[Alexjmalley · 2 August 2011]

I see no way possible of giving this movie under a 7. I read other people talking about the actors seeming bored and I finally see it and I don't see that at all. I guess the story was kinda random but a lot of it made sense. The cast was great and the acting was great. If you are looking for a Jon Favorue or however you spell it, this didn't seem like it, but it was still really good. If you enjoy movies involving the old west, which have been popping up, and you like sci-fi this is good for either of you. The trailers didn't give a lot away so a lot of things are discovered in the movie that you were not expecting. All in all, the story was probably a 7/10, the acting a 9/10, and the cast a 9/10. I give this movie an 8/10 and hope to see more movies like this.

Better than I hoped for

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 13 November 2017]

COWBOYS & ALIENS is one of those "what it says on the tin" type movies, obvious in content from the title. I wasn't expecting to like it much, feeling that modern-day science fiction films tend to be all about the big CGI effects without much warmth or character to go with them, but I didn't have worried. This film is refreshingly old-fashioned in feel and for two-thirds of the running time focuses on being a western rather than a sci-fi flick, which is all well and good.

Things kick off well with Steve McQueen-alike Daniel Craig waking up in the desert, with an alien wristwatch and a cracking headache/case of amnesia. He's soon involved in a plot involving arch criminal Harrison Ford, but any local enmity is put on hold when the aliens show up in an impressively destructive set-piece. What I liked most about this film is that it's straight-up serious, rather than being loaded with annoying and goofy humour. The performances are therefore better than hoped for, and the direction is fine, with the early, brutal fight scenes really proving successful. Sure, it does go on a little too long, and the ending descends into effects-filled nonsense, but overall this is winning and watchable.

Surprisingly good

[grantss · 7/10 · 5 February 2014]

Surprisingly good. The basic premise sounded ridiculous, and a recipe for a mindless B-grade action-only movie. However, it's much better than that.

Plot is actually quite solid. Characters are multi-dimensional, and the humans' background story is developed well, before we meet the Aliens. Director Jon Favreau paces the film well and doesn't go overboard on the action scenes.

Good performances all round from a star-heavy cast: Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Sam Rockwell, Olivia Wilde.

Good entertainment.

I mean, what's not to love...

[rissifish · 7/10 · 25 October 2021]

It's predictable and hilarious. With less of a cast it would have been a total nightmare but with Craig and Ford leading the way and the inimitable Sam Rockwell in their wake, this is a ton of fun and ranks high on the absurdity. I loved it--just set the expectation accordingly and you will too.

Guns and lasers blazing...

[paul_haakonsen · 7/10 · 19 November 2011]

Having seen the trailers, I was really looking forward to this movie. And now that I have seen it, I can honestly say that I wasn't disappointed. However, the concept of cowboys and aliens thrown together into one pot still does seem a bit odd to me.

The story in "Cowboys & Aliens" is pretty easy to follow; Jake Lonergan finds himself without his memory and a pretty neat-looking bracelet around his wrist. Thrown into a desperate fight against a far superior species, Jake, the people of Absolution and the native Americans find themselves in a showdown for supremacy.

I must admit that the story is fairly much on the 'no-brainer' side of the storyboard. This is the type of movie where you can switch off your brain and just run on the adrenaline alone. There is action from the start of the movie and right up to the end of it. The fight scenes were really nice to look at, lots of guns blazing (both archaic and future guns), explosions and in-your-face action scenes.

The movie is making good use of make-up effects and CGI effects. The aliens look awesome, and they look so life-like that it is bordering on being too real. Thumbs way up for the effects team on "Cowboys & Aliens", they sure did a great job.

As for the cast, then I think they got a good group of people together for the movie. And I must say that Daniel Craig (playing Jake Lonergan) is more cut out for something like this, rather than playing James Bond. And it was really good to see Harrison Ford (playing Woodrow Dolarhyde) in this movie. He is in top shape here and putting on a really good performance, both in acting and action scenes.

"Cowboys & Aliens" is a good movie for an evening of mindless action entertainment. If not for the action sequences, then for the effects and CGI. Compared to some of the recent movies that make heavy use of CGI effects, "Cowboys & Aliens" came off as more than just a shallow story trying to stay afloat by effects alone.

What happens when you overvalue a movie concept and undervalue the story

[Movie_Muse_Reviews · 4/10 · 30 July 2011]

The answer to the obvious question hovering around Jon Favreau's latest action blockbuster is yes, "Cowboys & Aliens" is as ridiculous as the title sounds. Yet blame doesn't quite belong on Favreau's shoulders or that of star Daniel Craig or the rest of the cast; rather, the failure of this alien-infested Western results from the domino effect of the countless studios and producers who put their faith (and money) in a concept rather than a story.

To be fair, I know nothing of the Platinum Studios comic by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, but it couldn't have been all that good if all the hottest screenwriters in Hollywood couldn't whip together a plot worth a damn. The duos behind "Iron Man" and "Star Trek" along with "Lost" writer Damon Lindelof all took cracks at the screenplay and an earlier treatment from another pair of "it" writers who wrote next month's "Conan the Barbarian" was discarded. Frankly, criticism of "Cowboys & Aliens" all stems from a story with lackluster characters equipped with cliché motivations. Despite some cool aliens, the action doesn't offer anything unique enough to counter that we've no reason to care.

Craig stars as Jake Lonergan, a stoic outlaw in Arizona sometime in the late 19th Century who wakes up with no memory and some metal device on his wrist. When he arrives in the town of Absolution, the sheriff discovers he's wanted and attempts to ship him off for a reward. That's when the aliens attack, bombing the town and roping up locals before flying off into the night. Lonergan's bracelet activates as a weapon and suddenly he's the only one capable of defeating these things. He joins a rescue party led by a grumpy Civil War vet named Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford) and they all set off to find out what happened to their loved ones.

The script introduces characters willy-nilly and provides little satisfactory explanation for anything that happens. The story paints Lonergan as a quiet badass, but one who has flashes of some woman he loved. Because his past slowly unravels with nothing revelatory to show for it as the film wears on, it's tough to care much or even see him as capable of romantic feelings. Regardless, a woman named Ella (Olivia Wilde) keeps approaching him with questions he doesn't have the answers to and she evolves into a love interest for nothing but the sake of it. Sam Rockwell has little to no bearing on the film other than serving an example of an otherwise peaceful man who will do whatever it takes to get his wife back. He's a waste in the role. As for Ford, he just gets on screen and acts grumpy and impatient. We've seen everyone on board do so much better. Did these folks not read the script? Probably not considering the number of drafts alone.

Worst of all, the script thinks we will care; after all, this is "Cowboys & Frickin' Aliens!" In the final sequence, suddenly all these supporting characters have little moments together out of seemingly thin air. What are supposed to be moments in the story tying up relationship subplots between characters end up as reminders that these relationships and subplots even existed in the first place. Consequently, the film's pivotal moments result not in hearts beating, but eyes rolling.

In fairness, Favreau shows his adeptness from an action perspective once again in this film. The movie looks good if nothing else with strong visual effects and a strong concept team behind the aliens and related technology. The genre experiment generally works from a tonal perspective, an obstacle that certainly stood in Favreau's path. The film feels like a Western and one in which aliens could feasibly exist, so no problems due to identity crisis.

Yet the film never provides a single reason to justify why it had to be a story about cowboys and aliens. In that sense, the movie results in nothing more than several studios and producers thinking we'd simply be interested in a fusion of a shoot-em-up Western with an alien invasion. All involved failed to ask the one critical question when making a film based on a concept: "is there a good story here?" No, there's not. Despite every ounce of you wanting to find a reason to care about what happens, none arrives. As such, "Cowboys & Aliens" offers watchable but lifeless entertainment.

~Steven C

Visit my site at http://moviemusereviews.com

Great cowboys, but did it need the aliens?

[ma-dougherty04 · 6/10 · 28 July 2011]

If you like cowboys, dirt, Daniel Craig, or a boy with a dog, you should go. Overall, surprisingly thumbs up. Warning, the good dialogue comes at the beginning, the good horse riding comes in the middle, and the embarrassing face you make when cringing comes at the end. Yes, this is a popcorn film (I ate my whole bag), but it also does an excellent job putting some real hitch in the giddy up of cowboy flicks.

Daniel Craig shines as rough, reluctant hero, and really stuck it to the producers of Bond for not continuing his reign (making hearing him speak in an American accent all the more odd). Jon Favreau once again brought a pleasant grounding to what could easily slip into Michael Bay-let's just blow things up and move the camera really fast-territory. I am reminded of his insistence on "Elf" to do as many in-camera effects as possible before resorting to CGI, lending the tipping point of keeping it reasonable and earning his place at the table with the big boy producers of this film.

As a fan of early cowboy films of Ford, Wayne, Huston, and Steward, I was pleased to see the pacing and emphasis on the journey honored. This film is more about riding than stare offs. I just wish the destination was as much fun as the chase. At times it seemed like a chore to continue stabbing and shooting the aliens. Classics like "Winchester '73" knew best to get the killing done and wrap in up fast.

Don't Waste your Time and Money on this movie

[jjm83-120-278803 · 2/10 · 30 July 2011]

I went in with little expectations on this one. I expected Cowboys & Aliens and thats all I got. What more could I ask for right? I could ask for story and a point this story, which this so called movie didn't deliver. I wasn't disappointed with the cowboys, but the aliens were just ridiculous with little intelligence. The movie never explained why they were on Earth or what the reason for aliens wanting gold was about.There was no reason for this movie to be made other than to take my money and dupe people like me who want something new and different than the conventional western or sci-fi movie. This movie was just two hours of people riding around on horses. Loved the cast but i hope they got paid well for being in a less than worthy movie.

A lot more serious than the name would suggest. Decent effort

[anthonypape · 8/10 · 26 July 2013]

I put off watching this movie for some time, for the simple reason - it sounded like a slightly spoof or comedy sci-fi/western due to the name. In fact this is nothing of the sort (thankfully) and is actually a very decent shot at combining typical western fare with an alien element. From the first (quite violent)and bloody fist fight you'll realise this isn't silly kids stuff. Too often these days, a movie like this would have been dumbed down and littered with comedic or slapstick scenes. The story such as it is, is basic, but believable. The way the movie plays, at no point do you question the believability of having cowboys fighting aliens with their obviously superior technology. It was something that concerned me before watching but it works out right and makes sense. No issues with any of the acting, or the effects. Overall a decent effort, worth watching especially for sci-fi fans.

Spectacular Action and Great Performances

[Dan1863Sickles · 7/10 · 3 August 2020]

This movie is a lot of fun but very hard to rate. There are scenes that are spectacular, like the opening sequence where Jake awakens naked in the desert and has to fight off some very bad men. There are scenes that make you cringe, like every time Paul Dano opens his mouth. There are great performances and terrible performances. There are funny lines and lines that make you want to punch someone. There are great special effects and there are really bad special effects. The worst part of the movie is the middle, which drags on forever. The beginning is absolutely great and the end is pretty much okay.

This is the kind of movie you should only watch on DVD. Just watch the opening credits, the fight scene, and the attack on the town. Then fast forward to the last twenty minutes. Everything in between is pretty terrible, except that Harrison Ford is surprisingly intense as Colonel D. He acts like he's in a real Western!

Laserblast Revisited

[skullislandsurferdotcom · 1/10 · 30 July 2011]

In the beginning, there's a cowboy movie. A man from nowhere, Daniel Craig, wakes up with a device on his wrist – then he's surrounded by three rough necks – followed by a quick, neat fight straight out of the opening scene of SILVERADO. He wanders into a small town, where a few more characters are set-up, and it feels like the kind of Western we love to watch, perhaps even something by Sergio Leone – that's the attempt, anyway. We meet the town brat, overplayed by Paul Dano, whose father, Harrison Ford, is a cattle baron with lots of money. All these and more folks are introduced, so many it's hard to keep track.

Then the aliens, in speedy vessels with lasers, and even lassos, attack: computer animation meets the scant Western setting. When a posse is formed, and the cowboys venture to kill the formidable foes, the pace flags. But it's when Craig's gorgeous love interest, supposedly the town whore, becomes "enlightened" by Indians and knows everything about the aliens... spouting exposition like directions on a new stove... that the film sinks beneath the surface of banality, completely losing its rough and tumble origins to a science-fiction melodrama.

Daniel Craig, attempting the iconic Clint Eastwood Man With No Name, is so tiny he's lost in his big hat. He juts his lips and hisses each line, and while this seems to work for James Bond, his performance as a mysterious stranger doesn't hold water. Harrison Ford, with a gruff, world-weary voice and a bitter hatred for mankind, seems to be doing a performance or imitation. The aliens, free from their ships and computer animated to the hilt, are too quick and dangerous to be worthy foes – thus Craig's wristband gun comes to play, making the other riders (and way too many of them) useless.

The only involving performance is by Clancy Brown as a wise, tough preacher, but alas, he makes but a quarter of the trip: one that starts with a quick bang and ends with a very long whimper. So here's one "spoiler" to sum things up – the girl eventually turns into a hummingbird, an image more stupid than the convoluted back story of our hero and the aliens, which is still completely unclear.

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Looks good, superb cast but painfully predictable.

[amesmonde · 13 August 2011]

Its 1873; New Mexico Territory; an  Outlaw and a Cattle Rancher must put aside their differences to stop Alien invaders hellbent on experimenting on humans and stripping the land of its gold.

There's something kooky about the title Cowboys and Aliens, B-movie-ish, yet, exciting, enticing and genius. However, even with the star talents including Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford, with the striking Olivia Wilde and excellent Sam Rockwell Cowboys and Aliens still falls short of expectations. The script is bland, every effort has gone into developing the two main leads but at a cost of the rest of the characters, the basic story and plot.  

The special and practical effects are well integrated and executed but while fantastic they are nothing that hasn't been seen before, reminiscent of District 9, Independence Day to name a few. Considering director's Jon Favreau fun and exciting Iron-man outings this offering is less satisfying. It's not the mishmash of classic genres that's the problem, it's the lazy, predicable story telling. 

The films opening is strong and intriguing, building up to the tension of Ford's character Colonel Woodrow Dolarhyde meeting with Craig's Jake; its Jones meets Bond, perfect. Both are excellent giving weight to the proceedings. Horses are flipped, guns and gauntlets go wild, aliens leap and stomp on cowboys. But after the first few alien attacks the film wavers onto familiar territory. Although it has a fabulous cast beneath its hat and sweeping, breathtaking Western landscapes under it's belt - it buckles under it's own weight. 

Even with its somewhat serious tone it's not brave enough to explore or commit to its own themes leaving it underdeveloped. But it also omits much needed fun leaving the whole film unseasoned and as empty as the plains of Arizona. Debatably, flop Wild Wild West (1999) infused the sci-fi and Western genre more successfully. 

Cowboys and Aliens is entertaining, it looks good, has a superb cast but it's painfully predictable and just not that great.

Enjoyable

[akshatmahajan · 7/10 · 28 September 2022]

To be honest, I was not in mood to watch this movie due to it's low ratings but today I gave it a try and I must say that I was not disappointed. I enjoyed the movie very much. One negative was that the story was simple, outdated and predictable due to which there's no suspense element in the movie. Yes, the concept of cowboys and aliens was different. Another negative was that the movie was all over the place. One event is happening and then other is happening so fast. The pacing and runtime was good, you don't feel bored. The performances were also good.

Overall, it was a good entertainer that you should give a try.

Misses the Mark (for me)

[NDanger · 6/10 · 31 July 2011]

I've not read the book (books?) so I have no bias in that regard. For me there were several plot issues that I had issues with. This isn't a spoiler, so I won't go into details. A simple one is size of scout ship vs. size of alien. The way the story weaves in all the players of the wild west, Cowboys, Indians and Outlaws is very well done. The performances are pretty good, but Craig plays it too much like James Bond for me. Maybe Favreau wanted him to play it quiet-cool, it just comes off as too 'Bond-ish' for me. Ford is terrific as the tough-as-nails ex. Civil War Colonel. The effects are first rate. I enjoyed it, but they could have done a little better.

Yeehaw-some

[skymovies · 7/10 · 29 July 2011]

Somewhere out West. Man (Craig) wakes up in the desert, bleeding. Weird metal manacle on his wrist. Doesn't know who he is. Doesn't know how he got there. Kills some passing lowlifes. Rides to the nearest town: Absolution.

Ordinary kinda place. Usual kinda folks: kindly preacher (Clancy Brown), fretful barkeep-cum-doctor (Sam Rockwell), dog-tired sheriff (Keith Carradine), purty mystery lady Ella (Olivia Wilde), young troublemaker (Paul Dano).

Turns out the latter boy's untouchable, bein' son of local bigwig Dolarhyde (Ford) an' all. Figures he can push the stranger around. Figures wrong. Turns out it's Jake Lonergan - a bigger villain than old man Dolarhyde.

So just another day in Absolution. Til nightfall that is, when a bunch of machines swoop down from the sky, blow the town to smithereens and make off with half the people usin' some kinda fancy lassoes.

Aliens. Doggone.

Only thing that'll stop 'em is Jake's fancy wrist cannon. So if they want their folks back, everybody's gonna have to put their differences aside and posse up to track them unidentified flying varmints down.

Along the way, Jake gradually gets his memory back. Runs into his old gang too. And some Apaches.

Also finds out what mysterious Ella's all about and what the ETs want (same thing as everyone else, truth be told).

It's all based on one o' them graphic novels. But with a tale as outlandish as this, it proves a wise move to play it straight. Mostly.

Course, there's a gutful of guffaws to be had, but it all pans out like 3:10 to The Alamo. With more alien splatting.

Director Favreau has great fun with his flashbacks and dandy effects and such. Even throws in a few sly nods to the genre, yessiree.

But what he needs is a manly, clenched jaw or two to carry it off. And what he gets in Craig and Ford. That's what they do.

The set-up's terrific. Pacing's a mite skew-whiff though. The search and rescue bit kinda drags. Favreau needs to put his spurs in more often. Bringing the sheriff's grandkid along don't speed things along none either. Coulda made more use of the dog too.

It ain't free o' clichés. But then what western is? Want a mash-up that does what it says it's gonna do? Saddle up.

It was fun....but I can't say it was great

[giriayush · 6/10 · 22 July 2011]

Saw cowboys and aliens on a special screening in California......well the cow boys and aliens was a fun ride and I must say it is entertaining but I can't ensure that you will love the movie as it has a lot of loop holes....this is not a great movie....well direction is alright performances of the lead actors were reasonably well(especially Olivia Wilde)the movie lacks that x-factor needed for a movie to be gr8.....watch it as it is a fun ride but it is not a must watch..... direction:6/10 plot:6/10 screenplay:8/10 entertainment value:9/10 acting department:8/10(especially due to Olivia Wilde visual effects:9/10 promotion:8.5/10

Straightforward action right?

[garwhite44 · 1/10 · 22 November 2011]

We were all excited to see this, me and 6 of my friends had our tickets pre-purchased and we trekked out to the theatre which is in its own little way becoming more and more uncommon. I wasn't expecting much... i knew it was a comic (not that popular) and i knew it had a lot of cash and production muscle in it, not that it means its going to be good ... but the point is that i really wasn't expecting to be dazzled, maybe some Harrison/Craig action mixed with some sci-fi and sexy-ol' Olivia Wilde right? Wrong. At about 45 mins into the movie i had fallen asleep, my one friend sitting next to me noticed this and found it quite funny but, interestingly enough, the one sitting next to me on the other side didn't notice because he was asleep also. Noticing that we were quite peaceful i guess he decided to let us be for the remainder, which for the most part we both did. Im 25, I've been going to movies for a while now ,not to say that i know more than anyone else my age, or that this implies some sort of knowledge, but I've never come close to falling asleep in a theatre. Apparently neither had my friend. Consider what kind of a feat it is to fall asleep in a modern movie theatre, consider now the added problem of explosions at max volume and attractive women doing exciting things purely for ones enjoyment... how did we sleep for 80% of the film? Better yet how did i (and my friend) still manage to walk away with a perfect understanding of the storyline? Needless to say the film didn't deliver the action it promised, never mind all the other characteristics of good films...

The fusion of western and sci-fi turns out to be a success

[themkody · 6/10 · 27 July 2011]

Jon Favreau has proved to me (once again) that he is an expert filmmaker. Being a major fan of Iron Man 1 & 2, I thought this project could do no wrong, especially with Steven Spielberg as producer. And thank god, I was right.

Cowboys & Aliens embraces both sci-fi and western, Favreau truly found the perfect balance between those two genres. The cinematography, actually, pretty much everything visual about the film, was absolutely terrific, pure eye candy. It also knows when to be silly and when to be serious, which is a good thing. One of my biggest fears was the thought of the movie drowning in cheesiness and embarrassing lines, but there was only a few of them, luckily. Like I said, the balance between silliness and seriousness is phenomenal, just like Iron Man.

While it's fun to think of it as "007 meets Indiana Jones" I must admit, Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford were really good as Jake Lonergan and Woodrow Dolarhyde, respectively. Not for a moment were I reminded of some of their previous great roles, but only the two roles they were playing in this movie.

Cowboys & Aliens was something of a risk, and while I expected a little more action, Jon Favreau did a great job and made it into a great genre mash-up. Overall, I can't recommend this film enough if you love cowboys and aliens. Unless you were ready to choke yourself as soon as you heard about the movie, the average movie-goer should have nothing to worry about.

Moose finds this film worthy of a 9.

why IMDb fails

[impayshunz · 1/10 · 7 January 2012]

This movie epitomizes why it's impossible to use IMDb ratings when searching for a movie to watch. There is no way on this green earth that this movie should rate above a 3 or 4. The acting was poor to the point of amateurish, the plot had so many holes in it you have to assume they expected the special effects to carry the movie. The attempts at humor were either in inappropriate places or not funny enough to take your mind off how bad this film was. I was astonished to find Ron Howard's and Steven Spielberg's names involved in this....well, Ron Howard's, anyway. So much of this movie just screamed "STUPID" at the audience.

The only reason we watched it was because of the 6.2 IMDb gave it. Perhaps there was a computer error and the score SHOULD have been 2.6. I just thank my lucky stars we rented this for a dollar thru Redbox and NOT at the theater. I would have HAD to insist on getting my money back.

Egads, I have to purge any memory of this movie out of my poor head.

Unexpected Brilliance

[markzipperboy2 · 8/10 · 15 January 2016]

I had heard the negative reviews despite my high hopes for a new different perspective. So with such a negative feel about it I was so enthralled with it. Blown away with this mix of genre that worked beautifully and the cast was amazing. From start to finish I loved it. It started as a genuine Wild Western movie with a very slight hint of something just not quite right. If I had seen this movie without knowing the title and synopsis like I did with From Dusk Till Dawn which had me incredulous with its amazing twist. I had no clue as to what was to follow. Daniel Craig was unbelievably perfect as the confused clueless gun slinger struggling to remember his identity. Ford was exactly the hardened war veteran you wanted that had to think on his instincts despite what he was seeing. The originality was insane. The past meets the unimaginable and the necessary meeting of 4 different groups of humans in the 1800s just to defeat the darkness is something to revel in. If you love westerns and sci fi I defy you to not enjoy this.

Had Fun!

[flyingsaucer · 7/10 · 5 August 2011]

I had to watch a movie on a weekend. And it had to be "Cowboys & Aliens". Frankly speaking, the trailers didn't capture my imagination. I thought it would be a boring movie. Just before watching this movie, I might have watched Indiana Jones played on a Television channel, and yes my mind was properly set to accept a Cowboy movie.

When I entered the theater, and as movie started playing, the first scene was that of Jake lying on ground, fainted, with a strange gadget on his hand. Then he wakes up and fights with a bunch of cowboys on prowl. The music played, Jake's Theme, really grabbed my ear buds. It was really cool. Jake goes to this town, and there he's captured by the local police. Aliens attack, and take away people. Jake and few more cowboys go out to rescue the people taken away by aliens. This pretty much sums up the story, if you are still reading it.

What really amused me was how well the movie amalgamated a Sci-Fi related theme(Aliens) with Wild West, and it was done quite well. The aliens never looked out of place or unnatural, nor did film look any more modern because of all the alien weaponry, it still retained its rusty wild west look and feel. It was as if Clint Eastwood met E.T., not so epic, but pretty damn good. As you might be aware, this film had lot of hype going about before its release, and it has lot of fans and good will. Expectations were other-worldly, and maybe it didn't reach up to the expectations of some people. But it deserves more than 7/10, it made me sit through out with excitement and gave me happiness and hence I respect this movie for whatever it is.

Big dumb mess

[phenomynouss · 1/10 · 2 August 2011]

With a hokey name like "Cowboys and Aliens", you're really not supposed to expect much more than Cowboys and Aliens, fighting.

And very little of the movie even deals with that.

Being PG-13, it couldn't go all-out in a faithful depiction of the Old West, but it seems they only really pushed it so as to show off Olivia Wilde's buttcrack and a quick shot of a a guy with a big hole shot through the chest with an alien weapon, as everything else is virtually squeaky-clean, not a hint of racism or sexism, grit or grime, and an utterly blasè attitude from everyone but Sam Rockwell as the bartender "Doc".

As the review in my local newspaper said, very little is devoted to "why" with regards to the alien, and far too much "why" with regards to Daniel Craig's Jake Lonergan, played so stony and cold you don't give a damn about any of his problems.

The characters are horribly one-dimensional and predictable, and there were so many instances in the film where not only me, but a large group of people, burst out laughing. And not when the movie was being funny.

Not going to spoil it, but the big "revelation" moment with Olivia Wilde's character caused some very loud and noticeable derisive laughter from many of us in the theater, and the moment with the alien that Jake had first met having a final standoff with him at the end was so hackneyed, it provoked chitters and groans.

For a movie that felt so long and, by concept, seemed to be aiming for something big, it sure felt small, like a Syfy original movie with some big-name actors in it.

But the absolute biggest plothole involves the aliens interacting with the people. Not only is it never explained WHY the aliens are randomly abducting people, but as it turns out, their ultimate reason for coming to Earth, and their goal, not only has little to nothing to do with humans, but considering their technology, they could EASILY achieve without EVER interacting with the humans at all! Considering how a clichè'd Hollywood flick like this ends with the good guys winning, these aliens could've saved themselves a lot of trouble by not looking to pick a fight with the natives for no reason. But then we wouldn't have this big dumb mess we call a movie.