Like a broken revolver…it does nothing but mis-fire!

Based on the graphic novel of the same name, Cowboys & Aliens was released in 2011, and despite a great cast, and what appeared to be an interesting concept, fell foul to other titles such as ‘We Need To Talk About Kevin’. However, it wasn’t because the aforementioned film was somewhat better, it’s because this film is so terribly bad, and the only thing it does get right…are the cowboys!

In 1873 New Mexico, an amnesic outlaw named Jake Lonergan wakes up in the desert with a mysterious alien shackle on his wrist, and unable to remember who he is. When ruthless cattle baron Colonel Dolarhyde and his town face an attack by extra-terrestrial scavengers abducting the townsfolk, Lonergan’s wrist device becomes their only functional weapon to fight back. Aided by the mysterious Jane, the posse must survive the attacks, rescue the townsfolk, and destroy the aliens once, and for all!

The Cast

Daniel Craig takes a break from his 007 duties to star as the lead character Jake Lonergan, a mysterious character with amnesia. Craig is always dependable (well, mostly) and really tries to make the most of this choice in project. What let’s him down is the inability to pull off a convincing American accent. My God, it’s jarring to say the least.
Harrison Ford stars as the semi-antagonist Colonel Dolarhyde, and you would think that anything starring Ford would be a knockout success. Hmmm, no! This film marked the decline of his choice in projects. I think it shows in this movie, as his role largely involves being angry, and then angry again, and more angry until…he’s just angry! In a sense, I think this is Harrison Ford’s way of ‘Phoning it in’.
Olivia Wilde plays yet another mysterious character called Jane, who for the most part has very little to do during the whole affair, and relies solely on her ‘twist’ towards the end of the film. Yet again, you won’t need to watch closely to see her disinterest in this character.

For what is a mostly stellar cast, you would think this film has everything going for it, but talent doesn’t make up for shortcomings everywhere else in the production.

Olivia Wilde as Jane / Cowboys & Aliens

The Script

Written by Alex Kurtzman, Robert Orci, Damon Lidelof, Mark Fergus and Hawk Otsby, this script had some serious talent behind it. Kurtzman, responsible for most of the scripts for modern day Star Trek as well Transformers and Mission Impossible III really tries to add his flair of Sci-Fi to this endeavour, but i think he is hampered somewhat by the other writers. You know what they say? Too many cooks spoil the broth, and in this instance, I truly think this statement applies.
The writing is a bit wonky. At times it’s almost as if the writers couldn’t agree on what is being said, and so just pasted in ‘angry’ or ‘silent’ as a way to negate the conflicts. And this leads to one of the most heinous crimes any writer(s) could commit when producing a script. No clear motivation for their characters actions. This immediately kills the propulsion of the characters and leaves them stagnating between brooding and anger. It lacks pace, and it lacks flair.

The Score

I adore the works of Harry Gregson-Williams. From his amazing work for the PS2 game Metal Gear Solid 2, to Man On Fire and many, many more film and game soundtracks. So you would think that the soundtrack here would be truly on-point?! Hmmm, kind of. Yes, Gregson-Williams really does put his unique twist into the score, but trying to blend western elements with science fiction elements is a big ask for any composer, even ones who truly are great at what they do.
What this score is, is safe. It takes no risks with the moments it should take risks with, and borrows heavily from other composers such as Ennio Morricone. Don’t get me wrong, the soundtrack here does an admirable job in capturing the essence of the wild west, and those moments where a more modern sound is used for the sci-fi set pieces. Like I said, it’s just a bit too safe, perhaps dare I say, sterile?

Special and Visual Effects

ILM (Industrial Light & Magic) have always been at the forefront of technical visual marvels, and here they are supported by the much smaller company Legacy Effects. I will say this, the effects here are very well done, and I really quite enjoyed those moments where we get those big sci-fi action pieces that show off the aliens and their craft. The green screen work is again, exceptional, and is such a staple of Hollywood film-making, no-one can really get it wrong. The lighting is generally on-point and really helps the gravity of the scenes where it’s used heaviest.

The Director

Jon Favreau is one of the best directors in Hollywood in my humble opinion. He genuinely loves all things film, and is himself a fantastic writer. Unfortunately, it’s this film that broke the camels back, and I do honestly believe Cowboys & Aliens stretched his talents way too far, almost to breaking point.
When your script lacks any serious emotional core, and it’s tonal shifts are more jarring than a politician telling the truth, you are fighting a loosing battle from the off. Favreau does an admirable job in capturing the essence of a western, and attempts to blend those sci-fi elements as best he can.

Blu-Ray Disc and Extras

On the extended directors cut of this film, you get an additional 17 minutes of footage, although this addition does absolutely nothing to improve the viewing.
The disc itself is well mastered, and the transfer is quite faithful with the preservation of film grain from the master. The master was filmed using 35mm film on a Panaflex Millennium XL2 camera in standard 2k format. The theatrical masters were struck to 35mm. So in essence, the quality of the film you get on the Blu-Ray edition is almost exactly as it was in theatres.

On the disc, you get audio commentaries with Jon Favreau, featurettes in discussion with Favreau, and a behind the scenes making-of featurette. Not a spectacular offering, but not too bad either compared to some Blu-Ray releases.

Overall Thoughts

Cowboys & Aliens works on paper given the talent on and off the camera. It had everything going for it, apart from a premise you can get behind, and a script that actively tries to sink itself faster than the Titanic.
I personally love Westerns and Sci-Fi, and when this showed at my local cinema, I jumped at the chance to go see it, but I hoped out feeling quite upset, but not as upset as Harrison Ford in this disappointing, tonally abrupt mash-up. The score is passable if not commendable, and the specific western settings and tone are very well crafted, and the SFX is great. So if you want to go into this one, then do so with no serious expectations.

I give this film…