Movie Review: Cowboys and Aliens

Alien movies have been a hot commodity this year and they also been all over the place in terms of quality. Some have been amazing (Super 8), Some have been bad (I Am Number Four), and some have been smack dab in the middle (Battle: Los Angeles). On top of all these, there is even more due out by the end of the year. In terms of alien films this year, Cowboys and Aliens is one of the better ones.

Cowboys and Aliens works due to it's simple premise and superb action scenes. The title says it all, the whole film is centered around a battle between a group of human and aliens in an old-west setting. Daniel Craig plays Jake Lonegan, the outlaw who doesn't remember anything and has a mysterious and powerful weapon attached to his wrist. He was previously abducted by the aliens and shows up in the town where their next target is. Harrison Ford is the cattle driver that runs the town the aliens invade. Craig and Ford's standoffs make for some of the most fun scenes in these movies. It's really cool to see these action heroes of past and present work together and feed off each other. Olivia Wilde serves her purpose as eye-candy and turns in a respectable performance as well. The real highlight of this movie is the action. Jon Faverau is one of the best directors at capturing action. Every action sequence he does is well-shot. He doesn't rely on gimmicks like slow-mo or hyperactive camerawork, he just films the action at a normal pace and he is excellent at it.

Cowboys and Aliens is a successful western/sc-fi hybrid. It makes the most of it's cool and original concept. The action sequences are great and the acting is pretty good for the most part (with the exception of Adam Beach).  It's exactly what I expected it to be, a simple, fun, summer blockbuster. It won't blow your mind, but it provides solid entertainment.

4/5 Stars