Cowboys & Aliens Movie Review

A Movie Review By Joseph Hagen

With kick-ass action, a great cast and a functional plot, Cowboys & Aliens is a wonderfully fun summer popcorn flick that delivers what its silly title suggests — a good time. Jon Favreau returns to the director’s chair, Daniel Craig stars as the mnemonically challenged tough guy Jake Lonergran and Harrison Ford jumps in as the soft-hearted/bad guy (?) Woodrow Dolarhyde.

Craig’s typical tough-guy character is perfectly suited for this film. While there is no ground breaking performance here, he is slick enough to make laser-shooting dude-bracelets look awesome… Parents beware, your children will surely steal toilet paper rolls and aim them at you.

Ford delivers an Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull-ish kind of old wise guy performance. A smart decision by Favearu was placing Ford on horseback for a majority of the action sequences, making him seem young again and sparing us from the patently awkward Harrison Ford run.

The super-beautiful, ridiculously-hot, angel-eyed Olivia Wilde plays Ella Swanson, a mysterious cowgirl on a mission to help Jake realize his true potential. Being dealt something less than Academy Award material to work with, Wilde takes the role in stride and delivers a tough, smart and sensitive female lead. She is quickly becoming one of my favorite leading ladies… Plus, she’s cute.

Cowboys & Aliens delivers a wonderfully admirable summer film that, when allowed to be taken for what it is, is a really cheesy-fun viewing experience in the movie house.

Memorable quote:
“Give me your hand.” – Jake Lonergan