We’ve all liked westerns. They may be long and boring, but there is an air of coolness around them. The scenery is always great, and the same stories repeated on and on, still remain pretty good. The reality of the movies is often the most striking part.
We’ve also all liked science-fiction movies. They are usually fast-paced, full of non-stop action. Usually everything is done through CGI, and there are usually a gazillion different stories on the same theory that we are not alone in this universe. What makes them great usually is the fact that they are not realistic.
So what happens if you attempt to combine the two together?
We get Cowboys and Aliens, in a way.
Directed by Jon Favreau, and featuring some of the best names in Hollywood, on the face of it looks great. Cowboys and Aliens looks like a match made in heaven. Take your ordinary Western, throw in some aliens, and you get an action packed adventure that should scream success.
However, is it not as smooth as that. Sure, the initial half hour feels very western, with panoramic views, slow dialogue, slow action and ambience. But then the aliens appear, and it becomes more like a science-fiction movie set in the 19th Century. Sure, it can be seen as “From Dusk Till Dawn” (Half Tarantino, Half Rodriguez), two movies in one, and Favreau tried that I guess. The thing is, I was hoping for a more creative mix of the two genres rather than just a scotch-taped up movie.
Don’t get me wrong it is really good, I was just hoping for something a bit more creative. Story-wise, we follow Daniel Craig as an amnesic cowboy who wakes up in the middle of nowhere with a strange bracelet on his arm. He gets harassed and stuff, kicks ass, and then aliens arrive attacking everybody. Craig and Harrison Ford round up a good ol’ posse, and hunt the aliens down with the help of some out of the world assets. The aliens themselves are nothing new, huge cockroach like things that are just here to steal our gold (get the western-movie reference there?), who underestimate humans, and end up getting hurt.
Visually, as per usual, it is very good, and there is an overall Western feel to the movie that is much appreciated. The story itself is pretty good, if a bit obvious/too good. I mean, yes humans are weak and all that, but adding another alien form to the cockroaches that wants to help us fight them away is a bit too good/déjà-vu to be thoroughly enjoyed.
Overall a very good movie that slightly fails to deliver. Or that could just be me over-expecting again. Maybe Western and Science-Fiction cannot mix very well. Oh wait, taking into consideration “Wild Wild West”, maybe Cowboy and Aliens does deliver!
4/5
Loved: Concept is great. Very enjoyable movie
Hated: Obvious story overall, slightly failed delivery
We’ve also all liked science-fiction movies. They are usually fast-paced, full of non-stop action. Usually everything is done through CGI, and there are usually a gazillion different stories on the same theory that we are not alone in this universe. What makes them great usually is the fact that they are not realistic.
So what happens if you attempt to combine the two together?
We get Cowboys and Aliens, in a way.
Directed by Jon Favreau, and featuring some of the best names in Hollywood, on the face of it looks great. Cowboys and Aliens looks like a match made in heaven. Take your ordinary Western, throw in some aliens, and you get an action packed adventure that should scream success.
However, is it not as smooth as that. Sure, the initial half hour feels very western, with panoramic views, slow dialogue, slow action and ambience. But then the aliens appear, and it becomes more like a science-fiction movie set in the 19th Century. Sure, it can be seen as “From Dusk Till Dawn” (Half Tarantino, Half Rodriguez), two movies in one, and Favreau tried that I guess. The thing is, I was hoping for a more creative mix of the two genres rather than just a scotch-taped up movie.
Don’t get me wrong it is really good, I was just hoping for something a bit more creative. Story-wise, we follow Daniel Craig as an amnesic cowboy who wakes up in the middle of nowhere with a strange bracelet on his arm. He gets harassed and stuff, kicks ass, and then aliens arrive attacking everybody. Craig and Harrison Ford round up a good ol’ posse, and hunt the aliens down with the help of some out of the world assets. The aliens themselves are nothing new, huge cockroach like things that are just here to steal our gold (get the western-movie reference there?), who underestimate humans, and end up getting hurt.
Visually, as per usual, it is very good, and there is an overall Western feel to the movie that is much appreciated. The story itself is pretty good, if a bit obvious/too good. I mean, yes humans are weak and all that, but adding another alien form to the cockroaches that wants to help us fight them away is a bit too good/déjà-vu to be thoroughly enjoyed.
Overall a very good movie that slightly fails to deliver. Or that could just be me over-expecting again. Maybe Western and Science-Fiction cannot mix very well. Oh wait, taking into consideration “Wild Wild West”, maybe Cowboy and Aliens does deliver!
4/5
Loved: Concept is great. Very enjoyable movie
Hated: Obvious story overall, slightly failed delivery
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