Cowboys & Aliens

For a long time now film buffs have known about the legendary “pitches” that occur in the most expensive offices in Hollywood. Is Cowboys & Aliens the greatest ever? Not only is it a pitch, but it is also the name of the film. Or is it something that you would normally more likely see on those garish B-movies that litter up the Cote d'Azur during the Cannes film festival? Well the Dreamworks, Universal and Paramount (gulp) Studios all thought the former and a deep breath please for the talent involved in this film: Craig, Ford, Spielberg, Rockwell, Carradine, Favreau, Grazer, Orci and Rosenberg. Have too many cooks (especially on the screenwriting front) spoilt the broth though? In the film we are in 1873 and we follow Jake (Daniel Craig) a cowboy who awakes out in the scrub with a strange metallic device on his wrist and no memory of how it or he got there. Before long he’s having run-ins with the locals and law of a small town, but that is all small beer when Alien spacecraft arrive out of the blue and start picking off the locals one by one. This should be non-stop fun, but even with the dark undertones, this is really a kids film dressed as something a bit more. Despite the premise, the screenplay isn’t really any great shakes and none of the actors have to get out of first gear. Craig is usually pretty good, but he has zero charisma here (though that’s probably a by-effect of his character having to act confused for the majority of the film) and Harrison Ford is scarcely belivable as an evil cattle baron. Olivia Wilde appears as a token female character, but seems out of her depth and she also has the misfortune of being a plot twist you can see a mile off. What’s most disappointing of all though are the special effects, especially considering the money involved. The aliens look pretty awful during any daytime scenes, which may partly explain the reason why a large portion of the film is set at night or in dimly lit areas. Despite the negatives director Jon Favreau still does a decent job, moving the story along at speed and trying his best to steer between the plot hole filled screenplay. Hats off to him as well for resisting calls for it to be converted to 3D. All in all this is a fun but standard ride, which is a huge shame when you consider the names involved and what might have been.

The OC Film Sting Final Verdict

You’ll be entertained, but disappointed as the film never quite works out what it wants to be. Rating: 6/10.